and saint gianna O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire! (Mt 15.28)

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1 guild of our lady and saint gianna In the Scriptures, Jesus was always accompanied by holy women. The young women of the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Gianna center their spiritual lives around Christ, Prince of Peace and Eucharistic King! O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire! (Mt 15.28) You may have noticed the white dresses and the blue sashes No, it s not First Communion. It s all the time at Prince of Peace. As a parish family, one of most important groups is the Guild of Our Lady and St Gianna. This Guild, the first and only of its kind, gives young women an opportunity to be part of a special group in the Church. Under the patronage of Our Lady under the title of Queen of Peace, and of the doctor Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, these young women come together for a unique experience of Christian formation. They learn to be deeply involved in participating in the Church s sacred liturgy. They learn all about the virtues and holy friendships, and develop leadership skills to nurture their spiritual lives as women of faith. This informative newsletter will give you a little glimpse into this amazing project that began right here in our own parish to create saints right here at home. Queen of Peace, pray for us! discover more the guild 2 our lady and st gianna 3 liturgy and virtue 6 spiritual motherhood 9 forming young women to be saints One of the principal apostolates of Prince of Peace Catholic Church is the formation of Christian disciples. While parents are the principal educators of their children, the parish provides the life-giving sacraments of grace as well as religious education. Young women in the parish are invited to join the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Gianna to deepen their Christian formation. We seek to tie them ever closer to Jesus, Holy Mother Church and the Priests.

2 IPSUM: Vivamus est ipsum, vehicula nec, feugiat rhoncus, accumsan id, nisl. The Founding of the Guild The parish priest of Prince of Peace, Fr Christopher Smith, has always had a burning desire to share his love for Christ our Eucharistic King with the young women of his parish. He knows the formative value of the Church s liturgical and spiritual tradition and wants those in his care to fall in love with Christ through that tradition. On the Fifth Sunday of Lent 2013, Father Smith inaugurated the Guild of Our Lady and St Gianna at the Solemn Mass. Some 60 girls received the blessing of missionaries adapted from the Book of Blessings. In their white dresses, symbolizing the purity of their Baptism as children of God, they received from his hand a sash, made of blue satin for their devotion to Our Lady and trimmed in lace, a symbol of the beauty of the heavenly liturgy. Fr Smith called on Christie Mauritz and Ashley Maddox to make his dream of forming young women close to the heart of the Church a reality. The Aims of the Guild The principal aim of the Guild of Our Lady and Saint Gianna is simple: to make saints! The other aims of the Guild are as follows: 1.to sanctify the young women of the parish by giving them an opportunity to pray and learn more about their faith. 2.to help the members fall in love with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, principally through their active participation in the Sacred Liturgy. 3.to teach the members how to pray the Mass as the center of their spiritual lives 4.to form young women to be virtuous and courageous leaders in the heart of the Church. 5.to give young women an opportunity to develop leadership skills by nurturing the feminine genius within 6.to integrate the members into the liturgical life of the parish by public thanksgiving after Mass and participating in processions and devotions. 7.to raise up young women to have a maternal heart of service in the heart of the Church. Father Smith speaks I have always been blessed to be surrounded by women of faith. As a priest, I see how the fairer sex exercise a role of leadership in the Church that I as a man, even as a priest, cannot. There is a certain genius that comes with being a Catholic woman. Through this Guild I want to help form the heroines of the future, the saints of tomorrow, as these girls develop their own particular genius as women of faith and love in the heart of the Church. The women of the Church have always given so much to me. Now, it is time to give back to them! Meetings Once a month, all of the members of the guild meet on a Sunday afternoon, where they are guided through activities which strengthen their faith. They also plan out their participation in the sacred liturgies at Prince of Peace!

