Dear Father John, if an individual has been Totally consecrated to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary through the St. Louis de Montfort method, done privately, 33 day retreat, confession, Mass and Day of Consecration pledge/vow/prayer, can this individual through the Association of Padre Pio still become a spiritual child of Padre Pio? I am not familiar with the Association of Padre Pio but wondered if this is OK. Also, is it possible to still pray to the Saints being consecrated to Jesus through Mary?

The answer to both questions, if I understand them correctly, is yes. Both consecrations, the one associated with St. Louis de Montfort and the one associated with becoming a spiritual child of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, are devotional consecrations. In other words, they do not carry any canonical obligations that would make them exclusive. For example, a member of a religious order could make both of these consecrations, but he or she could not be a member of two different religious orders at the same time. This is because becoming a member of a religious order involves a commitment with canonical implications. And praying to the saints is a devotion that would certainly be encouraged by St. Louis de Montfort, by St. Pius of Pietrelcina, and also by the Blessed Virgin Mary herself! Praying to saints – asking for their intercession on our behalf or for others – builds up the Body of Christ by allowing us to exercise charity towards one another. The consecration to Jesus through Mary doesn’t take the place of our normal Catholic devotions and obligations. Rather, it links them all in a more intimate way to our healthy devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in a sense, enhances them through their connection with her special role in Christ’s Kingdom.

I hope this sets your mind at rest. But if I failed to answer your question, please ask again.

God bless you! Fr. John

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Art for this post on Padre Pio: Father Pio de Pietrelcina, Roberto Dughetti, 1966, CCA-SA 3.0 Unported, Wikimedia Commons.