Armada Blanca groups finding foothold around archdiocese

Detroit — Dalila Gutierrez, a 13-year-old member of Armada Blanca, likes knowing her prayers can help people around the world.

She attends weekly Armada Blanca meetings at her parish, Holy Redeemer in Detroit, and said it makes her feel closer both to God and her family.

“In Armada Blanca you get to know new prayers,” she said. “At the end of the prayer we do a sacrifice for people around the world and people in our own community that are in need.”

Dalila explained that Armada Blanca has also taught her to pray for the pope and all priests so God will help them in their service.

“But the best part is when you hear how our prayer helped the people we prayed for!” she said.

But what is Armada Blanca?

Armada Blanca, or its original Italian title of Armata Bianca, means “White Army,” with the mission of protecting the family and the Church through the prayers of children.

Founded in Italy in 1973 by Servant of God Pio Dellepiane of the Minim Friars of St. Francis of Paola, and Fr. Andrea D’Ascanio, OFM Cap., a spiritual son of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Armada Blanca has become an international movement whose goal is the spiritual care of children through their consecration to Jesus through Mary. Adult leaders help children prepare for their First Holy Communion and form what are called “nests of prayer,” which are prayer meetings for children.

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, several Armada Blanca groups meet weekly at local parishes, including St. Christopher-St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Holy Redeemer Parish, St. Gabriel Parish in Detroit, Ste. Anne de Detroit and St. Mary Parish in Wayne.

The children, whose ages generally range from 3 years old to about 12 or 13, learn to recite the rosary and participate in eucharistic adoration.

The prayers of these children can be powerful, said Fr. Eduardo Montemayor, SOLT, associate director of evangelization and Hispanic ministry for the archdiocese.

“We can imagine that with just the three children in Fatima, the Virgin Mary stopped a whole world war,” he said, referencing the three Portuguese shepherd children Lucia Santos, Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto, to whom Our Lady appeared in 1917.

At Armada Blanca “prayer nest” meetings, children pray for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the intentions of the Holy Father, said Fr. Jaime Hinojos, pastor of St. Christopher- St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Detroit. Additionally, the children learn fun new songs and child-oriented prayers.

“It is a beautiful way of introducing children to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament as they become accustomed to it from an early age,” Fr. Hinojos said.

The safety of children is priority, he added, and all group leaders, whether adults or older youth who used to be Armada Blanca members, are required to take the Protecting God’s Children course with the archdiocese.

“We are a family-oriented religion, we want the children in the Church; we don’t want to exclude them,” Fr. Hinojos said. “If we are serious about the future of the Church, we need to have a space in the Church for the children.”

Liliana Torres, a parishioner at Holy Redeemer, became involved through her own children.

“I wanted them from an early age to start loving God,” she said, in addition to helping her grow in her own Marian spirituality.

Twelve-year-old Esmeralda Orozco feels much closer to God through participating in Armada Blanca at Holy Redeemer.

“I used to go to Mass and church activities thinking ‘I have to go,’ and so I went,” she said. “Then White Army began and I have gone since it started at Holy Redeemer.”

Esmeralda said she used to be shy and not as active, but has now joined her parish’s choir and has become an altar server.

“I began to learn so many new things and now I think of Jesus and Mary as my friends,” she said.

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Find out more

• Brenda Del Rio, an international representative of Armata Bianca, will visit several Metro Detroit parishes May 7-14. For more information, contact Adrian Franco at (313) 492-5003 for English, or for Spanish call Liliana Torres at (313) 673-0734.

• Visit www.armatabianca.org and click on the flag at the bottom of the home page to select Italian, English, German, Spanish, Polish, French or Portuguese languages. Follow local Armata Bianca happenings at www.armatabianca.blogspot.com.

• To start an Armata Bianca group in your own parish, email [email protected].