Consecration to the Blessed Virgin

Leigh Ann Roman explains why she makes an annual effort to renew this spiritual commitment.

I can still remember the woman in my small town parish who gave me two slim paperback books when I was a new convert and young mother. The books were Preparation for Total Consecration according to Saint Louis Marie de Montfort and True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, also by de Montfort. 

Already a devotee of the Rosary, I dived into the books and felt immediately as if I had hit a brick wall. The writing was old-fashioned, and the amount of recommended daily prayer was intimidating. I had two toddlers at home, and my time for reading and prayer was limited. Still, sometime in the early 2000s, I waded through the readings and made my consecration. 

I was aware that the motto of Pope John Paul II was "Totus Tuus" (All Yours), which referred to his total consecration to Mary. And I learned that he considered reading de Montfort’s books and his own consecration to Mary to be a turning point in his spiritual life. 

As I have grown as a Catholic over the years, I have come to have a deeper understanding of this devotion. I love to start the new year by renewing my consecration. It is an important reminder that I belong to Jesus and Mary, not to the world. 

Many Pathways to Consecration 

Because this practice has grown in popularity, the pathways to it have increased. The book, 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration by Father Michael Gaitley is a very accessible introduction to the devotion that includes references to many popular saints. The Women’s Guild at my parish used this for discussion and consecration one year. 

I renew my consecration annually using a booklet given to me by a friend. It is Preparation for Total Consecration to the Immaculate according to Saint Maximilian M. Kolbe, which was published in 2023 by the Academy of the Immaculate and has the imprimatur of the Bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts. This booklet has short daily reflections and prayers. It also offers a chart for consecration start dates that will end on Marian feast days. This year, I chose to begin on December 31 and completed my consecration on February 2, the Presentation of Our Lord by Our Lady. For those who don’t wish to purchase a book, the consecration can be found online at Total Consecration to Jesus Through Mary - The Catholic Crusade. 

The consecration follows this basic outline in the original book by de Montfort: 

• First 12 days: Empty yourself of the spirit of the world  
• First week: Obtain self-knowledge 
• Second Week: Obtain knowledge of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
• Third Week: Obtain knowledge of Jesus Christ 

At the canonization of Saint Louis de Montfort, Pope Pius XII said,

The devotion, we might say, of the good-intentioned Christian and Catholic aims essentially at union with Jesus under the guidance of Mary. (True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, p. xii) 

The Blessings of Devotion 

Certainly, Christians can all benefit from these practices. Just as Jesus was formed in Mary as an infant and grew up under her guidance, so too can we as Christians place ourselves in her care. We can trust her entirely. 

As human beings, we are all susceptible to temptation. But “the Immaculate herself wishes to be a safe refuge for all of them. She can never lose grace, and She preserves it for all those who consecrate themselves to Her” (Preparation for Total Consecration to the Immaculate, p. 21). 

Jesus gave His mother to mankind on the cross (John 19:27), and we do well to avail ourselves of her protection and guidance. The consecration is one sure way to place myself in her care, and the renewal of that consecration reminds me that to follow Jesus and Mary, I must deny myself, take up my cross, and follow.    

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Copyright 2026 Leigh Ann Roman
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