“IMITATORS OF MARY
AND WITNESSES OF THE MYSTERY
OF THE ANNUNCIATION”
Enza e Anna Maria, imsa
The Institute of Mary of the Annunciation, founded by blessed James
Alberione and aggregated to the Society of St. Paul, is one of the
ten branches that make up the Pauline Family.
Belonging to the Institute are women
consecrated to God through the profession of the evangelical
counsels, who live their consecration in the context of secularity,
that is, in the environments of their family, work, diocese or
parish. On the outside, they do not show anything special
inasmuch as they don’t
sport a dress that may single them out and they don’t live in a
community, but are in communication: they often meet for encounters
of formation, prayer and sorority.
They live in the world but don’t
belong to it. Each one while remaining in her own residence has the
possibility to bring Jesus Christ to all social strata.
Their life runs on the double track of
contemplation and action.
They get their energy to live their
vocation-mission from the Word of God, from the Eucharist and from
their close association with the Virgin Mary and with St. Paul the
Apostle.
OUR HISTORY
The
historical roots of the Institute of “Mary of the Annunciation” date
back to the dawn of the XX century when Fr. Alberione experienced
during his Eucharistic adoration his “night of light”. Our Institute
was born of the Host on that night of grace, as of the Host was born
the whole Pauline Family, but her establishment goes back to the end
of the 1950’s.
Through the Apostolic Constitution Provvida
Mater Ecclesia, promulgated by Pius XII in 1947, the Holy See
solemnly recognized the secular Institutes. Fr. Alberione sees in
that document the confirmation of what for some time he was dreaming
of in his heart: to found the three Institutes of secular life:
“Jesus Priest”,
“Mary Most Holy of the Annunciation”, “Saint Gabriel the Archangel”
without which, he used to say, the Pauline Family is not complete.
And saying just a few words but to great effect,
he outlines their vocation and mission: “souls that burn for love
of God and convert their life into apostolate”.
In
August 1958 the Founder preaches the first course of Spiritual
Exercises to 12 girls who adhere to the new manner of living the
consecration. In this way began the Institute of Mary Most Holy of
the Annunciation. In April 1960, after barely two years from their
foundation, under the papacy of John XXIII, the Holy See approves
the three Institutes of secular life as “aggregates” of the Society
of St. Paul.
Today, at a distance of almost 50 years from her foundation, the
Institute of Mary Most Holy of the Annunciation is present in 17
nations and counts about 650 members. In Italy she is divided into
26 groups distributed in various regions and islands.
OUR SPIRITUALITY
AND MISSION
Following the Founder’s will, the ten Institutes that make up the
Pauline Family, in spite of the specificity of each one, are united
among themselves by a “unitary project” of spirituality and mission.
He
has thought of them as “only one body in Christ and in the
Church”. This body has:
A common origin:
the tabernacle: “you were
born of the Host”.
A common spirituality:
To live integrally the Gospel; to live in the Divine Master inasmuch
as he is Way, Truth and Life; to live him as his disciple St. Paul
has understood him.
A common mission:
to give Jesus Christ Way, Truth and Life to all men, using all the
means that progress and technology offer.
Our
spirituality and mission are therefore the same as that of the
Pauline Family, but as in the body every member has its own role, so
in the Pauline Family every Institute has its own identity and
specificity.
THE SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF THE ANNUNCIATIONISTS
The
Founder himself, during a course of spiritual exercises held in
1959, explains to the first Annunciationists with very incisive
words – from the start he has addressed us in this way – the deep
meaning of their mission within the Church and in the Pauline
Family:
“Why call yourselves Annunciationists? Does this name
have a reason?It is not random. The event of the Annunciation and,
therefore, of the Incarnation of the Son of God when Mary said:
“May it be done to me according to thy Word”, is the greatest event
of history, because then our redemption starts. So, Annunciationist
means to be at the center of history and at the beginning of
redemption. It is a most beautiful name”
(MCS, p..180).
These are words of light for Annunciationists of all time.
Each Institute of the Pauline Family has its own specific identity
that transpires from the name that identifies it and characterizes
it. The Institute “Mary of the Annunciation”, closely united to the
mystery of the Annunciation and the Incarnation of God, has in this
mystery the secret of its mission and deep identity that the Founder
himself sums up in two basic points:
1) “Virginity and spiritual
motherhood: here is the great sign of the Lord’s love for you”.
Through their calling, the Annunciationists are called to be
“imitators of Mary and witnesses of the mystery of the Annunciation”
and “to give Jesus Master Way, Truth and Life as Mary has done”
(Blessed Alberione). Their life is like a prolongation of Mary’s
“yes” in the now of the Church.
In
associating them to the great mystery of the Annunciation, blessed
James Alberione acted as if he wanted to consign them to the heart
of the Virgin of the Annunciation, so they would learn directly from
Her to live virginity for the kingdom and spiritual motherhood.
2) “The second sign of the
Lord’s great love for you is that you can exercise all the possible
apostolates that are adapted to your particular conditions...
All
the apostolates...but lived with the heart of a mother and with the
passion of the great Apostle Paul.
The Annunciationists live in the midst
of the people without anything distinguishing them externally from
common persons, but in their hearts the passion to be leaven that
ferments and salt that gives flavor to the realities wherein the
find themselves living and operating, aware that coherence in life
together with goodness, patience and love, is the most effective
word to say that God exists and loves everybody.
In whatever environment they may work
– whether they fill a position of responsibilty, or live in the
silence of their families helping their sick parents, or through the
offering of silent sorrow in a hospital room or in a humble and
hidden work – everywhere they try to bring Jesus, the Way, the
Truth, the Life, the only Master and salvation for man.
If they have the ability and the
means, they use the most modern instruments that technology offers
to announce Jesus and his Gospel, but the most powerful and
effective means of the Annunciationist, the one that reaches where
no technology can arrive, is to announce Christ Jesus with the
heart of a mother, Mary’s heart itself, and to point out to all the
easiest and surest way to arrive to Jesus, the way that Jesus
himself has chosen to come to us: his Mother.
This is what Fr. Alberione often said:
“The world does not yet reach Christ because the way
is still not being pointed out enough: Mary Most Holy”. “Mary is the
easiest and surest way to enter into a religious spirit and into
establishing the life of Christ in us… There is need for Jesus and
it is Mary that gives him”. | 
