We are pleased to announce that in Australia the Militia Immaculatae has 110 new Knights.
On the 16th of March (Friday) Saint Thomas Aquinas College was blessed with a visit from Father Karl Stehlin, Director of the Militia Immaculatae. Father Stehlin spent the day giving a Recollection Day for the High School Students.
On the 16th of March, Fr. Stehlin came to Tynong and hosted a day of recollection for the members of the Militia Immaculate and for those who wanted to enrol. Fr began the day with a conference based around the miraculous medal. To help inform us of the medals significance and power, he used stories of some of the saints. Father told us how Maximillian Kolbe requested that all of the Militia should wear the medal because he knew this was what Our Lady wanted. The second half of his first conference was about how we, the Militia, are Our Lady’s instruments to give her grace to others. He made it clear to us that when we leave school and go into the world we will gain friends who will not believe in or even know about Our Lady let alone the Catholic Church. We need to give them the miraculous medal; they will either take it out of friendship or just ignore it. In these cases, as we are Our Lady’s instruments we need to ask her to let her graces go through to the other person. We all have a big fight which goes on within our hearts and with Our Lady’s presence (the medal) she helps make us strong against evil.
Before Fr started his second conference we said the rosary and had a short break, all the while keeping the silence. In Fr’s second conference he made it clear to us what our role is to Our Lady. She only asks two things from us: 1. that we pray and 2. That we make sacrifices. This is how we help Our Lady. The more we follow these two requests, the more we want to obey her and do things for her we will begin to find happiness. He spoke about how no matter how small the prayer is it means so much to Our Lady. Even if it is just once per day it helps so much, he used St. John Bosco and St. Therese of the child Jesus as examples. He ended this conference by talking about sacrifice. He reminded us just how much Mary and all the saints suffered so much and how we should strive to take all our sufferings and pains and make them a sacrifice for Our Lady just as She has asked us and to accomplish this we have to practice. We said another rosary in honour of Our Lady and prepared for the sung mass.
Lunch followed straight after mass. Some of the people struggled to keep the silence during it especially when their friends were nearby, but I really enjoyed being able to sit down and contemplate everything Fr. had said. After you had finished eating you were able to go back into the church and spend time with God, it was a really good opportunity to be able to talk with Him alone. Once the sisters had gotten everyone back in the church, Fr Stephens led us in the Stations of the Cross which always bring back to my mind just how much Our Lord suffered for us. The high school boys came back into the church and Fr. Stehlin began the renewal of the militia vows and enrolled those who were not members. He gave us the final blessing before finishing the recollection. It was really good to be able to have a day were I didn’t have to worry about study or homework and just be with Our Lady and Our Lord all day. I thank Fr. Stehlin very much and hope we can do it again in the future.
On Saturday Father gave conferences which the faithful were able to attend and on Sunday Father gave the sermon at Corpus Christi Church for Passion Sunday.
Father enrolled more than 110 new Knights from Tynong over the duration of his visit bringing the total number for Knights in Australia close to 800.
On the 20th of March, Father Stehlin visited Holy Cross Seminary in Goulburn and gave conference for seminarians. Recording of conference is here.
After, on the 24th of March, Father Director visited Brisbane and in of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish he preached Recollection Day. There were between 80–100 parishioners attended in 3 conferences and the Way of the Cross.