3 Every Sunday after all the Masses, as well as the Wednesday School Mass, members of the Guild, at the end of Mass, genuflect before Christ Our Eucharistic King and proceed over to the Shrine of the Queen of Peace. Just as on the morning of the first Easter Sunday, the three Marys went to minister to the Body of Jesus in the tomb, the Guild publicly gives thanks for the gift of the Body of Jesus in the Eucharist. They do so by leading prayers of thanksgiving to God for the Eucharist through the intercession of Our Lady and St Gianna, their patrons. As Mary held and contemplated the Body of Jesus after the Crucifixion as Mother, the young women of the Guild, after receiving that same body under sacramental form, contemplate His Body by an Act of Thanksgiving. Our Lady and the Mass Scripture does not record that Mary was present at the Last Supper, but she was certainly present at Calvary. At the Crucifixion, Jesus presented His Mother to His beloved disciple, John and said, Behold, your Mother. At the foot of the Cross, Mary became Mother of the Church. Because she offered her Son to the Father as a sacrifice for sin, she is said to be a co-offerer with the Sacrifice of Redemption. The Mass is the unbloody re-presentation of the Sacrifice of Calvary. Mary, who was present at Calvary, is also Mother of the Eucharist which is its commemoration. As Jesus gave His Mother to John, one of the first priests, Mary also becomes Mother to Priests. Mary is intimately connected with the Eucharist and the Priesthood. Our Lady was not herself a priest, but she co-offered Jesus to the Father for souls. Likewise, the Guild co-offers the Sacrifice of Calvary to the Father in the Mass, just like Mary. The Guild and Marian Devotion to the Eucharist Our Lady was present in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles at Pentecost. Even though she was not a priest, she plays a special role in the Sacrifice of Redemption. The Mass is offered by the successors to the Apostles, the priests, in the person of Christ the Head. Mary, the Mother of the Church, co-offers that same sacrifice with all the faithful, renewed at Holy Mass. The Guild has a particular devotion to the Holy Mass, where we receive Jesus, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. Because of that love for Jesus, they seek to become ever more like Mary, who offers that sacrifice to the Father. They seek to be as devoted to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist as Mary is devoted to her Son, not only on this earth, but as Queen of Heaven. The presence of the Guild after every Mass is a powerful reminder of the intimate connection between the Body of Christ in the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass and Our Lady as Mother and Queen. Offering a public Act of Thanksgiving on the Lord s Day after Mass reminds all of the faithful to spend some time with Jesus in giving thanks for their salvation celebrated in the Mass. It also forms young women to discover their maternal heart in connection with Christ in the Eucharist. The Guild stands as a witness to both Jesus and Mary. They develop compassion for all as they spend time with Our Lord and Our Lady, and lead other parishioners in thanksgiving to God. Litany of Loreto The Litany of Loreto contains many of the exalted titles we use for Our Lady. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, but we do know the litanies were sung daily in the Holy House of Loreto in the late Middle Ages. After Europe was saved from Turkish invasion at the Battle of Lepanto (1571), it was ordered in all of the churches of Rome and spread all over the world. In 1917, Pope Benedict XV added the invocation Queen of Peace to pray for an end to the Great War, and in obedience to Our Lady, who at Fatima asked her devoted children to pray for peace. The Holy House According to Tradition, the house where Mary was born and Jesus became incarnate in her womb was flown by angels in 1291 by angels to the town of Loreto in Italy. While there is little historical evidence for this angelic transfer, there have been countless miracles and healings at the shrine.

