Category: Father’s Letters

Astronomers say that some 200 billion trillion stars fill our universe. (That’s a two followed by 23 zeroes — our God is an awesome God!)

The Psalmist says the Lord made the stars and the moon to rule over the night — to be the light that shines through the darkness so that everything may be clearly seen.

Mary, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, is seen crowned with 12 stars. Spiritually speaking, she helps us see more clearly in the dark, radiating the light of God’s love and truth. No other human has so fully clothed herself in Our Lord, Jesus Christ than Mary. All the points of light in this universe cannot begin to approach the brilliance of those 12 stars in the crown of Our Blessed Mother.

Your membership in the Association of the Miraculous Medal tells me that you understand how urgently our world needs Mary’s intercession. I commend your desire to help deliver wounded souls into her promised protection through prayer and her gift of the Miraculous Medal.

Today, I invite you to join AMM’s devoted supporters who belong to our Twelve Stars of Mary Monthly Giving Club. These generous contributors provide year-round gifts to help us reach more people in darkness with God’s own wonderful light.

A pledge at any amount earns you a place in the Twelve Stars. If you commit to a monthly offering of $20 or more, you will receive several thank-you gifts. These include a blessed sterling silver Miraculous Medal on a stainless steel chain, a laminated prayer card, and an inspiring soft-covered volume of Marian devotions.

As a Twelve Stars of Mary member, your generosity will reach people like Daniel F., who shares how Our Lady saved him from the depths of darkness:

         My life had come to a crashing halt from addiction. In the month before my final separation from alcohol and drugs, I began wearing the Miraculous Medal … It was by Mary, through who intercession, that I was miraculously restored from an utterly hopeless state. I continue to wear the medal and have been free of addiction for over five years.

        Not only was I given a new life, I have two children today. Two beautiful lives that may not have been. I keep a plaque of the Miraculous Medal in their room, knowing that Mary will care for them and obtain blessings for them as she has done for me. 

Without the prayerful care of spiritual companions he never knew he had, Daniel may have wandered deeper into darkness. He may have never glimpsed the light of God’s love nor felt Mary’s constant protection — the saving graces he eventually embraced.

Please join us. You can choose from three easy ways to join: by automatic transfer from your bank account (preferred), credit card, or by sending a monthly check.

I thank you for your prayerful support for the ministry being carried out here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. In the coming year, may each of us come more fully into the light of God’s love shining through Our Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven.

Sincerely and gratefully in Jesus,

P.S.  To learn more about the Twelve Stars of Mary Monthly Giving Club, call us at 1-800-264-6279. Our staff would love to speak with you and answer any questions you may have about this opportunity. 

In 2021, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported on a Gallup poll that surveyed more than 6,000 adults in the United States about their religious practices. Of those who called themselves Catholic, only 58% said they belonged to a church — a near 20% decline in just two decades.

Another public religion institute recently confirmed that the number of U.S. Catholics attending Mass has fallen significantly since before COVID.

Suffering runs deep for parents, grandparents, spouses, and other family of fallen away Church members. Fearing the eternal loss of someone’s union with God in heaven is a heavy burden to carry.

If you are struggling with this difficulty, I write with good news.

You are neither ALONE nor POWERLESS against atheism, secularism, distrust, misinformation, sin, scandals, and persecution which are forces that may drive our loved ones outright from the Church —  they can cause them indifference or disillusionment with their faith.

The primary mission of the Association of the Miraculous Medal is to draw people to, or back to, Jesus through Our Blessed Mother.

Is there someone who needs your prayers and ours?

Please, send me their names. AMM will be celebrating a special Mass for them on November 28, the feast day of Saint Catherine Labouré.

This saint devoted herself tirelessly to win back souls for Christ. She ministered for more than four decades tending to the physical and spiritual needs of elderly men confined to a French hospital/nursing home. Through loving care and constant prayer, Catherine reformed a great many of the hardened hearts and rough characters she encountered there.

In fact, many of the earliest heavenly favors associated with the Miraculous Medal were the blessings of loved ones returning to the faith when no one thought it possible.

