The Guild of St Benedict Joseph Labre's History of Devotion to Mary-
Under the title Merciful Mother of the Mentally Ill (MMOMI)
Prayer the Chaplet with us during Lent.
A few years after founding the Guild in 1996, my mother and I felt a call to bring a new title of Mary specifically under Our Lady Guadalupe and with a special focus on those suffering from mental illness. In a few of the books we meditated upon explaining about her apparition in Mexico in 1531, it mentioned Mary as the Merciful Mother. For she even said to St. Juan Diego: "Don't you know that I am your Merciful Mother ...and I hold you in the fold of my arms". (Anderson & Chavez 2009)
We were led to our artist Kathy Polizzi who would draw most of our artwork. Many of the figures in the picture to the right were actual people posing for the picture.
Then after further discernment, we wanted something softer than the image you see: a new image and title of Mary for the Millenium. This is where we were drawn. It was later that year in 1999 that we commissioned a Little Brother of St. Francis, Brother Anthony Dusza to write an icon depicting the Merciful Mother of the Mentally Ill (MMOMI). The Icon we all prayed for was consecrated on January 6th, 2000 which was the Feast of Blessed Andre (the great devotee of St. Joseph.) Mary answered our prayers for a new title for the Millenium. (You may read the full story on the site: http://guildbjlabre.org/About-us/MMOMI ) The image follows at the end of this article.
Mildred then wrote the following prayer to go with the new image:
Sweet and lovely Lady
Who came to Tepeyac Hill,
Put your arms around me For I am mentally ill.
Shield me and protect me
From fear, anxiety and pain; For my illness will not let me Rejoice and know the gain.
Sweet and lovely Lady
Full of Grace. so heavenly Put your arms around me And hold me tenderly.
For you. my hope. are always near Speak the words I need to hear:
"Oh. my child, Be calm, Be Still.
I am you Merciful Mother, Mother of the Mentally Ill."
We did in fact travel with this image over the years to many holy places which included Rome, Assisi, and Loreto Italy. In fact, there are so many that it is too many to list.
Long before the Icon of MMOMi became a reality, I knew I had to come up with a specific prayer for her; I did not feel like I was the worthy person to write one. I knew in my heart Mary would lead me. At that time, the internet was in its early stages and at that time, there were no such Marian resources online. Then I was led to do some research at the University of Dayton, Ohio which historically, had one of the largest Marian Libraries in the world. I read about a devotion from Brazil that seemed to fall by the wayside. It was called the Rosary of Our Lady's Tears. I felt Mary led me to this devotion so I decided to make it our new devotion with the hopes of spreading the news. Well, almost twenty years have gone bye and other Apostolates as well have now embraced what is known as the Rosary of Our Lady's Tears - I have included a PDF of our Chaplet to MMOMI
Our Chosen Chaplet for the Mentally Ill-
The Rosary of Our Lady's Tears
During this Lent, let's unite ourselves with Mary's sorrow for her suffering children.
About the time of the Great Depression, this rosary was revealed by Our Lord and His mother to a religious sister named Mother Amalia of the Scourged Jesus. She was the superior of the community of the Missionaries of the Scourged Jesus, which was located in Campinas, Brazil. The local bishop, Campos Baretto declared the events to be authentic. However, Bishop Baretto died on his way to Rome to set approval. Up to this time, there has not been any official statement from the Vatican regarding the apparitions. The devotion is privately being promulgated. The image to the right is a simulation of how she appeared to Mother Amalia holding the sorrowful mother rosary.
More can be read about this apparition and Mother Amalia from the following Link:http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/misc/BVM/93_CAMPINAS_140x96.pdf
The Chaplet of the Merciful Mother of the Mentally Ill
The Rosary of Our Lady's Tears
MMOMI
Click on the link at the bottom of this page to open the Chaplet and pray with us
source: Anderson & Chavez, Our Lady of Guadalupe, 2009, Doubleday Press