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What is the Marian Movement of Priests?
The Marian Movement of Priests (MMP) is a Catholic association centered on consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, especially among priests. According to the site, it traces its origins to Fr. Stefano Gobbi, who began recording what he described as interior locutions received in prayer at Fatima starting in July 1973; these messages were later published as To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons. The movement's public identity is therefore both devotional and clerical: it exists to encourage priests, and laypeople who join them, to renew consecration to Mary and to pray for the Church.
What the movement actually does
The site's practical activity is the cenacle: a gathering for prayer, typically organized regionally and often led by clergy. The page evidence shows a U.S. schedule of regional cenacles conducted by the international director, Fr. Luca Pescatori, accompanied by national director Fr. Antonio Carvalho, across New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, with parallel English and Spanish announcements. It also lists a national clergy retreat and a regional retreat for laity, plus a cenacle format page for groups wanting to run their own meetings.
A second thread is the cause for Fr. Gobbi's beatification. The site announces that Cardinal Oscar Cantoni opened the diocesan process in Como, Italy, on May 1, 2024, and publishes a prayer for his intercession approved by the Diocese of Como. The site also carries a statement warning against unauthorized use of the messages—a useful signal that the movement distinguishes its own publications from unofficial circulating material.
Who it suits, and what to weigh
| Reader | Fit | Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| A priest seeking structured Marian prayer with brother clergy | Strong: clergy retreats and cenacles are core | Events are periodic and regionally clustered; check the schedule |
| A layperson drawn to consecration to Mary | Good: lay retreats and local cenacles are open | Cenacles depend on a local group existing near you |
| Someone researching Gobbi's writings | Relevant: the site is the movement's own outlet | Read the messages as private revelation, which Catholic teaching treats as non-binding on faith |
| A Spanish-speaking Catholic in the U.S. | Practical: key announcements appear bilingually | Not every page is translated |
A concrete next step: if you are considering attending, open the current cenacle schedule and confirm the nearest date and location before planning around it; if you want to start a group instead, the cenacle format page describes the meeting structure. For broader context on private revelation and Marian devotion, the Vatican's official site, The Holy See, publishes the relevant doctrinal guidance.
Who was Fr. Stefano Gobbi and what role did he play in the MMP?
Fr. Stefano Gobbi was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Marian Movement of Priests (MMP). According to the website, the movement began in Fatima in 1973, while he was praying for priests who were rebelling against Church authority; an "interior voice" urged him to trust in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He then recorded what he understood as interior locutions from July 1973 to December 1997, published as To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons. These messages became the movement's spiritual core, and the site describes him as an "example and apostle" of consecration to Mary's Immaculate Heart.
His institutional role is also documented: the Diocese of Como opened a beatification and canonization cause for him on May 1, 2024, at the Shrine of the Holy Crucifix in Como, and the site notes that a prayer for his intercession has been composed and approved by that diocese. The MMP is now led internationally by Fr. Luca Pescatori and nationally in the U.S. by Fr. Antonio Carvalho, who continue the cenacle schedule Gobbi's work established.
For a reader deciding whether to engage, the practical next step is to read the messages alongside the site's cenacle format and regional schedule pages, since the MMP's identity is built on both the writings and the prayer gatherings. Someone exploring a vocation to the priesthood, or a priest seeking a support network, would find the cenacle structure more immediately useful than the biographical material; a reader interested in the canonization process should look to the Diocese of Como's own announcements, since the site only summarizes them.
What is a cenacle and how do I participate in an MMP cenacle?
A cenacle, in the Marian Movement of Priests (MMP), is a prayer gathering centered on the Rosary, consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and intercession for priests and the Church. On the MMP site, cenacles are announced as scheduled events—for example, regional cenacles conducted by the international director, Fr. Luca Pescatori, with the national director, Fr. Antonio Carvalho, across several U.S. states in October 2026—and the site also posts a "MMP Cenacle Format" page describing how a gathering is structured. The movement's origin story, as the site presents it, traces to Fr. Stefano Gobbi's interior locutions beginning in 1973 at Fatima, collected in To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons.
How to participate
- Check the site's announcements for a cenacle near you; the October 2026 schedule lists New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, with an invitation to all who live in those areas.
- If no regional event is listed, use the posted cenacle format to pray with a small group in your parish or home—typically Rosary, consecration, and prayers for priests.
- For clergy, the site also lists a national MMP clergy retreat (November 2026), which suggests ordained participants have a separate track.
A practical note
The site carries an "urgent and important statement" about unauthorized use of the messages, so treat material you find elsewhere with care and rely on the official pages for texts and schedules. If you are discerning whether to join a local group, the cenacle format page is the best first read—it tells you what a meeting actually involves before you commit an evening to it. Marian Movement of Priests
What is the book 'To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons' and are its messages approved by the Church?
