"I really believe Mary is doing something with this prayer"

Sometimes, answers to novenas can come in unexpected ways. That’s what happened to Father Patrick Stoffer, a Franciscan friar stationed at Marytown in Libertyville, Ill.

He acquired a devotion to Our Lady of Confidence from his mother, so when a friend and her husband were having difficulty conceiving, it was natural for him to pass on the prayer, “My Mother, My Confidence,” to them. Within a month, his friend was pregnant.

“It’s happened several times since then, to other couples,” Father Stoffer said. “Each time, it was within a month. I’ve also found that devotion to be especially helpful for people discerning their vocation to the seminary.”

In honor of his mother, who is declining from Alzheimer’s, Father Stoffer has begun to actively promote devotion to Our Lady of Confidence. He promotes it in the parish and even hands a copy of the prayer (1)to those who come to him for confession. As a result, he’s seen petitions answered time and again.

“I really believe Mary is doing something with this prayer,” he said.

(1) The annual novena to Our Lady of Confidence starts on May 6.

Marge Fenelon

Our Sunday Visitor, April 30, 2014