Catholic Mariology

The Heralds of the Gospel is an International Association of Christ’s Faithful of Pontifical Right 

The Heralds of the Gospel (Portuguese: Arautos do Evangelho; Latin: Evangelii Praecones, abbreviated to EP) is a Catholic International Association of Pontifical Right founded by Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias. It is active in 78 countries. 

The spirituality of the Heralds of the Gospel is based on three essential points: the Eucharist, the Virgin Mary and the Pope. These points are represented in the emblem that distinguishes them. The three devotions can be seen in the symbol of the Heralds of the Gospel.

Their charism leads them to strive for perfection and beauty in their daily actions.

In 2017, the Vatican instituted an Apostolic Visitation of the Heralds under the direction of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. 

Founder Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias

Catholic Mariology is Mariology (the systematic study of the person of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her place in the Economy of Salvation) in Catholic theology. According to the Immaculate Conception taught by the Catholic Church, she was conceived and born without sin. Hence, Mary is seen as having a singular dignity above the saints, receiving a higher level of veneration than all angelic spirits and blessed souls in heaven. Catholic Mariology thus studies not only her life but also the veneration of her in daily life, prayer, hymns, art, music, and architecture in modern and ancient Christianity throughout the ages.

The four Marian dogmas of Mother of God, Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, and Assumption form the basis of Mariology. However, a number of other Catholic doctrines about the Virgin Mary have been developed by reference to sacred scripture, theological reasoning and church tradition. The development of Mariology is ongoing, and since its beginnings, it has continued to be shaped by theological analyses, writings of saints, and papal statements, e.g. while two of the dogmas are ancient, the other two were defined in the 19th and 20th centuries, and papal teachings on Mary have continued to appear in recent times.

In parallel to the traditional views, since the late 19th century, as Marian devotion became more pronounced in the Catholic Church, a number of other perspectives have been presented as a challenge to Catholic Mariology. Other Christian views see Catholic Mariology as unbiblical and a denial of the uniqueness of Christ as redeemer and mediator, and modern psychological interpretations see Mary as the equivalent of mythical goddesses ranging from Diana to Guan Yin. Nonetheless, most Christians, including the Latin Church led by the pope, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Church of the East, revere Mary as the greatest saint and disregard Protestant objections to Marian devotion.

St. Louis Marie Grignion de Monfort 

St Louis Marie de Montfort

Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, TOSD (31 January 1673 – 28 April 1716) was a French Roman Catholic priest. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI.

Montfort wrote several texts that became classic Catholic titles and influenced several popes. He is considered one of the notable writers in the field of Mariology. His most notable works regarding Marian devotions are in Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to Mary. He is known for his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the practice of praying the rosary.

Pope Pius XII canonized him on 20 July 1947. A "founders statue" created by Giacomo Parisini is located in an upper niche of the south nave of St. Peter's Basilica.

Preparation for Total Consecration according to Saint Louis de Montfort

Preparation for Total Consecration, according to Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, was inspired by Louis de Montfort and published in 2001. Saint Louis dedicated his life to following and praying to the Virgin Mary. His devotion to Mary was even considered "the best and most acceptable form of devotion to Our Lady" by Pope Pius IX. Four of his performed miracles were examined by the Sacred Congregation. Saint Louis de Montfort was canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 20, 1947, over two hundred years after his death. The process took a long time due to his lack of followers and the unfortunate era in which he died. His two biographies, one by Grandet and the other by Father de Clorivière, both dated in the 1700s, which was a time of "immense social and religious upheaval 

The purpose of the consecration is to rid the self of the spirit of the world and to become ultimately in tune with the lives of Jesus and Mother Mary. This particular consecration is a thirty-three-day-long process in which the final day falls on a feast day of the Blessed Virgin. 

Part I: Twelve Preliminary Days[

The first twelve days of the consecration are set aside as the preliminary days, meant to rid one’s self of all outside hindrances. Saint Louis de Montfort declares that this “part of the preparation should be employed in casting off the spirit of the world which is contrary to that of Jesus Christ.”[3] After a short introduction to the preliminary days is given, Saint Louis provides a list of three prayers that should be said daily. These prayers include Veni Creator, Avi Maris Stella, and the Magnificat. Each day also entails a short meditation meant to be reflected upon before the prayers. The daily meditations tend to include one or two bible verses accompanied with a couple reflective words from the saint himself.

