CRYSTAL LAKE—The fifth annual McHenry County Catholic Prayer Breakfast on Nov. 7 welcomed about 600 people to the Holiday Inn here for a talk by Father Michael Gaitley, director of evangelization for the Marians of the Immaculate Conception and author of “33 Days to Morning Glory” among other books.

Bishop David Malloy celebrated Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Church before the breakfast, joined by Father Gaitley, several priests of the diocese and by Father Francis “Father Rocky” Hoffman from Relevant Radio who provided the meal prayer at the breakfast that followed.

The bishop spoke about the importance of a life of prayer, beginning with his memories of Saturday morning Mass as a child “in the heat of July (and) the cold of January and February ... what a wonderful part of our faith (as) we break the dawn on Saturday.

“In the daily, small, little moments, God sees every little drop of good we ever try to do,” he said.

“We need that constant practice of prayer ... to love Him, ultimately to have that pure heart to be ready to be with Him whenever that time comes,” the bishop added.

In his remarks at the breakfast itself, Bishop Malloy expanded his homily to ask those gathered to pray for and with young people and to provide an example of prayer in their families.

He also listed the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, noting the Year of Mercy begins Dec. 8 in Rome and on Dec. 13 in the dioceses of the world.

Pray like saints

Father Gaitley focused his keynote talk on the mercy of God and the assistance of the Blessed Mother.

He spoke at length about St. Maximilian Kolbe, best known for his martyrdom in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

But long before his martyrdom, Father Gaitley said, St. Maximilian had “discovered a powerful weapon” in the Blessed Mother’s help.

The future saint and his Conventual Franciscan brothers began the Militia of the Immaculata (MI) evangelization movement in 1917. One million copies of its magazine were printed and distributed each month and those efforts “were transforming Poland,” Father Gaitley said.

“Father Kolbe’s mission prepared Poland for World War II,” he added, giving examples of the suffering of that country and the heroism of the Poles that so inspired the future Pope St. John Paul II.

In addition to his work in Poland, Father Kolbe was sent to Nagasaki, Japan, Father Gaitley said. Within a month of his arrival, Father Kolbe was publishing 10,000 copies of the MI magazine in Japanese, giving his mostly-pagan audience Marian teaching.

When the atomic bomb exploded, it did not harm the monastery, located just outside of town behind a mountain. The Franciscans were able to minister to the population immediately after the destruction.

“Father Kolbe led the largest push for Marian consecration” before World War II, Father Gaitley said.

“Right now, we’re in a large push for Marian consecration here (in the U.S.) ... I don’t know what she’s preparing us for ... I hope it is a new springtime of faith.”

Admitting that, in his younger years as a priest, he “had seen Mary as a bit of a nag,” Father Gaitley shared how, in 2011, his 10-day process of writing “33 Days to Morning Glory” led him to a “healed image of Mary,” and a realization that “her love for us never changes.”

St. Louis de Montfort’s book, “True Devotion to Mary,” was the basis for “33 Days.” Quoting that saintly author, Father Gaitley said that “Mary is the quickest, easiest, surest and most perfect way to become a saint.” He encouraged his audience to prepare and make a consecration to Mary for the upcoming Year of Mercy. The point of making such a spiritual act, he said, is “so we can be spiritual instruments” of God’s great mercy.

That fits well with the vision of the McHenry County Catholic Evangelization Mission, listed in the program as: “to build a stronger, spiritual Catholic community through living our faith.”

Info: Brian Kelly of the McHenry County Catholic Prayer Breakfast at Brian@marianmissionaries.org