Mary, Mother of Charity

               Mater Caritatis is the Latin name for the marian title of Mother of Charity. The beautiful wooden statue which represents her is situated in Rome in the Little Sanctuary of the Community of the Knights of Charity in Rome, in Italy. While contemplating her we are attracted by her soft and serene glance, which shines in a delicious and fascinating face. The maternal gesture of the open arms expresses her strong desire to welcome us and to hear our prayers. It seems she wants to tell us: "I am the Mother of Charity. Come to me, you all who are my children and I will grant you, comfort and protect you, because I really desire to spread the abundance of my graces and benedictions over you".

The devotion to Mary Mother of Charity started in Rome on October 26 th of the year 1975 when the statue was blessed under this title by the Apostolic Nonce, the Archbishop Mgr. Vittore Ugo Righi, ex-secretary of the blessed John XXIII; It has been Fr. Stanislaus C. Caban Luszczynski, Founder of the Knights of Charity, who indicated the title of Mother of Charity for this beautiful statue which had been found in a providential way.

The title of Mother of Charity might seem apparently new, but in reality it is one of the oldest titles which take root from the Old Testament. "I am the mother of pure love" (Ecclesiasticus 24, 18), the Church from all times applied it in a spiritual sense to the Virgin Mary. In the New Testament the pure love identifies itself with charity. "God is Charity" asserts with conviction Saint John the apostle (1 Jn 4, 16); being the Mother of God, Mary is then the Mother of Charity, that is to say the Mother of Christ who is the Incarnated Charity. Mary begot Christ "so that he may take birth and grow equally in the hearts of the faithful through the mean of the Church"; and from heaven she continues to cooperate with her motherly love to beget us spiritually and make us grow in charity (Vatican Council II, Dog. Const. Lumen Gentium, nm 63 and 65).

The Mother of Charity presents to us the rosary so that by reciting it we may learn, under her maternal guidance, to love in the steps of her divine Son.