Upon arrival to the “City of the Holy Angel” or San Angelo, Texas, the caravan of volunteers set up a campaign at a strategically busy junction. Support from the local populace was impressive. “That’s the most honks I’ve ever heard,” observed David, a native of Dallas, Texas.
This TFP-Texas caravan is part of the Restore America campaign sponsored by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Amid a climate of socialist COVID-19 regulations and violent anarchist riots, the group is currently visiting every state capital in the union, praying the rosary for America’s urgent return to order.
Following the June 18 street campaign, the caravan went to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the downtown. Fr. Josh, the pastor, came out to greet the young volunteers and give them a blessing.
Before moving on, the caravan made one last stop at a very special monument. On the city’s picturesque Rio Concho River stands a statue known affectionately by locals as “The Lady in Blue.” The statue honors Venerable Maria of Agreda, a sixteenth-century Spanish mystic and nun, who miraculously bilocated to this region in Texas to evangelize the local natives.
The TFP caravan said a prayer before this statue of the Spanish mystic, asking her intercession to restore America’s Catholic heritage.
Caravan leader Cesar Franco explained why this statue is so significant.
“We stopped at the monument of Venerable Maria of Agreda, also known as the ‘Lady in Blue’ to the Jumano Indians of this region. We were there to render homage to a marvelous and unforgettable episode in this country’s history, in which a saintly nun, within the walls of her monastery in Spain, miraculously bilocated to Texas and New Mexico to prepare the Indians for Christianity. These bilocations occurred for nearly ten years. It reminded us of a special predilection of Divine Providence for the inhabitants of these lands. We prayed through the intercession of Ven. Maria of Agreda that this miracle be not something of the past, but a prelude to a much greater miracle in the future: namely America’s return to order.”
Just as the prayer finished, a lady drove up and rolled down her window to enquire about the group of well-dressed young men praying before the statue. She was one of the people responsible for erecting the statue. Because of the attacks on historic statues across the country, she had come to check on the beloved statue.
“I’m so happy that people know about this,” she said. “Absolutely,” a volunteer agreed, “this is part of America’s real history.”
As this TFP caravan pushes on through Texas, one thing has become very clear: many Americans want a return to order. TFP founder, Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira defined order as “the peace of Christ in the reign of Christ, which is Christian civilization.” May Our Lady guide this great nation to this grand return.
By Joseph Gensens