Allow me to share a note from an AMM member in Missouri:

“My brother left the Church many years ago following a painful divorce. Hurt and angry, he felt abandoned by God. He remarried an atheist and had nothing to do with God or the Church. Recently, he took the first step to rejoining the Church and is again a practicing Catholic. He is also raising his newborn twins in the faith. My mother, father, and I have been praying for this for many years. Our prayers have been answered. Thank you, Mother Mary, for your intercession … God is good … all the time.”

Do not doubt that God is merciful and can use your faith and prayers to spiritually revive those you love.

I pray that you never give up hope. Your faith can move mountains.

Please send your petition for remembrance in the special Mass on November 28 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. I, along with my fellow Vincentian priests and brothers, will prayerfully remember your intentions and the names of the loved ones you entrust to us.

Members of my staff are available to take your prayer requests. We can be reached at 1-800-264-6279 weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CT.

Our Lord gave the world his own Mother to accompany us and guide us throughout life. May God continue to bless all your efforts to serve him and draw you ever closer to himself.

Yours in Jesus and Mary,

 

P.S.       You may also request free, blessed Miraculous Medals on a card of explanation to share with family and friends. Each medal is presented on a story card sharing its fascinating origins. Placing them inside gifts or greeting cards is a gesture of your faith.

There’s an endearing Christmas legend told of five young shepherds who hurried to the stable to see the newborn King.

Each hoped to outdo the others in offering gifts for the baby. But one, the poorest shepherd, had nothing to offer. He kept his distance, feeling unworthy and ashamed.

Receiving the gifts, Mary and Joseph’s arms were filled, and there was no place to lay Jesus. Our Lady noticed the poorest shepherd, in whose arms she tenderly placed the child. Suddenly, the one who had nothing to offer was aware he’d been given everything; his empty hands now held the greatest gift of all time.

Filled with love and joy, he eagerly began showing Jesus to the others, for he longed to share with them the gift of all gifts, God himself.

How do you plan to share the gift of Jesus this Christmas?

Giving loved ones the gift of prayerful remembrance in the Eucharist is a time-honored offering I invite you to consider.

Christmas cards would make beautiful spiritual gifts for relatives and friends. Each one celebrates the true meaning of the season—that God entrusts himself to us with unconditional love, even when we have nothing to offer him back.

Each card also offers your recipient a special remembrance in an octave of Masses beginning on Christmas Day at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal — and during a weekly Mass offered by a Vincentian priest throughout 2024.

You can request more cards here to use this Christmas.  Or, call us at 1-800-264-6279.
As the Holy Father emphasized in his homily about the poorest
shepherd …

“We realize that, when we failed to measure up, God became small for our sake … to me, to you, to each of us, he says today: ‘I love you and I will always love you, for you are precious in my eyes.’”

And just as Mary sought out the poorest shepherd to fill his emptiness with the Christ Child, the gift of all gifts, so she longs to do the same for each of us at every moment. We need only open ourselves to receive him as freely as he desires to give himself to us.

Thank you for all you do to bring others to Our Lord through the love of his Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Know that my fellow Vincentian priests and brothers send their greetings —we will be praying for you and yours in a special way this Advent and Christmas.

Yours in the Holy Family,

P.S.    Be sure to request extra cards before November 11 to help ensure you receive them in time to mail out for Christmas.

“He is born in utter poverty to win our hearts
by the wealth of his love.”

Pope Francis
December 24, 2019

Our Lady awaits you to turn to her with faith and confidence. She is your sign of hope, your help in adversity, and your most loving Mother at every moment.

I hope you will say YES to this special invitation to draw closer to her and her Son during a novena of Masses being held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal beginning Saturday, November 18.

Join us in person — or take part in spirit by sending your petitions. We’ll place your prayer intentions near the foot of Mary’s Shrine Altar and remember them in the daily Mass during the novena and on November 27, the feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

You may also burn a Votive Light for your intentions. Its glowing rays will illuminate the Shrine’s Votive Light Sanctuary, giving witness to your faith and representing your spiritual presence with us.

From 1832, when the first Miraculous Medals were distributed, until our own day, countless people possessing Mary’s medal have told of grace-filled blessings received through her intercession, including favors they call miraculous.