To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons is the published collection of messages that Fr. Stefano Gobbi (founder of the Marian Movement of Priests) recorded as interior locutions, dated July 1973 to December 1997, according to the MMP site. The messages center on trust in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, consecration to her, and fidelity to the Pope and the Church.
Are the messages "approved"?
The site does not present the book's messages as having a Church approval of a supernatural kind. What it does highlight is a different, verifiable step: an official announcement that on May 1, 2024 the Diocese of Como opened the diocesan process for the beatification and canonization of Fr. Gobbi, presided by Bishop Oscar Cantoni. The site also notes that a prayer for Fr. Gobbi's intercession has been composed and approved by the Diocese of Como, and states this is the only officially approved prayer.
Practically, this means:
- Cause opened: a formal Church process regarding Fr. Gobbi as a candidate for sainthood has begun.
- Not the same as approving the locutions: an opening of a cause is not a judgment that the messages are authentic revelations. The site itself does not claim such a decree.
- Prayer approved, not the book: the approval mentioned applies to the intercessory prayer, not to the messages as a body.
A reader weighing the book should therefore treat the messages as private revelations to be read with the Church's general caution about private revelation, while recognizing the diocesan process as a real but distinct development.
A useful next step
If you want to read or discuss the book in a parish setting, ask your diocese or pastor whether the local Church has issued any guidance on the MMP or on the messages, and distinguish clearly between the approved prayer and the locutions. For the movement's own framing and announcements, see Marian Movement of Priests.
How can I join the MMP or find a local chapter near me?
The site does not publish an online signup or a searchable chapter directory. Joining is handled locally: the movement is organized around cenacles (prayer groups) that meet under a priest's guidance, so the practical route is to find a cenacle near you and ask to attend.
What the site actually gives you
- Event listings as the main entry point. The homepage carries announcements such as a regional cenacle schedule with the international director, Fr. Luca Pescatori, covering New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, with the national director, Fr. Antonio Carvalho, accompanying him. If you live in one of those areas, attending a listed cenacle is the simplest first contact.
- A cenacle format page. The site posts a "MMP Cenacle Format" item, which tells you what a meeting looks like before you go — useful if you want to know what you'd be joining.
- Retreats for laity and clergy. A regional retreat for laity and a national clergy retreat are both announced, giving another way in if you prefer a larger gathering to a small group.
- Bilingual notices. Announcements appear in English and Spanish, so Spanish-speaking readers can follow the same listings.
A realistic next step
Write to the contact address on Marian Movement of Priests stating your city, whether you are a priest, religious or layperson, and that you are looking for the nearest cenacle. In parallel, ask your parish office whether an MMP cenacle meets locally — many are hosted in parishes and are known to the staff even when they are not advertised online. If a regional cenacle is scheduled within travelling distance, go in person; that is faster than correspondence.
Choosing between the options
| Route | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Regional cenacle from the schedule | People in the listed states | Limited to announced dates and places |
| Parish enquiry | Anyone wanting a regular local group | Depends on whether a cenacle exists nearby |
| Laity retreat | Those wanting an introduction at scale | Periodic, not a standing local group |
| Direct contact with the movement | Remote areas or unclear local coverage | Slower; relies on a reply |
One caution the site itself raises: it carries an "urgent and important statement" about unauthorized use of the messages, so verify that any group you join is actually linked to the movement rather than a splinter using its name.
What is the status of the beatification cause for Fr. Stefano Gobbi?
The diocesan beatification and canonization cause for Fr. Stefano Gobbi was formally opened on May 1, 2024, at the Shrine of the Holy Crucifix (SS. Crocifisso) in Como, Italy. According to the site's official announcement, Cardinal Oscar Cantoni, the diocesan bishop of Como, presided at a solemn Eucharistic Celebration that morning for the opening of the diocesan process. The announcement was dated Como, March 28, 2024 (Holy Thursday).
This means the cause is at its earliest official stage: a diocesan inquiry, during which Fr. Gobbi is referred to as "Servant of God." Nothing on the page indicates a beatification date or any decision from Rome; the opening of a diocesan process is the first step, not a declaration of heroic virtue or a beatification.
A practical next step for anyone following the cause is to use the prayer for Fr. Gobbi's intercession that the site says has been composed and approved by the Diocese of Como, and which it describes as the only officially approved prayer. The site also invites the faithful to renew their consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which it presents as the spirit of Fr. Gobbi's own ministry.
For context on the movement behind the cause, the same site notes that Fr. Gobbi recorded what he described as interior locutions from July 1973 to December 1997, published as To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons, and that the Marian Movement of Priests continues to hold cenacles and retreats in the United States.
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