Bridget Sakr has set Sydney Catholics a challenge to pray a Rosary novena before joining Mass and a procession at St Joachim’s Lidcombe on the 2 February feast day of Our Lady of Good Success.
The founder of grief support community Heartfelt has long held a devotion to Our Lady and was inspired after reading Bishop Richard Umber’s call last year in The Catholic Weekly (21 May 2023) to revive the tradition of processions across the Sydney archdiocese.
Sakr also wants to make the devotion to Mary under the title Our Lady of Good Success—based on church-approved Marian apparitions to a Spanish nun in 1634—better known and honoured.
She has set a target of 20,000 people to pledge to pray the nine-day novena beginning on 24 January, inviting them to register at an online tally.
“Our Lady predicted many attacks on our faith and the Catholic church and invited us to trust in her intercession in difficult times,” she said.
“Our Lady of Good Success predicted that widespread blasphemy, impurity and heresy would result in many of the faithful falling away from God and terrible sufferings in society.
“As the Church contends with many forces that are working against the Gospel of truth and life and as we witness so many negative influences due to a lack of faith, the apparitions and words of Our Lady of Good Success call us today to turn to our Blessed Mother in these difficult times.”
Sakr said she is grateful for the support of Bishop Umbers, St Anthony of Padua Austral parish priest Fr Ronnie Maree who will celebrate the 7pm Mass, which is also the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, and St Joachim’s parish priest Fr Epeli Qimaqima.