Here are just a few stories shared by members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal:

From a member in Ireland:  “I have been profoundly disabled since birth, with many difficulties to deal with. By wearing Our Lady’s Miraculous Medal, I found the strength to endure them. I realize that I have received many powerful graces from Our Lord through Our Blessed Mother, not because I am holy, but by overcoming the difficulties attached to my disabilities. Be assured that you will receive wonderful graces if you wear Our Lady’s Medal and pray to her with faith and confidence.”

From Teresa in Nebraska: “When I lost our child, Joseph, suddenly from SIDS at 2 months of age, I was devastated. I leaned on Our Blessed Mother for consolation and strength. From one mother to another who lost her child, I asked for strength to work through my grief. Many fruits came from this, including my husband’s conversion to the Catholic faith 20 years later.”

From a member in Texas: “Several years ago I promised Mary I would send a donation in her name to the Association of the Miraculous Medal. My four-year-old niece had been diagnosed with leukemia and I requested prayers for her. Today, she is a beautiful girl who is cancer free. I am so grateful for this answer to my prayers.  I was not able to send a contribution that initial year, but Mary continued to bless our family. I will always give thanks to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.”

Are you grateful to Our Lady? Do you have loved ones in need of physical healing or peace in their lives? Are you in need of prayer for family members who have left the Church? 

As you face each day’s joys and struggles, the very purpose of the Miraculous Medal is to help you draw nearer to the love of Jesus through Our Blessed Mother. So, with all confidence and trust, appeal for the help you need; offer prayers of gratitude; and ask for God’s divine mercy during the Miraculous Medal Novena of Masses. Through Mary’s intercession, God will pour out endless grace and blessings upon you and your loved ones.

This is Our Lady’s promise. She will keep it.

AMM is here for you along your spiritual journey. We remember you and your intentions in prayer. I thank you for praying for me and for fellow AMM members, living and deceased. May Our Lady keep us united in faith until we arrive home, where at last we will rest safe and sound, forever in the loving arms of Jesus.

Sincerely yours in Mary,

P.S.     Request free, blessed Miraculous Medals to further AMM’s ministry. Each is affixed to a beautiful card explaining the medal’s origin. Share them with family, friends, parishioners, and anyone you meet who is seeking to draw closer to Our Lord.
P.P.S. You may order the 2024 Miraculous Medal Planner to help you remember important Marian feast days, novenas, and more. Adding one with Christmas cards or special occasion gifts is a thoughtful gesture.

Greetings from all of us here at Our Lady’s Association in Perryville, Missouri, home of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal!

My name is Father Clayton Kilburn. I have been a Vincentian priest of the Congregation of the Mission’s Western Province for more than 44 years.

A little about me …

I grew up in Wilson, Arkansas. I am the only child born to Mary and Warren Kilburn. Raised in the Catholic faith, my devotion to Mary (and the Miraculous Medal in particular) began in high school. I loved serving at Mass as an altar server, but thought of marriage as my destiny rather than the priesthood. My discernment to the priesthood didn’t begin until I was 29 during my early career as an electrical engineer with an aerospace company in California.

Following my ordination in 1979, I served five and a half years as a missionary priest in Burundi, Africa. My next assignment, as an associate pastor in a culturally diverse California parish, lasted 10 years.

Between 1996 – 2019, I served as pastor of Saint Joseph Mission in Keams Canyon, Arizona. This remote parish in a remote diocese serves the Hopi and Navajo Native people on the adjoining reservation. It was my privilege to try to bring healing and reconciliation there, a place with a history of persecution between cultures and nations.

I took a three year leave of absence to care for my mother who was suffering with dementia. Following my mother’s passing, I was assigned to live at the Apostle of Charity Residence and to serve as a Senior Priest in Residence at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Perryville, Missouri. After arriving here at 80 years old, I thought I was near the end of my career.

I was then approached by Father Pat McDevitt, Western Province Provincial. Father Pat invited me to return to serve as Spiritual Director for the Association of the Miraculous Medal.

He had no idea the blessing I considered this to be — a gift from Mary!

