News

13 May

Posted at 07:52h in News

Located in west transept of Chicago’s historic Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows, the altar of Our Lady of Sorrows is justly regarded as one of the finest small altars in the country. Of white Carrara and variegated marbles, its main feature includes the column raised, domed, arched, and cross-topped canopy housing a beautiful statue of the Mother of Sorrows. The altar was consecrated in 1914.

The statue of the Mother of Sorrows is in a declining state of repair. The surface of the statue is experiencing paint flaking and large areas of paint loss. At some point in its history, it had undergone a complete repainting, most likely to cover numerous losses in the paint. At least 50% of the surface area of the statue shows damage to the paint layer. Since it is nearly impossible to remove a layer or layers of repaint to unveil the original paint layer, it seems unreasonable to try to save damaged repaint. The proposed treatment includes cleaning the surface of dirt, dust and flaking paint, filling areas of paint and plaster loss, testing to determine the original colors, and a complete repainting of the surface.

Cost estimate is between $10,000 and $11,000.

Please consider a donation to restore this notable and historic work, that it may continue to welcome and inspire pilgrims seeking the compassionate intercession of the Mother of Sorrows for the next 107 years and beyond.

https://gofund.me/68edc547

04 May

Posted at 10:30h in Prayers for Various Occasions

A New Prayer written by the St. Peregrine ministers for the 2021 Feast of St Peregrine Laziosi, OSM

Brother Jesus, risen to new life, we joyfully celebrate Your Easter victory over sin and death, after You humbly shared with us the pain and joy, the fragility and wonder, of life lived in human flesh. You truly are our hope and promise, as we continue to face a global health crisis, and individual illness, whether our own or that of someone we love. As we also celebrate the feast of St Peregrine, patron of persons with cancer and other serious illness, we open our hearts to express three essential prayers: “Help! Thanks! Wow!”

Help! Lord of mercy, You have heard this word often. It may be our most frequent prayer, especially when we are sick, or when we care for and support someone who is ill. Confident in Your constant and compassionate love for us, we continue to petition for health and wholeness, and for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, for all people throughout the world.

Thanks! How can we ever forget, gracious Jesus, to express our gratitude for Your gifts of healing! Though we have not always received exactly what we desired, You have surprised us with deeper and longer-lasting kinds of healing: of a relationship, an attitude, a memory, or our struggle to trust and depend on You. We are thankful for progress toward ending this plague, and for the first-responders, healthcare professionals, essential workers, researchers and those who administer the vaccine, care-givers, family and friends who have been with us and cared for us during our times of greatest need.

Wow! And sometimes, Your Spirit has amazed us with incredible miracles, beyond our expectations, as you did with St Peregrine! You cure us, bring us out of isolation and loneliness and quarantine, and gift us with precisely what we ask for! And more! Wow! We praise You for Your faithful and powerful love, which delights and energizes us, and which transforms us, and our world, even a little at a time.

We pray all this through the intercession of St Peregrine Laziosi, as we celebrate his feast with the hope and joy of Easter, and with continued petition, thanks and praise! Amen.

04 May

Posted at 06:36h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day 9 – Prayer for Peace

Phil 4:4-7
Always be joyful, then, in the Lord; I repeat, be joyful. Let your good sense be obvious to everybody. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

O God of mercy, in your endless love you sent your Son, the Prince of Peace, to teach us the way of mercy, peace, and gentleness. We thank you for those daily moments of peace which are your gift to us – moments of your loving presence. We ask that you continue keep us in your peace in times when we are hard-pressed, anxious, and suffering. Put a new Spirit in us, we pray, that angry and chaotic ways vanish so that peace and harmony may reign among your people. With your peace in our hearts, may we always be ready to serve others with mercy.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. From being an angry youth, you received the grace of conversion: from being violent you became meek in spirit, bowing to seek God’s forgiveness. Call on the Lord for us all, we implore, to give us a conversion that is heartfelt and deep that we too may live in genuine peace and serve our brothers and sisters with a generous heart. Dear St. Peregrine, ask the Lord to pour over us the peace which is beyond all understanding.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

03 May

Posted at 07:43h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day 8 – Prayer for Joy

Zeph 3: 17-19
The Lord your God is there with you, the warrior-Savior. He will rejoice over you with happy song, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you, as on a day of festival. I have taken away your misfortune, no longer need you bear the disgrace of it. I am taking action here and now against your oppressors. When that time comes I will rescue the lame, and gather the strays, and I will win them praise and renown when I restore their fortunes.

