Celebrating the second Sunday of Advent (December 7-8, 2019), the M.I. Initiative made its 16th stop, in Atlanta, GA, at our pastoral ministry of Holy Cross Catholic Church.Friar Jobe was welcomed by our friars of Holy Cross Friary – Fr. Jude Michael Krill, OFM Conv. (Friary Guardian and Pastor of Holy Cross), Fr. Tom Reist, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar of Holy Cross), Fr. Calixto Salvatierra Morena, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar of Holy Cross), and Fr. John Voytek, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Atlanta). Given the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (moved this year to Monday December 9th, as it fell on a Sunday in Advent for 2019), it was fitting to speak of the Immaculate, who was the herald of the Messiah even before John the Baptist. She hurried to visit her cousin, and John’s own mother – Elizabeth – with the Good News. In Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, one also senses the special privilege granted to Mary “for His dwelling shall be glorious.” At the eight Masses (5 English, 2 Spanish, 1 Zo/Burma), the response of the faithful to the invitation to consecrate themselves to the Blessed Mother was overwhelming.