I didn’t hesitate in accepting, embracing this call. I am convinced that Our Lady needs the faithful members of AMM to bring her message to our sinful world. Desiring redemption for all souls, Our Blessed Mother is appealing to us to walk in Christ’s light so as to be a light in others’ darkness.

Wearing a Miraculous Medal is one of the easiest ways we bear witness to Jesus and Mary. With not even a word, when others meet us they can see immediately what is deeply important to us.

I look forward to continuing to build on my predecessors’ holy work at the Association of the Miraculous Medal. I am wholly convinced that it is by modeling Mary’s way that we become Jesus’ foremost disciples, disciples who salt the earth and light the world (Matthew 5:13-14). By our prayerful trust in God and loving kindness toward all, we shall draw closer to heaven itself.

As we go forth together in discovering what God desires next for Mary’s Association, may I ask for the favor of your prayers? Likewise, I pledge my utmost attention to upholding you and your intentions in my daily Mass and devotions.

You may reach me by email at: ammfather@amm.org. Should you visit the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal here in Perryville, Missouri, perhaps our paths will cross. If you’ve never had the occasion to visit us, now’s the time to do so.

May God continue to bless all our efforts to serve him and may he draw us ever closer to himself.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Sincerely yours in Jesus and Mary,

In the past seven years of serving as Spiritual Director for the Association of the Miraculous Medal, I have met hundreds of dedicated members — and heard from thousands more. AMM is blessed with a worldwide family of faith, along with a dedicated staff and board of directors, members, and volunteers who make our ministry possible.

It has been a privilege to pray with you and for you along life’s daily road. God has placed us in one another’s lives for a purpose. We honor and fulfill that purpose by our mutual respect and loving support for Mary’s ministry here in Perryville.

But times and seasons change. So too, ministries.

I have been called to help meet the ever-changing needs of the Church in a new capacity. While no longer serving as Spiritual Director, I will nevertheless continue to be an active AMM member wherever my ministry takes me. And I know that Our Blessed Mother, who has watched over me throughout my four-plus decades of priestly ministry, will continue to do so.

Allow me to introduce you to Father Clayton Kilburn, C.M., as AMM’s incoming Spiritual Director.

Father Clay has been a priest of the Congregation of the Mission since 1979. Father Clay has served in numerous ministries for the Vincentians, including missionary posts in remote regions both here in the United States and abroad. We have been working together to ensure a smooth transition. You’re in good hands.

Let us look forward together for what God has in store for the future of the international Association of the Miraculous Medal — and AMM here in Perryville, in particular. I know you’ll join me in thanksgiving for the pastoral gifts Father Clay has to offer.

One final thought.

Spiritual Directors come and go. But as a faithful member of our AMM family, you are its heart and soul.

I thank you for all you do to spread devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and for your support of the Vincentians both here and abroad. Every prayer you’ve offered up for our work, every gift you’ve shared, every Miraculous Medal you’ve given away to inspire another — these are the mark of our universal family of faith. It is you who are bringing Jesus to the world through Mary, the Mother of God and Mother of the Church.

Thank you and God bless you always!

Sincerely yours in Mary and Jesus,

Father Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director

P.S. As I say farewell for now, be assured of my gratitude and continued prayers for you and your needs. Should my schedule permit, I look forward to joining a future pilgrimage with Association members.

P.P.S. Please continue to use any cards or certificates you may have that contain my signature. As you can imagine, it will take some time to changeover these items on which Father Kilburn’s name is printed. The spiritual benefits will remain the same.

“The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead … “ (Wisdom 3:1-2)

Can you recall hearing these words at a funeral Mass? The consoling passage often concludes in verse 9 with words of great hope: “… grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect.”

While we have hope in God’s grace and mercy, we nevertheless grieve the loss of those close to us. Death can also leave us regretful for missed opportunities to love — the good we may have failed to say or do.

But because our loved ones are very much alive in spirit, it is never too late to express our affection and even hasten their entrance into God’s heavenly kingdom.

Yes, even now, your prayers on behalf of deceased family and friends benefit them, for prayer is a sign of faith, and faith has saving power.

Death does not have the last word.

On November 2, Catholics around the world celebrate All Souls Day, a feast that invites you to intercede for those who have passed from this life, but may not yet know the joy of living fully in the presence of God.

