The 70th meeting of the Mariological Society of America took place from 14th – 17th May 2019 at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The grounds of the retreat centre contain a series of statues that recall the apparition of 19 September 1846 at La Salette in the French Alps, when two children called Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat saw a “Beautiful Lady” sitting on a rock, shedding sorrowful tears. Her message urged the need for Christian renewal and prayer.
It was a fitting setting for the conference, which encompassed a wide range of fascinating papers that focused on “Mary and the Call to Holiness,” with contributions by priests, members of religious communities and the laity. The programme also included a visit to Holy Cross Family Ministries, which is particularly noted for the work of the Venerable Fr Patrick Peyton (1909-92), who was known as “The Rosary Priest” and made famous the slogan: “The family that prays together stays together.”
The papers given at previous conferences are published in the journal Marian Studies, which first began in 1950. All the issues from 1950 - 2014 are now available as a free download at the following link:
It is a most valuable resource for anyone interested in the study of the Virgin Mary.