4 The Sacred Sacred means set apart for God 1. God is sacred. God is All-Holy and All-Pure. He calls us and all creation to participate in his perfections by setting people, places and things apart for His glory. 2. You are sacred. In Baptism, you become a child of God and an heir to Heaven. You become Priest, Prophet and King in Christ. You co-offer the Mass with Mary at the foot of the Cross. 3. All human life is sacred. God creates all human life in His image and likeness. 4. Divine worship is sacred. In the Sacred Liturgy, we participate in the Paschal Mystery. Through the Sacraments, we become holy. 5. What we use in church is sacred. Everything we use in church is set apart for divine worship by the blessing of the Church. Pray the Mass! As a young priest, Pope St Pius X noticed that there were plenty of people who came to Mass, and they even prayed at the Mass. The zealous young priest encouraged people to pray the actual texts of the Mass. He encouraged active participation in the liturgy, which was interior as well as exterior. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, pray for us! SaSaint Gianna Beretta Molla was born in Magenta (Milan), Italy, on 4 October 1922, the 10th of 13 children. Already as a young girl she willingly accepted the gift of faith and the clearly Christian education that she received from her excellent parents. As a result, she experienced life as a marvellous gift from God, had a strong faith in Providence and was convinced of the necessity and effectiveness of prayer. She diligently dedicated herself to studies during the years of her secondary and university education, while, at the same time, applying her faith in generous apostolic service among the elderly and needy as a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. After earning degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Pavia in 1949, she opened a medical clinic in Mesero (near Magenta) in She specialized in pediatrics at the University of Milan in 1952 and thereafter gave special attention to mothers, babies, the elderly and the poor. While working in the field of medicine which she considered a "mission" and practiced as such she increased her generous service to Catholic Action, especially among the "very young" and, at the same time, expressed her joie de vivre and love of creation through skiing and mountaineering. Through her prayers and those of others, she reflected on her vocation, which she also considered a gift from God. Having chosen the vocation of marriage, she embraced it with complete enthusiasm and wholly dedicated herself "to forming a truly Christian family." She became engaged to Pietro Molla and was radiant with joy and happiness during the time of their engagement, for which she thanked and praised the Lord. They were married on 24 September 1955 in St. Martin's Basilica in Magenta, and she became a happy wife. In November 1956, to her great joy, she became the mother of Pierluigi; in December 1957 of Mariolina; in July 1959 of Laura. With simplicity and equilibrium she harmonized the demands of mother, wife, doctor and her passion for life. In September 1961, towards the end of the second month of pregnancy, she was touched by suffering and the mystery of pain; she had developed a fibroma in her uterus. Before the required surgical operation, and conscious of the risk that her continued pregnancy brought, she pleaded with the surgeon to save the life of the child she was carrying, and entrusted herself to prayer and Providence. The life was saved, for which she thanked the Lord. She spent the seven months remaining until the birth of the child in incomparable strength of spirit and unrelenting dedication to her

5 The only tragedy in life is to not become a saint! Leon Bloy Gianna speaks words of wisdom God alone Whatever God wants! Be happy The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day. Daily love One earns Paradise with one's daily task. tasks as mother and doctor. She worried that the baby in her womb might be born in pain, and she asked God to prevent that. A few days before the child was due, although trusting as always in Providence, she was ready to give her life in order to save that of her child: "If you must decide between me and the child, do not hesitate: choose the child I insist on it. Save the baby." On the morning of 21 April 1962 Gianna Emanuela was born. Despite all efforts and treatments to save both of them, on the morning of 28 April, amid unspeakable pain and after repeated exclamations of "Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I love you," the mother died. She was 39 years old. Her funeral was an occasion of profound grief, faith and prayer. The body of the new blessed lies in the cemetery of Mesero (4 km. from Magenta). Always love One cannot love without suffering or suffer without loving. All for Jesus Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to happen to me, make me only know Your Will. Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, and officially canonized as a saint on May 16, Gianna's husband Pietro and their last child, Gianna, were present at the canonization ceremony. St. Gianna is a patron saint for mothers, physicians, and unborn children. stgiannaberettamolla.asp#ixzz2krtzkvvh A patroness for our times St Gianna is a particularly good role model for young women today. Raised in a good Catholic family, she prayerfully discerned where God was calling her to live out her vocation. As a professional woman and a wife and mother, she is an example of how a life of work and prayer can make someone a great saint. She is a heroine for the pro-life movement, as she made the ultimate sacrifice for love. Learn more about her life at

