JOHN SMEATON, DIRECTOR OF SPUC: Pastoral department of Westminster archdiocese organizes tour of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn

Wednesday 5 May 2010

Pastoral department of Westminster archdiocese organizes tour of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn

On the eve of the general election in the United Kingdom, many Catholic pro-lifers have been delighted to hear the announcement of a nine-month tour of England and Wales of a full-scale replica of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, known to Catholics as the patroness of the unborn.

The next stop in the tour is St John's cathedral in Portsmouth, this Saturday, 8th May, where the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe for England and Wales will be the focus of the annual rosary rally. The rally starts with Mass at 12.15 pm, followed by the rosary, a procession, hymns, prayers and Benediction. The day ends with tea at 3 pm.

A good account of how Catholics came to honour Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness of the unborn is provided by 2SecondsFaster.com

Edmund Adamus, Director of the Department of Pastoral Affairs in the Diocese of Westminster, is co-ordinating the nine-month novena tour which will conclude on 12th December 2010, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image will be available on request beyond that date.

Edmund Adamus writes:

"The tour began between March 11-17 2010 with the full approval of Archbishop Nichols, the archbishop of Westminster, in Westminster cathedral hall for a day of devotions with hundreds of the faithful and it extended to three other London parishes, including the Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden, north London. Archbishop Nichols granted me, as the designated temporary custodian of the image, permission to ask each diocesan bishop to consider allowing the image to be welcomed in his diocese for devotional purposes for the cause of the Gospel of Life, the protection of the unborn, the sanctity of families and the home and the peace of the nation. This digitally reproduced image with official seals imprinted upon it is one of only 220 commissioned by Cardinal Rivera Carrera in 2004 and entrusted to the apostolate Life and Mercy Crusade in Mexico for distribution to every country which welcomes them."

More detailed publicity will be made known in the near future but anyone needing further details contact Edmund Adamus at edmundadamus@rcdow.org.uk or cathmacgillivray@rcdow.org.uk

Comments on this blog? Email them to johnsmeaton@spuc.org.uk
Sign up for alerts to new blog-posts and/or for SPUC's other email services
Follow SPUC on Twitter
Join SPUC's Facebook group
Please support SPUC. Please donate, join, and/or leave a legacy

About Me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 42 years. I became chief executive of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.