Part II: Knowledge of Self

After the twelve days are completed, the consecration moves on to Part II: Knowledge of Self. In this section, Saint Louis de Montfort’s goal for the consecrator is to "consider not so much the opposition that exists between the spirit of Jesus and ours, as the miserable and humiliating state to which our sins have reduced us." The prayers for this period are a bit longer, consisting of the Litany of the Holy Ghost, Litany of the Blessed Virgin, and the Ave Maris Stella.

Part III: Knowledge of Mary

Once the Knowledge of Self week is complete, the next section of the consecration to be prayed is Part III: Knowledge of Mary. During this period, it is important to reflect upon "the interior life of Mary, namely, her virtues, her sentiments, her actions, her participation in the mysteries of Christ and her union with Him." The prayers said for this section include the same as the previous. However, the consecrator is to say a daily rosary amid everything else. This week is a more challenging part for consecrators, as it leads to an hour to two hours of prayer and reflection.

Part IV: Knowledge of Jesus Christ

The fourth and final part of Saint Louis de Montfort’s consecration is the Knowledge of Jesus Christ. The prayers for this section include Litany of the Holy Ghost, Ave Maris Stella, Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, St. Louis de Montfort’s Prayer to Jesus, and O, Jesus Living in Mary. At the finish of the consecration, usually the consecrator is to purchase a chain that can be worn around the wrist as a constant reminder of one’s slave hood to Mary and Jesus; before wearing it, the consecrator has it blessed by a priest. In order for the consecration to be complete, the consecrator must attend Mass on the final day, partake in confession either the week before or after, and do a personal penance for Mary

The Secret of the Rosary is a book about the Holy Rosary written by Louis de Montfort, a French priest and Catholic saint who died in 1716. The English translation of the book bears the Imprimatur of Archbishop Thomas E. Molloy of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. It is said to be the earliest extant book describing the modern way the Rosary is prayed.

The book revolves around the views of the rosary and the power of the rosary and consists of several short sections called Roses, each being about one or two pages long. Each Rose discusses a separate viewpoint about the Rosary and may be addressed to a different cross-section of the audience, e.g. priests versus lay people.

This book discusses two different methods of praying the rosary. In Comparison, three additional methods (i.e. five altogether) are listed in the book God Alone, based on the collected writings of St. Louis.

The book consists of an introduction plus two main parts. Part I: “What the Rosary is” and Part II: “How to Recite it”. The book is structured in terms of 53 Roses, i.e. sections. The introduction consists of three Roses. Part I embodies the First Rose to the Fortieth Rose, and Part II includes the Fiftieth Rose.

The introduction has three Roses: The White Rose for priests, the Red Rose for sinners, and the Mystical Rose Tree for devout souls. These three Roses epitomize the multi-view approach taken by the book. The advice to priests about using the Rosary to save sinners directly relates to the advice given to sinners on how to use the Rosary for salvation. This theme continues throughout the book, each Rose gently leading to another, in the process gradually revealing various “secrets” on how to approach the Rosary, how to recite and how to use it for optimal spiritual benefits.


An example of the multi-perspective, yet pragmatic, method with which the book deals with the Rosary is how the concepts of focus and respect are conveyed through a set of Roses. This starts with the Forty-First Rose called “Purity of Intention”. This Rose points out that it is not the length of a prayer that matters, but the enthusiasm, purity and respect with which it is said, e.g. a single properly said Hail Mary is worth many that are badly said. This Rose is followed by the Roses “Attention” and “Fighting Distractions.” These provide advice for achieving the proper mindset for saying the Rosary. The topic concludes with the Rose “With Reverence,” which returns to respect. Although each of these is a separate Rose, they are cleverly interrelated to present multiple dimensions for focus and respect.

Hence, although the book is highly readable and unassuming on the surface, it is based on a well-structured “multi-perspective analysis” of the Rosary. The fifty-three sections are intricately connected and thought out. Hence, the term “secret” is quite becoming, for the book reveals these interconnections coherently. But the typical reader need not be concerned with the analyses because the flow of the text is natural, pure and pious and appeals to laymen and priests. The book has been read by Catholics worldwide for over two centuries and continues to be a great spiritual resource.


