Elizabeth Kindelmann was a laywoman from Budapest, Hungary who died in 1985. She, like St. Faustina, was given a mission by God and His Mother for His Church to emphasize a special Grace from God for His Church. She was always obedient to priests and bishops. Our Lady told her to gather 12 special pastors, four from within Budapest and 8 from outside the city to start a Movement to spread this special Grace to the whole world. Elizabeth was instructed to keep a Diary, which explains the special Grace, which God calls the “Grace from the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and “the greatest Grace given to mankind since the Incarnation.” God promised that this Grace would be spread to the whole world. In the Diary, our Lady always speaks about the “Cause,” i.e. the Flame of Love Movement. She asks Elizabeth to be zealous and to speak often to these priests about “moving the Cause ahead.” Her priest confessors were sometimes slow to understand and slow to act, even though our Lady asked for action. Yet, they were accepting and sympathetic toward Elizabeth.
Fr. Gabriel Rona, S.J., a Hungarian priest, was also a missionary to Latin America and translated her diary into Spanish. (His book was used for the English translations of both the entire diary and the Simplified Version). He was appointed the Spiritual Director of the Movement for many years. In 1989, Cardinal Echeverria Ruiz (Archdiocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador) approved Fr. Rona’s translation. In 1996, he approved the Statutes of the Flame of Love Movement for his archdiocese and asked the Holy Father to approve the Movement for the whole world. Cardinal Stafford, prefect for the Congregation for the Laity, sent a letter encouraging the Cardinal in his work.
Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Elizabeth’s Archdiocese of Budapest, went more deeply into the question by establishing a theological commission. In 2009, Cardinal Erdo said that the commission found her writings free from error. He gave his imprimatur; wrote about the importance of this Movement of Grace as a gift from God; and also formally established the Flame of Love as a Lay Movement in his Archdiocese.
Since then, other Hungarian dioceses have done the same, as have other dioceses around the world. In the United States, the Flame of Love Movement is just beginning under the International Pious Association of the Faithful established to spread the Message to the whole world. This association has been in existence for many years in other countries of the world.
The Flame of Love Movement in the US Origins – Early 2013
Fortunately, Elizabeth’s spiritual director, Fr. Rona, S.J., was a missionary to Latin America and translated her Hungarian diary into Spanish. The Movement started early in Latin America and came to some areas in the United States from Mexico, and from a Canadian center. Now, the center for the Flame of Love Movement in the United States is Philadelphia.
In 2013, the Diary of the Flame of Love of Elizabeth Kindelmann was translated, simplified, and distributed through the efforts of First National Director for the U.S., Anthony Mullen. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (Philadelphia) gave his imprimatur to the English translation of the Flame of Love Simplified Version of the Diary (translated from the Spanish Diary) which was released by the Center.
Since that time, the Fire of the Flame of Love has ignited throughout the United States, many parish cenacles have been formed, large spiritual gatherings continue to be held throughout the country. READ MORE.