I am writing to you with a special invitation from the Association of the Miraculous Medal.

From April 14-25, 2023, I will lead a small group of members of the Association of the Miraculous Medal on a pilgrimage to sacred places across Europe. Three of these are well known sites of Marian apparitions of the 19th and 20th centuries—Lourdes, Medjugorje, and Rome.

We will entrust your prayerful petitions to the Mother of Our Lord during our Masses and prayers during our pilgrimage, and will also burn Votive Lights for you and your intentions. Your intentions will also be remembered in our prayers and Masses here at Our Lady’s Shrine in Perryville.

I hope you’ll think of AMM like you would a relative or friend whom you ask to pray for you along a pilgrimage they’re making. 

Our journey will lead us to …

Lourdes, France: We will begin where Mary appeared to a young teen, Bernadette Soubirous, in 1858. When the girl asked her name, Mary replied, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Today, Lourdes is a place of healing and hope for millions who visit each year.

Rome, Italy: Here, in 1842, a prominent Jewish man known for his contempt of the Church was suddenly converted to the faith following an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary while inside a Catholic church. A few days earlier, Alphonse Ratisbonne had scoffed at a friend’s request that he begin wearing a Miraculous Medal, though he agreed to appease the man. Ratisbonne was ordained a priest and spent his life working to convert Jewish people to Christianity.

Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Our final destination of prayer will be at the site where six young visionaries began reporting visions of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in 1981. Our Lady’s messages to the seers continued over time, with strong themes of prayer and repentance. “Return to prayer, nothing is more important than this,” she emphasized.

Should you wish to include a gift over and above the suggested offering, it will be gratefully accepted to further AMM’s ministry. Together we can draw many more people closer to Christ through Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

We are privileged to be your spiritual companion and be honored to remember your intentions during our April pilgrimage. May you receive Our Lady’s promised blessings in your life and in the lives of those you love!

Sincerely in Mary and Jesus,

Fr. Kevin McCracken, C.M.
Spiritual Director