6 liturgy The liturgy is a school of the Lord s service. We learn to worship God interiorly in our heart, exteriorly in our actions, and then bring the fruit of that worship into the world on mission! interior exterior mission The Guild prepares for each Mass by entering into prayer as we enter the court of the Eucharistic King We prepare our souls to receive all of the graces of the Mass by frequent Confession We come to Mass early to pre-read the prayers and readings. We stay after to thank Him for His gifts. We listen attentively to the readings and prayers and we pray out loud all of the responses of the Mass. We sing the Mass with fervor. When the Mass in ended, we go into our mission field at school, work and home. Jesus calls us to renew the world as faithful lay apostles to evangelize by being love in the heart of the world. We invite Jesus into our hearts and accept His gift of faith, hope and love. We learn as much as we can about the Sacred Liturgy and seek to have a great devotion to the public prayer of the Church. We bring others to Christ and His Holy Catholic Church. Processions One of the principal liturgical activities of the Guild is to participate in the solemn processions of the liturgical year. They perform many needed practical acts of service: passing out booklets, holding doors, directing traffic. But they also take part in the prayers and adorn the processions by being up front and center in them. They may serve as flower girls for processions of our Eucharistic King and Our Lady. When we march in procession, we are reminded that we must put one foot in front of the other, always in motion, all the way to heaven. We are a pilgrim Church on our way to the New Jerusalem. We get a foretaste of what our glory will be be in heaven when we are at Mass. Some of the Processions we take part in: Christ the King Corpus Christi Our Lady of the Rosary Queen of Peace (school) Maundy Thursday Procession of the Dead Christ Devotions The prayer of the Church extends itself even outside of the public prayer of the liturgy into private devotions. The Guild takes on a role in these devotions. Devotion comes from the Latin word vovere, to vow. Devotion is when we vow ourselves to God in prayer, especially for a specific cause. St Francis de Sales in his Introduction to the Devout Life provides a beautiful school of spirituality in which we learn to be disciples of Christ. Some of the Devotions we take part in: Rosary Penitential Lenten Devotion Tenebrae Litany of the Saints

7 Shrine of the Queen of Peace Most churches have an image of Mary, the Mother of God. The central image of Our Lady at POP is a Spanish Baroque statue that was brought to the church in In 2012, Fr Smith named the statue and the altar on which it was placed as the Shrine of the Queen of Peace. The Guild has the principal work of making sure that the Lady Altar is always beautiful. Bring flowers of the fairest... The Memorare Remember, o Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, o Virgin of Virgins, my Mother. Before thee, I come: before thee I kneel, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. AMEN! Guardians of the Shrine The Guild of Our Lady and St Gianna serve as Guardians of the Shrine. Their duties are as follows: 1. to offer prayers of thanksgiving at the Shrine after every Mass on the Lord s Day. 2. to make sure there are fresh flowers for the Lady Altar every week outside of Advent and Lent. 3. to make sure the candles and altar linens are properly taken care of. 4. to put on the Festal Antependium, or Altar Frontal, on Marian feast days and for the months of May, October and in Advent. 5. to bring herbs to be blessed on the Feast of the Assumption. 6. to observe the Feast of the Queenship of Mary (22 August) with special solemnity. 7. to pray the Holy Rosary as frequently as possible.

8 virtue They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth. As Thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. John Holy Friendships in Jesus and Mary Rightly has a friend been called half of my soul St Augustine, Bishop While the Guild principally exists for the Christian formation of young women, this is not done by participation in the sacred liturgy alone. The Guild develops holy friendships by involving the girls in all kinds of activities, projects and field trips. The Guild seeks to build up girls to be good friends by learning more about the virtues. The members of the Guild do arts and crafts which require teamwork as well as individual initiative and leadership. They also go on special trips, everywhere from seeing horse farms to pilgrimages. The objective is to form a cohesive group of friends where the future women leaders of the Church can gain all kinds of experience in living a life of virtue and charity. Love in the heart of the Church! The Guild also seeks to deepen its members knowledge of the Faith, especially increasing biblical literacy and introducing them to the fundamental principles of spiritual and moral theology. The wives, mothers and religious of the future need a solid foundation in their Catholic faith and practice. The Guild will provide them with that as they go about doing all of these formative activities to build them up as children of God and women of faith. Every member of the Guild is put on a schedule to lead the prayers of thanksgiving after Sunday Masses. It is imperative that the members show up for their scheduled service, so that no Mass may occur at Prince of Peace which is not followed by these young women of faith showing others how to praise God! It is a serious and a joyful obligation. We also invite their families and the whole parish family to join them after Mass for this time of prayer.

