Pope Francis encouraged devotion to Mary Mediatrix of All Graces

Archdiocese of Sassari - Official Website

Feast of the Vow, the Holy Father's message- scroll down for key passage

The happy occasion of the 83rd Anniversary of the Feast of the Vow to the Blessed Virgin of Grace, coinciding with the celebration of the Diocesan Day of Prayer for Peace, is an opportunity to join spiritually with the Archdiocese of Sassari, which wishes to raise its praise to her who, in the hour of trial, never failed to turn her loving and caring gaze toward her children. My respectful thoughts go to the authorities, and I affectionately greet the priests, men and women religious, members of lay movements, and all who are participating in this most significant event for the entire local Church.

The war events that sadly marked the history of the 20th century have been a source of enormous suffering for humanity. Marian tradition reminds us of the devotion of the Catholic people who, in life's difficult moments, have not hesitated to entrust themselves to the Virgin Mary as their "Advocate" before Jesus.

This was also true for you, dear daughters and sons of the particular Church of Sassari, who have always nurtured an unbreakable bond with the Heavenly Mother, affectionately invoked as the Virgin of Grace. Indeed, the Feast of the Vow originates in the years when the dark clouds of World War II were gathering, which, unfortunately, we had to witness helplessly in the face of so much bloodshed and death.

In 1943, the then Archbishop of Sassari, Archbishop Arcangelo Mazzotti, along with the clergy and faithful, entrusted the city to the protection of Our Lady of Grace, venerated for centuries in the Sanctuary of San Pietro in Silki, guarded by the Friars Minor. The people and authorities accepted the invitation expressed with incessant prayers, penance, and charity, and your city was preserved from the air raids.

Gratefully remembering the benevolence granted, as the Church of Turrita, you have chosen to commemorate that act of consecration by reflecting on the theme, "And there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8). Mary, Mother full of grace, regenerates a welcoming city to promote "new cultural syntheses" (EG, n. 210), also fostering a spiritual renewal inserted into the synodal journey you have undertaken.

In the wake of this process of pastoral conversion, I urge you not to cease listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who urges us to confidently embark on a new era of the ecclesial community, capable of revealing the light of faith and hope, of allowing us to savor the fragrance of welcome, the balm of mercy, and the joy of a patient journey of interpersonal relationships regenerated by the encounter with God's love. Today, more than ever, the world needs believers who are promoters of a humanism of encounter, architects of a hospitable city, of an agora that once again becomes a central place of openness to dialogue and the promotion of peace and social friendship.

I was pleased to learn that in the Synodal journey you have chosen to care for the roots of the faith that has been passed down to you. The memory of the past, however, raises fundamental questions: what kind of community do we want to build? We have received so much from the hands of those who came before us: what legacy do we want to leave to posterity?

Our fathers have passed on to us a passion, a longing, a fire that it is up to us to rekindle; it is not a matter of guarding ashes, but of fueling the fire they lit with their faithful witness. Tradition, therefore, is the living faith of our ancestors, "it is the origin of faith: either it grows or it dies out" (Audience with the Members of the International Theological Commission, November 24, 2022). Please do not give in to the temptation to remain anchored to a nostalgic popular piety made up only of external rites or to a sterile traditionalism that is rather the expression of the dead faith of the living. As I have had occasion to recall, tradition makes the Church grow from the bottom up, similar to the roots of a tree; but today there is a great danger, that of going backwards, "the backwardness that leads to thinking logically: it has always been done this way" (ibid.). We are the branches that must blossom and sow new seeds in History.

(Cathcon: the previous paragraph was standard stuff for Francis)

One of the ancient titles by which Christians have invoked the Virgin Mary is precisely "Mediatrix of all graces." Entrust to her your aspirations and the good intentions you hold dear; may she instil in you the joy of following Christ and serving him with humility and obedience in the Church; ask her to dispel the dullness of fear and weariness, the spiritual tepidity that slows your pace toward your goal, and the turbulence of life; may she, a caring Mother, stir the hearts of each of us, and give the Church the impetus to boldly emerge from herself.

It is very significant that the Feast of the Vow is celebrated in conjunction with the Diocesan Day of Prayer for Peace. Even in this time marked by the tragedy of war, we invoke the help of the Virgin, the "disciple" of peace, and together with her, reliving the strengthening experience of Pentecost, we await the Spirit of unity and peace, of joy and love.

With these sentiments, I impart my blessing, asking everyone to pray for me.

Source

The "Feast of the Vow" in Sassari refers to the dissolution of the vow to Our Lady of Grace, which is celebrated on the last Sunday in May. This feast commemorates the vow made during the Second World War to be spared from bombing and includes a Mass in the cathedral and a procession with the statue of Our Lady. 

Origin: The vow was made during the Second World War to ask for protection against bombing. The current celebration renews this vow.

Date: It takes place on the last Sunday in May, at the end of the Marian month.

Procedure: The festival begins with a Mass in Sassari Cathedral and continues with a procession. The statue of the Madonna is carried by the traffic police to the cathedral and then returned to the sanctuary of San Pietro di Silch, where the vow is dissolved.

Meaning: It is a heartfelt festival involving the entire community, the clergy and the municipality, celebrating the protection received from the Madonna.

Religious context: The festival coincides with the diocesan day of prayer for peace, established in 2023, and is also linked to the figure of Mary, like the festival of the Candelieri.