God transcends time, place, even death. What does this mean? It means that the prayers you offer today can be spiritually “applied toward” helping a loved one at the moment of death. What a powerful gift this is!  

Please join with thousands of AMM members who are turning in faith to Jesus through Mary on All Souls Day.

At the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, we would be honored to remember your deceased loved ones in Mass on All Souls Day and throughout the month of November.

Simply share your “Remembrance List.“ The names you share will rest near the foot of Mary’s Shrine Altar during our All Souls Day Liturgy. We’ll remember them throughout November and during the anniversary month of their passing.

You may also burn a Votive Light for your departed loved ones. This, too, signifies your faith in Christ as the light of life.

We welcome any other special intentions you’d like remembered in daily Mass and prayer throughout the month of November.

We will use your All Souls Day offering to assist in our work of drawing others closer to Jesus through devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Your gift will also support Vincentian vocations and ministries.

Let us continue to intercede for the souls of the departed in union with the communion of saints, and for the glory of God’s kingdom to come! 

May Our Blessed Mother watch over you, comfort you, and guide you each day. I thank you sincerely for your generous care of Our Lady’s Association.

In the love of Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director 

 ​P.S.   May God’s grace and mercy be with those who have gone before us. I will watch for the names of your deceased loved ones. We are honored to remember them in Mass and prayer on All Souls Day and throughout the month of November.

Life on this earth is fragile and fleeting. I recall the touching story a member of Our Lady’s Association shared with us:     

“Parishioners had been praying for the recovery of my friend, Patti, from cancer. She was only 42, a loving wife and mother of three. Many petitions asking God to heal Patti were written on an intentions log inside the parish Adoration Chapel. But sadly, Patti passed away. On visiting the Chapel a few days later, I read a new petition written the day after her death. It said: ‘Thank you, Lord, for Patti’s complete healing.’     

My first thought was, ‘What complete healing?’ But then the spiritual truth shone through, a humbling reminder of something I’d forgotten. Our ultimate healing is found in being united with God —a gift far greater than even a miraculous cure for cancer.”

When someone close to us dies, or loses a beloved family member or friend, we look to offer a meaningful gesture of comfort and consolation to those left behind.     

The gift of Our Lady’s prayerful intercession is a powerful gift of solace.     

The Memorial Remembrance Card can be sent to someone who has recently lost a loved one — or who will soon mark the anniversary of a passing. This card offers a spiritual remembrance of the deceased in the daily Mass and prayers at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal for one year.     

Send me the names of the departed loved ones.      

Mary will stand by your loved one, just as she stood beside Jesus throughout his Holy Passion.

Why? Because she understands better than anyone how fragile and fleeting life is. Even more so, because she loves us with the purest and most ardent affection that any mother on earth or in heaven possibly could!     

To add to your memorial remembrance, you may also burn a Votive Light for the soul of the deceased and the intentions of the bereaved. Simply mark the Votive Light box on your reply form, and be sure to add the Votive Light announcement inside the Memorial Remembrance Card you send.     

We appreciate any charitable gift you include to further AMM’s ministry of sharing God’s love through Our Lady. She is an unfailing sign of hope in every season of life.

“O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”     

I look forward to receiving your prayerful intentions. May God richly reward you for the gift of compassion and spiritual care you offer someone in their time of need.                                                             
Gratefully in Our Lord and Blessed Mother,  

Fr. Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director 

P.S. You may request additional Memorial Remembrance Cards by calling us at 1-800-264-6279, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CT. Or, order through AMM’s website at www.amm.org. 

 May God bless the ones you love through

your gift of the Memorial Remembrance Card

and your confident hope in Our Lady’s intercession.

Recently, a member reflected on her mother’s last few weeks of life with Alzheimer’s disease.

 “Her eyes stared vacantly. Her words had long left her. But her hands —my mom’s hands seemed to still strive to serve and to love. Mindlessly moving plates and cups, she set the table. Fiddling with a pair of socks for an hour was doing laundry. Picking up a baby doll, she soothed her child. My favorite was when she reached out and swept my hair away from my face, reminding me of when I was little and she’d say, It’s time to trim those bangs.”

