The magnificent Blessed Virgin Mary of Sheshan atop the Sheshan Basilica raises the Christ child to the whole world, offering Him up for man’s salvation in obedience to the will of the Father. She doesn’t hesitate to offer her only son, the flesh of her flesh, the blood of her own blood, to redeem ailing mankind from the clutches of sin and death. The consequence of this total offering of the Virgin is very clearly seen in the defeat of the dragon under her heel, fulfilling the ‘FIRST GOSPEL’ proclaimed in the book of the Genesis.

It is under this title, that the Institute of the Incarnate Word decided in the year 2009 to dedicate its first seminary in Asia, meant for Asian vocations to her motherly intercession and protection. The seminary has flourished since appointing her as its patroness with the number of vocations swelling up to 40 seminarians from 8 countries. In thanksgiving to her unfailing help, the seminary every year on May 24, celebrates her feast day with great festivity. This year, we commemorated her feast with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass wherein five novices solemnly professed their fourth vow of Marian slavery according to the teachings of the great Marian Saint – Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, offering all their goods external and internal, their very merits and their wills to their Mother and freely choosing to be her slave so that by means of this slavery they may love and serve Christ with Mary, in Mary, and through Mary.

In the evening, some of our Chinese brothers prepared a scrumptious meal of traditional Chinese delicacies. After the meal, we had some performances by the brothers from various nationalities singing Marian hymns in their local tongues. We then moved on to the main event, the customary Bingo which we reserve every year for May 24.

The feast thus ended with a lot of fun and frolic creating a spirit of eutrapelia amongst the members of our community. We are indebted to our heavenly patroness for all the graces and blessings we have received since our establishment through her maternal hands, but especially for the gift of her son, compared to whom all that we have received seems to be less. Through her intercession, we hope that every seminarian that is ordained and graduates from this seminary may like her give Jesus to the world. TOTUS TUUS Maria!!!