Wanted: Friends of the Cross

BY T. M. SALAMIDA

In the wake of nearly one full year of the “new normal,” America Needs Fatima launched an intense Lenten campaign—The Friends of the Cross.

Based almost entirely on that great work of Saint Louis de Montfort, Letter to the Friends of the Cross, this 2021 e-mail campaign was designed to call friends and supporters of ANF to embrace those crosses placed upon their shoulders by Divine Providence with the same tender affection with which Jesus Christ embraced the hard wood of the Cross.

In the words of Saint Louis de Montfort:

“You are united together, Friends of the Cross, like so many crucified soldiers, to fight the world; not by fleeing…for fear of being defeated; but like valiant and brave warriors on the field of battle, without letting go of their feet and without turning their backs. Courage! Fight valiantly! Unite strongly with the union of minds and hearts.”

Towards this end, our writers and design staff diligently put together a powerful booklet of prayers, meditations and stories, a copy of which was mailed to 68,465 friends and supporters.

Using internet tech to spread the Gospel of Our Lord, this campaign was conducted through our e-mail outreach, resulting in 1,302,519 e-mails, inviting all to become true Friends of the Cross by practicing the disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving with renewed dedication during Lent of 2021. All those who rose to the challenge were invited to list their intentions to be offered during a special forty-day Novena of Masses said for them.

As always, ANF placed the Friends of the Cross campaign in the hands of Mary Our Beloved Mother. May she convert them to graces of immeasurable wealth with which to save us and our nation. ■