Great and merciful God, we thank you for the joy and peace that you bestow upon your people through your presence and your Word. Many times on our journey of faith, we run into difficulties and suffering that disturb us and rob us of joy. In those times, help us to remember that we have never experienced a night that wasn’t followed by the light of day. Be merciful and grant us the joy of your presence that sustains us through the dark times as we move into your own wonderful and healing light.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. In your own life, you knew suffering and confusion, followed eventually by serenity and joy as the Lord’s grace guided your steps. Your trust and faith was so strong that it sustained you through your illness to the great joy of your healing. Intercede for us we pray, that we may receive God’s joy and share it with others in good times and bad.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

02 May

Posted at 11:47h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day 7 – Prayer for Love

1 Cor 13:4-8; 13
Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never comes to an end. But if there are prophecies, they will be done away with; if tongues, they will fall silent; and if knowledge, it will be done away with. As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love.

Lord Jesus, you are the source of life and love. Your love for us was so great that you underwent suffering and death that we might be saved. We thank you for your sacrifice and love. We thank you for all the special people in our lives. When our lives grow burdensome with illness or other cares, pour out your great love upon us – a love with the power to heal. Help us to remember that we are loved and cared for by others also. This is your gift to us and may we share that gift of love with others.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. The example and love of St. Philip turned you from a youth of anger and rebellion to a new life of love, humility, and service. When struck with illness, your great love of God allowed you to place your trust in him for healing and your prayer was heard. Following your example and praying for your intercession, may God’s healing love also convert us to new ways of living, thinking, and acting.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

30 Apr

Posted at 05:34h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day 5 – Prayer for Patience in Suffering

Ps 37
Commit your way to the Lord;
Trust in him, and he will act,
And make your uprightness shine like the light;
The justice of our cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait in patience;
Do not fret… calm your anger, and forget your rage…
Those who hope in the Lord,
They shall inherit the land.

Lord Jesus, you are slow to anger and abounding in kindness. During your passion, you patiently bore insults, humiliation, and more pain than we can imagine. Please do not allow us to become burdened with more than we can bear. Teach us to be patient in affliction. With your loving presence at our side, reassure us. Show us that we can endure our personal crosses out of love for you and our fellow believers.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. You followed the peaceful and gentle Christ. Even when struck with illness, you showed patience and strength in your infirmity. Help us to bear our own trials in life with patience and a smile, confident in knowing that our suffering serves some greater purpose – a purpose perhaps known to God alone.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

29 Apr

Posted at 04:45h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day Four – Prayer for Courage to Accept Suffering

2 Cor 5:1-2; 6-8
Brothers and sisters: We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. And in this earthly state we do indeed groan… So we are always courageous, although we know what while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight… Yet we are courageous.

Gentle Lord Jesus, you are the source of everything beautiful and good. It was you who taught us to pray “thy will be done.” It is easy to say “thy will be done,” but much harder to accept it – especially when it may involve pain and suffering. We often do not see anything good or beneficial in suffering, so we run from your will. Yet, you will only good for all your creation. Help us to practice acceptance so that one day we may come to see your guiding, healing hand, and know the Easter glory you promise.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. You followed the way of humility and sacrifice, denying your own will and taking up your cross each day. Struck with a cancerous wound, you accepted God’s will with an unchanging spirit, uniting your sufferings with those of the Redeemer. Pray for us, blessed Peregrine, that we too may learn to accept the will of God with courage and joy.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