9 Spiritual Motherhood of Priests 1. Pray for priests. In 2007, the Vatican asked for women around the world to pray for and support the priests who gave them Jesus as spiritual mothers. 2. What is a spiritual mother? The vocation to be a spiritual mother for priests is largely unknown, scarcely understood and, consequently, rarely lived, notwithstanding its fundamental importance. It is a vocation that is frequently hidden, invisible to the naked eye, but meant to transmit spiritual life. 3. Learn more parents/upload/spiritualmaternity-congregation-foclergy.pdf Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love. Love for Christ in His Priests St Therese of Lisieux ( ) is a Doctor of the Church and one of the most beloved saints of all times. She was raised in a devout Catholic family. Her parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, are Blesseds on their way to canonization. As a young girl, she felt an intense attraction to contemplative life and entered a Carmelite convent at age 15. She was a vivacious and bold woman filled with zeal for souls. She wrote in her diary that she desired to be a priest and carry Jesus to the most distant missionary lands. But one Christmas, Jesus gave her a special gift in which He made her to understand that her vocation was to be love in the heart of the Church. She was called to be where she was and offer herself as a living sacrifice of love. St Therese often mentioned that she could not handle extreme penances and mortifications. Her Little Way was one of all confidence and love where she sought to do ordinary things in with heroic love. She had a great love for the Eucharist, and hence also for the Priesthood. Her letters to a young French missionary in Africa have been published as a book called Maurice and Therese, edited by Bp Patrick Ahern. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. Another sister said of her, She was really nothing special. The discovery of her autobiography has led millions to Christ. She once said, I will spend my heaven doing good on earth, and has granted many favors to those who pray to her. Carmelites have a special love for and devotion to priests. They pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood as well as for the sanctification of the clergy. Carmelite nuns often undertake great penances so that priests may be able to do good for souls.

10 Ferhoncus de plub Omare foremne Lemacord Promwn Lord, send us priests! Lord, send us holy priests! Lord, send us many holy priests! An invitation from Fr Smith My earliest memories come from spending my youth in church. Singing in the choir, serving the Mass, hanging out with the priests. I discovered my vocation to be a priest and a man after the heart of Jesus during those many hours spent near the Altar. I think that the Sacred Liturgy has a powerful ability to transform children into heroes and saints, if they are drawn into the Mystery at a young age. I would like you to consider not only enrolling your girl in the Guild of Our Lady and St Gianna, but supporting every activity and project they do. Nothing they ever do will come close to the time they spend learning about the faith. The wives, mothers and religious of the future are being formed right now. Help us make a brighter, better world, one young Christian woman at a time! Youth in Christ I will go to the Altar of God Joining the Guild is a great way to give your girls a chance to serve Christ and His Church and to learn more about their Faith. to God who is the joy of my youth Kids learn early how to love God. Having them participate in the Guild will increase their faith and desire to be, not only good, but holy! Alleluia! Joy is a gift of the Spirit. To see these young women serve their Lord with gladness is something which can benefit the whole family!

11 Ferhoncus de plub Trenz Pruca Aliquam de Mantis Fringilla Viverr Seargente de Fermentum Fermen Pede Vestibulum Bibendum Omare foremne Lemacord Promwn Leo Praesen Mauris Vitaequam Diam Nobis Senmaris Calla Ipsum Urna Semper Chauncey de Billuptus Orci Aliquam Vivamus Nunc Uam Scelerisque Maecenas Interdum Cras Maecenas Curabitur Leo Eget Toque Aliquam de Manti Nobis Eget Sed accumsan Libero Tortor Rasellus Quisque Porta To learn more about the Guild of Our Lady and St Gianna Father Christopher Smith, Spiritual Director Christie Maurtiz and Ashley Maddox, Foundresses and Directors Please Ashley Maddox at Always check the Sunday Bulletin for details. Have you bookmarked And like our POP Facebook Page so you can always be in the loop! prince of peace 1209 BRUSHY CREEK RD TAYLORS, SC new members...