Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

More than two dozen Catholics attended the First Saturday Marian Devotion at St. Ignatius Martyr Church on August 2. The monthly event, organized by the Marian Committee of the Archdiocese of Louisville, provides a time for prayer and reflection.

Deacon Joseph “Joe” Calvert, director of the Marian Committee, explained that attending Mass early on a Saturday is considered a sacrifice offered to God. “Many people would think it’s a hardship to get up on a Saturday morning, but it’s a sacrifice you’re offering to the Lord,” said Deacon Calvert.

The devotion begins with Mass and includes opportunities for reconciliation, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a Gospel reading with homily, and sacred music. According to Deacon Calvert, this tradition traces its roots back to 1917 and the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima in Portugal. During these apparitions, Mary appeared to three shepherd children—Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia—and later asked Lucia to promote this devotion as reparation for sin after she became a Carmelite nun.

The First Saturday Devotion involves praying the rosary, spending 15 minutes reflecting on its mysteries, attending Mass, and going to confession. Deacon Calvert noted that Mary promised “special graces” for those who participate in five consecutive first Saturdays. However, he added that most participants continue beyond that initial period: “Most people, if they do go to five Saturdays, find that they want to go more.”

Attendance at these monthly devotions usually ranges from 30-40 people and often includes families with young children. Deacon Calvert observed that parents bring their children so they can learn about sacred silence and experience Catholic worship: “I think they want their kids to understand what sacred silence is, and the richness, the beauty of Catholic worship,” he said. He described the gathering as similar to a mini-retreat—a quiet space away from daily distractions.

Deacon Calvert has been involved in this devotion since his conversion in 1995. Reflecting on his experience he said: “Are there other ways to Jesus? Yes, there are. But are there better ways to Jesus? I can’t imagine there would be.”

He also spoke about seeking intercession through Mary: “The Blessed Mother ‘makes up for our defects,’” he said. “You know, my prayers are going to have a lot of faults in them, selfishness and all that. But you ask her to pray, and her prayers are going to be perfect. So maybe there’s a humility implied in going to her.

“We’re supposed to be childlike. We’re supposed to be needy. And what expresses childlikeness more than going to your mother? So I think that’s how the Lord wanted it to be. I mean, he gave her to us at the cross. So that’s how he wanted it to be,” he added.

Other parishes within the Archdiocese of Louisville also offer Mass on first Saturdays each month; details can be found online at https://archlou.org/parishes/mass-schedules/.