How much love comes through a mother’s hands! Is it not the same with Our Blessed Mother?

Mary desires to give you heavenly graces through her loving hands. She longs to hold you close to her heart, nurture your spiritual growth, shower you with God’s mercy, comfort you in your suffering, and guide you every day, all the way home to heaven.

Today, I invite you to place your needs in Mary’s loving hands.

September 15 is the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. On that day, a Mass will be offered for you and your intentions at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal here in Perryville, Missouri. Fellow Vincentians and AMM staff members will remember your intentions in prayer at this Mass.

On our grounds is a beautiful bronze statue of Mary, depicting Our Lady as she appeared to Saint Catherine Labouré. Her hands are open to receive the joys and sorrows of her beloved children.

Your petitions will be literally placed into the hands of this statue as a symbol of your desire to take your needs to Jesus, through Mary. They will then be taken to the Shrine Church to rest near her altar throughout the month of September.

Remember what Mary told Catherine: “Come to the foot of the altar. There graces will be shed upon all, great and little, who ask for them.”Her words are meant for you, too!

You may also have the opportunity to burn a Votive Light at the National Shrine. Doing so can be a visible sign of your love and devotion to Mary.

Finally, AMM is presenting two unique gifts you can request in return for the suggested offerings indicated.

The first is a six-inch poly resin bronze gold finish statue — a replica of the very same bronze statue of Mary upon which we’ll be placing your intentions. The second gift is a Palm Cross, inlaid with a beautiful Miraculous Medal. Both items have been blessed at the site of the bronze statue of Mary here at Our Lady’s National Shrine.

So much love comes through a mother’s hands! By placing your intentions into the hands of the Blessed Virgin, she can carry your needs to her Son on your behalf.

Thank you in advance for your loving support of Our Lady’s Association and your confidence in her promise to obtain God’s graces for all who ask.                                                            

Sincerely in Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director  

P.S. You can receive free, blessed Miraculous Medals on an explanation card to share with family, friends, co-workers, schools, etc., by calling our office Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CT, or by ordering online through our website, www.amm.org.

An Association member wrote us about a life-changing experience that happened to her at school, many decades ago.

As this inspiring story expresses, the most important part of a good education often has little to do with reading, writing, or arithmetic.

     “Dear Father,

       My father led my two siblings and me in praying the Rosary nightly. Our mother had moved out for another life when we were very young. On a parent visiting day at our Catholic school, I cried as everyone had a mother there except for me. One of the Sisters took me by the hand and led me to a statue of Our Blessed Mother. “This is your mother,” she said.

      From that day on, my devotion to Mary has grown … I have survived two very bad car accidents. Both times, I had my rosary in my possession … Our Blessed Mother goes everywhere with me. I pray to her daily.”

As another back to school season nears, we owe our gratitude to wise and thoughtful educators, to all who teach spiritual as well as temporal truths.

The Association of the Miraculous Medal invites members to offer back to school prayers for students and teachers — that all may experience a fruitful academic year, growing in knowledge and understanding with each passing day.

I hope you’ll send me the names of those you’d like remembered in the daily Mass and prayers offered here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal during the coming school year.

You may also order Votive Light greeting cards to  particular students, educators, or families, to let them know you’re thinking of them. 

Mary is Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom. She desires to bring her children to the fullness of truth, her Son, Jesus. She inspires teachers and students who are open to her promptings. Like that compassionate Sister who led a hurting youngster to Our Blessed Mother in a moment of need and the student who accepted her guidance.

In addition to sending a Votive Light cards, you may also order a tangible back to school gift that offers a special student or teacher a daily reminder of Mary’s care for them.

AMM is offering one of its most popular Miraculous Medals. The Backpack Mary Medal is pewter and diamond-cut with a lobster-claw clasp that attaches easily to a backpack, purse, keychain, or zipper. The Backpack Mary Medal is available for a suggested donation of $10.00 each. Or, browse AMM’s large selection of religious items and order through our online gift shop: amm.org/store.aspx.

You give a gift of priceless value in asking Our Lady to watch over those you love and impart to them true wisdom along their educational journey.

