The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Patronal Feast Day of the United States of America will be celebrated this Monday, December 8th. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a holy day of obligation and Masses for the holy day, Monday, December 8, are: St. Anthony’s 7:30 AM and 5:30 PM and Our Lady of the Hills 7:30 PM.
Pope Pius IX in 1854 proclaimed: “The Most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by the virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.” Yes, Mary was the sinless Virgin, preserved from original sin at her conception in her mother’s womb. She remained sinless, immaculate, throughout her entire life. She was as the angel Gabriel declared: “full of grace.” She was the sinless, the Immaculate Virgin, who bore our Savior.

Prayer to Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States

Blessed Mother Mary, we turn to you in prayer for all the people of these United States. We again place ourselves in your care, in the gentle hands that cradled the child Jesus. We ask you to make us more alive in your faith, more generous in your love, more trusting in your hope. Teach us to imitate Jesus, as you did, and always to follow him with courage.
Mother Mary, help us to become a people who hunger for justice and burn with compassion for those who suffer in our midst. Pray that we may be made a people who cherish and defend the dignity of every human person, and a people free from all selfishness and self-interest.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn with confidence to you. Amen.