28 Apr

Posted at 07:15h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day Three – Prayer for Hope

Rm 5:2-5
Let us exult, too, in our sufferings, understanding that suffering develops perseverance, and perseverance develops a tested character, something that gives us hope, and a hope which will not let us down, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

O Lord Jesus, you are the source of all healing and hope. We walk with uncertainty in the face of cancer or other illness. We feel weak, frightened, and helpless, and all seems dark. Reach into that darkness to take us by the hand. Fill us with the warmth and light of your presence. With you beside us to support us, we can face our trials with strength and hope. Thank you for your healing presence.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. In your own distress, you went to the cross and to Christ hanging there, dwelling in hopeful prayer throughout the dark night. You were gifted with healing and now live in the blessed light of God. We ask you to intercede for us that the Lord may grant us healing, hope, light, and a lifting of the ills that trouble us. May we also rejoice, as you did, in the daylight of restored health.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

27 Apr

Posted at 07:50h in Prayers for Various Occasions

Day Two – Prayer for Trust

Ps 62: 8-9
In God is my salvation and glory,
my rock of strength;
in God is my refuge.

Trust him at all times, O people.
Pour out your hearts before him,
for God is our refuge.

Lord Jesus, you are the source of all goodness and the Word of Faith for all. At the Last Supper, when the disciples were plunged into confusion and anxiety, you told them to trust in you, and that you were going to prepare a place for them. You also promised that not a hair of their heads would be harmed. In the midst of fear and uncertainty, show us how to strengthen our trust in your will. Rid us of our bitterness, doubts, resentments, and fears, that we may truly know and experience the wonderful things you promise those who place their trust in you.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you….
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. You showed patience and found strength in your infirmity, always trusting that the Lord, in his goodness and mercy, would hear and answer your prayers. Intercede for us, we pray, that we may also face our trials with courageous hearts, never doubting the goodness of the Lord, and trusting in his healing mercy.

May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.

26 Apr

Posted at 07:47h in Prayers for Various Occasions

It should be consoling to every sick person to know that he or she does not suffer alone. Throughout the world, others are afflicted as well. All of us, by our crosses and trials, can assume an active role in the work of redemption. St. Peregrine, miraculously healed of a cancerous wound, assisted Christ in this noble apostolate of suffering through his own experience of illness and pain. There is significance in the fact that St. Peregrine was healed at the foot of the cross. The miracle might have occurred in a sick bed or a shrine. But it didn’t. St. Peregrine’s healing took place before the cross where all who are sick must eventually find themselves if they wish to participate in the redemptive action of Jesus Christ.

Today we begin our Novena to St. Peregrine, the patron saint of those suffering from cancer and other serious illness, leading up to his Feast Day on May 4th. Please join us in these nine days of prayer.

Day One – Prayer for Healing

Ps 107: 19-22
Then they cried to the Lord in their need,
and he rescued them from their distress.
He sent forth his word to heal them,
and saved their life from destruction.

Let them thank the Lord for his mercy,
his wonders for the children of men.
Let them offer a sacrifice of thanks,
and tell of his deeds with rejoicing.

We praise and thank you, Lord Jesus, for the many healing blessings that you have granted to us in the past. For all our caregivers, family, friends, and prayer partners, we thank you. You are the source of all healing. Stretch out your hand over us: touch our bodies with health and strength; touch our minds with confidence and hope; touch our spirits with faith and charity.

Our Father, who art in heaven…
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you…
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Dear St. Peregrine, brother and friend, faithful Servant of Mary, kindly listen to our plea. You prayed before the cross and Jesus heard your prayer and today you live in the eternal light of heaven. Now pray with us that the Risen Lord will extend his all-powerful hand over us to heal us of all our ills. Hear our prayer that we may know the power of your intercession for all who are suffering. May God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose holiness shines forth in you, St. Peregrine, receive all honor and glory forever. Amen.

St. Peregrine, pray for us.