Saturday 27 April, at 5pm, in the Cathedral Basilica of Como, the cardinal Oscar Cantoni he will preside over the Holy Mass with the Blessing of the widows (six) belonging to the Ordo Viduarum of the Diocese of Como.
Ordo Viduarum in Como cathedral
In the Diocese of Como the Ordo Viduarum has been established for some years, to which widows who intend to live in the state of widowed life belong and who «consecrate their condition to dedicate themselves to prayer and the service of the Church» (See Vita Consecrata, n.7). The Ordo Viduarum, therefore, is made up of widows who make, in a definitive form, the resolution to remain forever in the widowhood condition, as a sign of the Kingdom of God and who, through the liturgical Rite of Blessing, are consecrated to join a form of life in which to live more deeply one’s baptismal consecration, as well as the spousal nature already inherent in marriage, thus acquiring a particular identity in the Church. This purpose expressed in the hands of the Bishop acquires a particular bond with the Church to whose service they will dedicate themselves.
The sense
What is the purpose of the consecration?
«Responding to a vocation – they explain from the Liturgy Office – Blessed by the Lord, widows offer their energy and availability to Christ and the Church. The Church welcomes the widows’ proposal and invokes the Lord’s blessing for them by associating their offering with the Eucharistic sacrifice.”
The first commitment of the consecrated widow is the care of the family in which she continues to be active in faithfulness to the marital vocation. Her availability extends to the parish and the Diocese, in the times and ways possible for each of her.
