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QUEEN OF THE WORLD CENTRE
(North American Division of Sedes Reginae Mundi)
Contact: Helen Bergkamp
P.O. Box 20870, Wichita, KS 67208-0007
Tel 316-744-9344 Fax 316-744-9249
names@heartofmary.org
Consecration to Mary Receives Worldwide Effort
As a fitting 2000th Birthday Present for Jesus during the Great Jubilee, the faithful are being asked to honor Him by fulfilling a simple request made many times this century consecrating themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
In July, John Paul II spoke of St. John Eudes, "who taught us to contemplate Jesus, the Heart of Hearts, in the Heart of Mary." Jesus told the saint: "I have given you this admirable Heart of My Dear Mother to be one with yours that you might have a heart worthy of Mine."
The clearinghouse for gathering the names of the faithful consecrating and re-consecrating themselves for this gift is Queen of the World Centre, with North American Division in Wichita, Kansas. The Centre will enclose these names within the heart of a life-sized statue of the Maternal Immaculate Heart of Mary enshrined at the new international museum being prepared at Fatima Castle. Called Sedes Reginae Mundi (Queen of the World Centre), it is sited in the "Marian Capitol of the World," as Pope John Paul II refers to Fatima.
The Centre reminds us that the consecration is called for by Our Lady and pontiffs. On October 13, 1997, Pope John Paul II said Fatima was one of the greatest signs of our times, not because of the miracle, but because it shows us the specific response to save all mankind-an outcome that "depends on our own response." In his encyclical "Dives in Misericordia," he stresses that consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is "the most efficacious means of obtaining Divine Mercy upon the Church and all humanity."
Pius XII mandated yearly renewal of consecration to her Immaculate Heart, declaring "in the doctrine and devotion of the Queen of the World...lies the world's greatest hope." And Paul VI stressed renewed, individual consecration "to submit more and more to the Divine Will in living out this very noble act of piety..."
Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary fulfills one of Fatima's basic requests, "requests that should be acted upon with urgency," said Sr. Lucia in a 1993 interview. Her cousin, visionary Jacinta who will be beatified on April 9, 2000, said emphatically, "God has entrusted the peace of the world to Her!"
The primary purpose of the Queen of the World Centre is to fulfill the requests of Our Lady of Fatima for our Consecration to Her. Sr. Lucia wrote that Jesus said He wanted the entire Church "to place this devotion to Her Immaculate Heart alongside devotion to My Own Sacred Heart."
As a visible symbol of this consecration to the Immaculate Heart, the statue within the new museum in Fatima Castle is ready to receive the names of the faithful, who will sign their names with the intention of making an Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and fulfill the other simple requests She gave at Fatima.
The idea of the statue for this international effort came from Mrs. Helen Bergkamp of Wichita, Kansas. "I was inspired by the example of St. John Vianney," she said, recalling a trip to Ars, France. He had a similar statue in which he placed the names of his parishioners." Now, as a sign of consecration to Our Lady and a pledge to fulfill Her simple conditions for world peace, the names of millions expected to respond to the Queen of the World Centre will fit into the heart of this statue on computer disks.
Fatima Castle itself is a most significant site for these efforts. Flying over this bastion after his 1972 Fatima visit, Pope Paul VI prophetically exclaimed, "the Castle of the Queen of the World!"
The director of Queen of the World Centre of Fatima Castle, Carlos Evaristo, explained one of many reasons this historic place was chosen. "From approximately this spot," he said, "a globe of light was seen in the sky by the children of Fatima which descended to the little tree over which Our Lady appeared to them and promised an era of peace for mankind."
Significantly, the two-millennia-old castle contains a stone plaque dated 1646, that proclaims the consecration of Portugal to Mary as its Queen by then reigning King John, who vowed no monarchs would ever wear the crown because it belonged to Mary.
Today, Don Duarte, Duke of Braganza, who would be king in a restored monarchy, is a principal trustee of the Centre, "Portugal was honored by a visit of Our Lady," he said. "But this honor is also a responsibility... We must proclaim to all nations Her message: 'God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do as I tell you, many souls will be saved... Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph...an era of peace will be granted to mankind.'"
Another trustee, John Haffert, co-founder of the International Blue Army and author of several books, has recently written Too Late? and God's Final Effort to explain the urgency of responding to Mary's requests and the popes' mandates for consecration to Her Immaculate Heart.
"It is to respond to God's love manifested through the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary," Bergkamp said as thousands of names are coming in from around the world, "that we are hoping for millions to offer their hearts into the Heart of Mary so that they may have hearts... worthy of Jesus for His 2000th birthday."
The Queen of the World Centre has international support and approval. The Bishop of Fatima, the Fatima-Oureana Foundation, and the government of Portugal officially approve of and support the museum center and its purposes. Most Rev. Eugene J. Gerber, Bishop of Wichita, Kansas serves as spiritual director of the North American division.
The Maternal Immaculate Heart of Mary statue will be contained within the museum's replica of the Holy House of Loreto. It will be joined by a vast collection of images and artwork honoring Mary as Queen of the World. Fittingly, the museum will be officially dedicated and blessed on August 22, 2000, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.
Before then, the Centre believes it will surpass its initial goal of 50 million names worldwide proclaiming the faithful's consecration, or re-consecration, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for Our Lady to give to Jesus as a 2000th birthday gift.
Parishes are urged to promote the consecration to the Two Hearts. For information on how to be a part of the consecration effort of this approved worldwide apostolate (or to donate museum-quality Marian images or other religious art and relics), contact the non-profit, tax exempt center at: Queen of the World Centre, P.O. Box 20870, Wichita, KS, 67208, Fax 316-744-9249, E-mail: names@heartofmary.org
Names may also be submitted at the 101 Foundation website, or email immaculateheart@101foundation.com