Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will join his brother bishops of the United States in Canada in reconsecrating the two nations to the care and protection of the Blessed Mother on May 1.

Each year, the Church seeks the special intercession of the Mother of God during the month of May. This year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will reconsecrate their nations to Mary, Mother of the Church, especially in the midst of the current pandemic.　

The Bishop will lead a prayer service from the Church of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown, which can be viewed on YouTube/trentondiocese and across diocesan websites and social media at 3 p.m.

The reconsecration will include the prayers that will be said by bishops across North America, as well as the reading of Scripture and a homily given by the Bishop. Father Martin O’Reilly, pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, will participate. A separate service will be conducted in Spanish and include Father Jorge Bedoya, parochial vicar of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton.

The title "Mary, Mother of the Church" was given to the Blessed Mother by Pope St. Paul VI at the Second Vatican Council, and a memorial under the title was added to the Church’s liturgical calendar by Pope Francis in 2018 to be celebrated annually on the Monday after Pentecost Sunday.