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| Membership | Men |
| Founded | Founded in Spain
by Father Tomas Morales, S.J., 1947;
approved as a
secular institute of diocesan right, 1988. |
| Purpose | To focus on the formation of
young
people towards integrating the spiritual with the secular through application of Ignatian
spiritual exercises. Emphasis is also given to Marian Devotion. |
Contact
Links +
Mail | Antonio Pérez Alcalá
2001 Great Falls
Street
McLean, VA 22101Tel: 703 536 3546
aperezalca@aol.com |
| Biography
of the Founder Fr. Tomás Morales was born in Macuto, Venezuela on October 30, 1908. He studied at the
school of the Jesuit Fathers in Chamartin (Madrid) and later, Law in the Central University of
Madrid,coming first in his class. He actively lived the reality of university life at that time as
President of the Catholic Students. He did his doctorate in Bologna, Italy, receiving the Victor
Manuel II award. At the age of 23 he entered the Company of Jesus in Chevetogne, Belgium and
was ordained on May 13, 1942.
In 1946, he returned to Madrid, where he began an intensive apostolate among workers. With
them he founded the Home of the Worker, an apostolic movement of great vitality, which set in
motion a number of social projects. |  Fr. Tomás
Morales, S.J. |
His fundamental vocation, where he put all his energies and his radical
capacity for dedication, was working to reach the fully responsible incorporation of the laity into
the evangelical mission of the Church. A fruit of his labor in this field was his most important
work: the foundation of the Secular Institutes of the Crusade of Mary; the
movement for married couples, Homes of Mary; and the apostolic youth
movement, Militia of Mary. His experiences and educative approaches appear
clearly in his books: Forge of Men - concrete points to direct the formation of
apostles and movements of committed laity -, Laity on the Move - a series of
encouraging principles to promote the apostolic action of the laity-, Hour of the
Laity, reflections on the potential strength of the laity and on the greatness of the lay
Christian vocation consecrated in Baptism. Lately, as well as other spiritual writings,
intended for the members of the institutes that he founded, he wrote Sketches of
Witnesses to Christ for Modern Times, the lives of relevant saints, collected in twelve
volumes, one for each month of the year. |
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| God granted him a rich variety
of human, moral
and
spiritual qualities; a very firm will; bravery and freedom; a capacity for hard work; intellectual
capabilities and a great sensitivity; love for the individual man and for nature. Intrepid, in the
beginning he took on the works founded on the supernatural virtues of faith, love of the Pope, of
the Church, of Our lady, of prayer. From here sprung his appreciation and links with
contemplative orders, especially with the Carmelites, and the notable number of vocations to this
form of life which the Holy Spirit raised up through him.
His life has been a full and intense one, a life of total commitment to increasing and untiring
apostolic work. Now, still present in another form, let us be more sensitive to his ideas and
teachings, especially those of us who have seen his example. |
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Institutes
Rev.
George F. Hazler, President: director@voluntasdeiusa.org
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