Pope Francis, “I Want the Church to Go Into the Streets”

Pope Francis told the youth at World Youth Day on July 26, “I want the Church to go out into the streets, I want us to defend ourselves against all worldliness, opposition to progress, from that which is comfortable, from that which is clericalism, from all that which means being closed up in ourselves. Parishes, schools, institutions are made in order to come out … if they do not do this, they become a non-governmental organisation, and the Church must not be an NGO.”

The apostolate of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe goes out into the streets and is not an NGO! The Missionary Image was commissioned by the Mexican bishops on April 8, 1991. They prayed through Archbishop (later Cardinal) Posadas, “We beg you that your trip through all the Americas be realized now beginning with the Marian Congress of the Rosary in the National Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC…. We know that you want to end abortion in the world…. Lady, help us support your mission with our prayers in order that your Missionary Image will be well-received in all the Americas.”

Pope Francis is calling us to not just sit in the churches, but to go out into the streets to the marginalized people. This is what Our Lady has been doing for the last 22 years in her Missionary Image when she visits those at abortion centers, those in prison, those sick in the hospitals, those elderly in the nursing homes and those who are poor. She appears in newspapers, on television and even in parades!

Over 22 abortion centers have closed after her visits. The lives of many babies are saved when their mothers decide to choose life after seeing the Image. Also, many mothers are saved from post-abortion traumatic stress syndrome.

Below is a report of a recent Visitation to San Antonio, Texas, which included many abortion centers in the blazing sun. If you would like to host a Visitation of the Missionary Image read more here.