Thank you for your devotion to Mary’s mission carried out here at AMM. Your faithful support means a lot.

Sincerely in Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director
 

 P.S.     You may request free, blessed Miraculous Medals on a story card to share with school children, educators, and family members. Or, call us at 1-800-264-6279, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., CT. Any gift offering you add will be gratefully received and used to continue Our Lady’s mission.

P.P.S.  Did a particular school or teacher shape your future in an important way? We would love to hear from you about a memorable moment or lesson from your youth.

Today, I invite you to include your intentions in this year’s birthday celebration honoring Our Lady. As you may know, the Church observes the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8.

A birthday candle will burn beside Our Lady’s Shrine Altar during AMM’s octave (eight days) of prayer beginning September 8 and concluding on September 15.

If you send me your personal prayer intentions, we will join you in asking Mary to obtain for you the graces and favors you are seeking. It is a wonderful opportunity to ask for a special blessing, or simply offer a petition of gratitude to Our Blessed Mother for the love she has shown you. You may also request a Votive Light to burn for your intentions.

I look forward to receiving your prayer intentions, and (if you choose) a charitable gift to support AMM’s ministry of love and hope. Thank you, and God bless! 

Sincerely in Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Kevin McCracken,C.M.
Spiritual Director

A few years ago, some eighth graders in Saint Louis attended a daylong retreat to prepare for Confirmation. Several parents had been asked to share their own faith journeys. One was a mom fighting cancer.

The students grew especially quiet when Julie got up to speak. One thing she said took them by complete surprise.

“I thank God for my cancer because it made me realize how much I am loved.”

The children couldn’t believe their ears. Thanking God for getting cancer?

Julie explained. As the youngest child in a very large family, she knew she was loved, but didn’t always feel loved. After her diagnosis, she was showered with countless prayers, gifts, and offers of help. The affection and support brought her so much comfort that she considered the illness a greater gift to her spirit than her previous perfect health.

Julie’s testimony tells us that sometimes the greatest healing we can offer is a loving word or a kind deed.

My name is Father Kevin McCracken, C.M. I’m a member of the Congregation of the Mission, known better as Vincentian priests and brothers. I’m writing to acquaint you with the Association of the Miraculous Medal and its work. We carry on the mission that Our Blessed Mother entrusted to Saint Catherine Labouré back in 1830.

I know you care deeply for your loved ones in need. Asking Mary’s intercession for their healing is a priceless gift, since Our Lady has promised to advocate before God’s throne to obtain grace and blessings for all who turn to her in faith.

Send a Healing Remembrance Card to someone as a gift of comfort and hope. If you know someone who is suffering in body, mind, or spirit, please present that person with this spiritual greeting as a gesture of your loving care. Also, send AMM their name to be remembered in the daily Mass and prayers here at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, Missouri.

You can add a second gesture of remembrance to this gift by requesting a Votive Light to burn for your loved one. Votive Lights burning adjacent to Our Lady’s Shrine represent the petitions and spiritual presence of our members..
Any offering you send will further AMM’s work to spread devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, maintain the National Shrine, and support the apostolic mission and charitable works of our Vincentian priests and brothers.

Thank you for helping us draw people closer to Jesus through his and Our Blessed Mother! May her intercession obtain for your loved ones the favors you are seeking. 

Sincerely yours in Our Lady,

Fr. Kevin McCracken, CM
Spiritual Director

P.S. To request free, blessed Miraculous Medals on an explanation card to share with others, visit our website at www.amm.org or call us at 1-800-264-6279. Any donation you offer will be deeply appreciated.

    Jackie from Minnesota writes another story of Mary’s comfort …

Dear Father,

     I always prayed to Our Lord, but not to Our Blessed Mother. One night, I was crying in desperation and agony – an emotional wreck and in much physical pain. Walking around my house feeling lost and hopeless, my eyes fell on a small picture of Our Blessed Mother. I cried out loudly to her to help me. I felt an incredible sense of peace come over me. The worries, fear, and pain subsided. I knew it was Our Mother Mary watching over me … I’ve never forgotten that day, and Mary has since become a constant heavenly comfort and confidant to me.