See The Life-Changing Effects Of A Daily Rosary

Saint Louis de Montfort's Prayer to Jesus

O most loving Jesus, deign to let me pour forth my gratitude before Thee, for the grace Thou hast bestowed upon me in giving me to Thy holy Mother through the devotion of Holy Bondage, that she may be my advocate in the presence of Thy majesty and my support in my extreme misery.

Alas, O Lord! I am so wretched that without this dear Mother I should be certainly lost. Yes, Mary is necessary for me at Thy side and everywhere that she may appease Thy just wrath, because I have so often offended Thee; that she may save me from the eternal punishment of Thy justice, which I deserve; that she may contemplate Thee, speak to Thee, pray to Thee, approach Thee and please Thee; that she may help me to save my soul and the souls of others; in short, Mary is necessary for me that I may always do Thy holy will and seek Thy greater glory in all things.

Ah, would that I could proclaim throughout the whole world the mercy that Thou hast shown to me ! Would that everyone might know I should be already damned, were it not for Mary! Would that I might offer worthy thanksgiving for so great a blessing! Mary is in me.

Oh, what a treasure! Oh, what a consolation! And shall I not be entirely hers? Oh, what ingratitude! My dear Saviour, send me death rather than such a calamity, for I would rather die than live without belonging entirely to Mary. With St. John the Evangelist at the foot of the Cross, I have taken her a thousand times for my own and as many times have given myself to her; but if I have not yet done it as Thou, dear Jesus, dost wish, I now renew this offering as Thou dost desire me to renew it.

And if Thou seest in my soul or my body anything that does not belong to this august Princess, I pray Thee to take it and cast it far from me, for whatever in me does not belong to Mary is unworthy of Thee.

O Holy Spirit, grant me all these graces. Plant in my soul the Tree of true Life, which is Mary; cultivate it and tend it so that it may grow and blossom and bring forth the fruit of life in abundance.

O Holy Spirit, give me great devotion to Mary, Thy faithful spouse; give me great confidence in her maternal heart and an abiding refuge in her mercy, so that by her Thou mayest truly form in me Jesus Christ, great and mighty, unto the fullness of His perfect age. Amen.

The Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary (Latin: Congregatio Clericorum Marianorum ab Immaculata Conceptionis Beatissimae Virginis Mariae) is a Catholic male clerical religious congregation founded in 1670 in Poland. It is also known as Marians of the Immaculate Conception. Its members add the post-nominal letters M.I.C. after their names to indicate membership in the Congregation. 

Revd. Eric Michel's Kindle Books on consecration to Mary

Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel

The Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel (SG), otherwise Gabrielite Brothers or Frères de Saint-Gabriel (FSG), is a religious institute. Its roots go back to Louis de Montfort, who opened a few schools for poor children in La Rochelle, France, in about 1711. 

Company of Mary

The Missionaries of the Company of Mary is a missionary religious congregation within the Catholic Church. The community was founded by Saint Louis de Montfort in 1705 with the recruitment of his first missionary disciple, Mathurin Rangeard. The congregation is made up of priests and brothers who serve both in the native lands and in other countries. The Montfortian Family comprises the Company of Mary, the Daughters of Wisdom and the Brothers of Saint Gabriel.

Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet

Daughters of Wisdom

The Daughters of Wisdom is a Catholic religious institute of women founded by Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet in 1703 to serve those in need. 

Marie Louise Trichet, also known as Marie-Louise de Jésus (1684–1759), was a French Catholic figure who, with Louis de Montfort, founded the Congregation of religious women called Daughters of Wisdom and, since the age of seventeen, devoted her life to caring for the poor and the sick. She is also referred to as the First Daughter of Wisdom. Pope John Paul II beatified her.

Salve Regina (Hail Queen )


Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,

Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope.

To thee do we cry,

Poor banished children of Eve;

To thee do we send up our sighs,

Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

Thine eyes of mercy toward us;

And after this our exile,

Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Almighty, everlasting God, who by the co-operation of the Holy Spirit didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin-Mother Mary to become a dwelling-place meet for thy Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration; so by her fervent intercession we may be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray:

O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of our Holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

A painting of the prayer inside Sorrowful Mother Shrine Chapel (Bellevue, Ohio)

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

Hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you we cry, poor banished children of Eve;

to you we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn, then, most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us;

and after this, our exile,

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

L Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.

R That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Revd. Chaplain Eric Michel, Archbishop: Consecration to Our Lady

EMMI Benedictine Oblates 

True Devotion to Our Lady of High Grace