AUSTRALIA, October 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Two university students have stepped into the breach, launching an international prayer campaign against the Satanic black Mass to be said in Noosa, Queensland (QLD) on Friday 30 October.
LifeSiteNews reported on the details of the sacrilegious event on 27 October.
Sophia Shogren and Bethany Marsh, both 22, were made aware of the event by the American Society for the defense of Tradition, Family and Property’s Return to Order petition.
“It was quite shocking to find out about something so diabolical happening in our own country, especially since we only made this discovery through the activism of an American organisation,” they said.
Noosa is located within the Archdiocese of Brisbane, where Sophia grew up.
“When I first heard about the black Mass it hit pretty close to home. Bethany and I were chatting one day and realised how few people knew this event was going on. The sacrilege of the black Mass – especially one hosted in a council venue – demands a response from the faithful, so we just knew we needed to get the word out into the community about this,” she said.
Bethany added that the idea to launch a prayer campaign came to them on the feast of Blessed Bartolo Longo, a former Satanic priest who later converted and dedicated his life to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the promotion of the holy rosary.
“If that wasn’t a prompting to do something, I don’t know what is!” Bethany said.
Sophia and Bethany created a Facebook group – now containing more than 900 people – to get as many people as possible praying a novena to St. Michael the Archangel leading up to the day of the black Mass.
“St. Michael has always been understood as our strongest defence against the Devil and diabolical forces. His, and the Blessed Virgin’s intercessions, are our greatest weapons,” Bethany said.
Through the Facebook group numerous priests and prayer groups have been prompted to expand upon the prayer campaign locally and internationally.
“Across Australia we know of many Masses being offered in reparation for the atrocities of the black Mass, all night adoration vigils being held in communities, as well as holy hours and rosaries being offered for these intentions,” they said.
The young women informed all of the Australian bishops of the event, receiving “mixed responses.”
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge chose not to comment publicly on the sold out event, which sent invitations to celebrities and politicians.
But Sydney’s Archbishop Anthony Fisher has publicly endorsed the prayer campaign, encouraging his flock to join in the novena to St. Michael on his Facebook page. “Evil is real and it is not something that should be played with or underestimated,” Fisher commented while promoting the novena.
Within the Archdiocese of Brisbane, the priests of the Brisbane Oratory in Formation have been particularly vocal in the prayer campaign, adding a rosary novena for the parish as well as holy hours of reparation on the day.
While some may be discouraged that local clergy are not at the forefront of this spiritual battle, Bethany and Sophia are deeply encouraged by the amount of young Catholics who have been so eager to pray and invite others to join the prayer campaign even in the midst of what many call a post-Christian society.
“Australia is becoming an increasingly secular nation, and unfortunately the Church in Australia is suffering accordingly. The moral depravity of the world has dulled the senses of so many when it comes to recognising the very real presence of evil surrounding us,” they said.
“In light of this, we felt a very strong conviction to do what we can to make people realise the gravity of this event, and to publicly respond to something that is so blatantly an attack against the Church. So much of the support we have received is from the young faithful of Australia, so this is really a testament to the fire and zeal for Christ that exists in our generation.”
Although the publication of this article falls at the end of the novena to St Michael, the students are encouraging Catholics worldwide to offer prayers and penances in reparation for the gravely sacrilegious act that will occur this week.
“It’s not too late to pray and make spiritual reparations for this and all sins against Christ and His Church…we would encourage everyone to make spiritual amends, such as an extra rosary, an extra holy hour of Eucharistic adoration, or encouraging your priests to offer a Mass specifically in reparation. Above all, those involved in organising the black Mass are spiritually desolate. We must pray for a change of heart and mind, for their redemption and conversion. ‘Our fight is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers’.” (Eph. 6:12)
Unfortunately due to COVID-19 restrictions from the Queensland State Government, as well as the presence of another event happening directly outside the council venue where the black mass will occur, it has not been possible to organize a peaceful prayer protest outside the venue.