"Overcome evil with good." Taken from St. Paul the Apostle, this was the personal motto of a Marian priest when he was chosen to be the Bishop of Vilnius, Lithuania, as he rescued the order when it was down to its last member. Dubbed the "Marian Renovator," the Lithuanian-born Blessed George Matulaitis (1871-1927) was the priest who envisioned religious working together with the laity for the good of the Church. The principles he wrote about are defining points of the Association of Marian Helpers. As he was the renovator of the Marian Community, we are allowed to celebrate his commemoration as a feast day, each year, on Jan. 27.
You can learn more about this beloved Marian priest here.
Enroll in the Blessed George Novena at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy.
Listen to the podcast of Fr. Joe Roesch, MIC, as he reads from Blessed George's journal.
At the beginning of the Novena, with deepest trust in God's help, call to mind your intention for graces you need, agreeing to accept God's will.
NINTH DAY
God, King of ages, I thank You for Blessed George, who knew how to use well every moment of his life, in order to transform it into love, and to shine with its brilliance, illuminating for others the way to You. Through his intercession, I ask You, please help me to overcome the fear of death, so that, trusting in Your mercy, I may be able, in the last hour of my life, to entrust myself to Your heart, to meet You on the threshold of Your house, and come to behold Your serene face.
Blessed George, I ask you today to intercede with God for ... (here mention your personal intention).
Prayer for a special grace through the intercession of Blessed George:
O God, our Lord and Father, You surround us always by Your care; receive our humble petition, and through the intercession of Blessed Archbishop George, who suffered so much for Your glory and for the increase of Your Kingdom on earth, grant me the grace ..., for which I ask You with confidence, promising to live from now on with greater fidelity to your commandments. Amen.
Our Father ... Hail, Mary ... Glory be to the Father ...
Prayer for canonization of Blessed George:
Most holy and undivided Trinity, You choose to make Your home in the hearts of Your faithful servants, and, after their death, to reward their merits with the glory of Heaven. Bring it about, we ask, that Your servant, Blessed Archbishop George, who, with apostolic zeal, faithfully served the Church under the patronage of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, may be numbered among the saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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You can access each day of the Novena here.
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