Cardinal John D'Alton Archbishop of Armagh devoted his 1954 Lenten Pastoral to explaining the Church's teaching on the Immaculate Conception and of the embodiment in Mary of all the virtues. He exhorted the faithful to be inspired by the Marian Year to intensify their devotion to Mary: As an act of homage to our Lady we must strive to enter fully into the Spirit of the Marian Year. The Holy Father calls on the faithful to intensify their devotion to the Holy Mother of God, and to make their conduct conform ever more closely to the pattern of purity, integrity of life, and abhorrence of sin exemplified in the life of the Immaculate Virgin... We should invoke the powerful intercession of our Immaculate Mother that she may obtain from her Divine Son the assuagement of the manifold evils which now afflict society, the alleviation of the lot of those who are still suffering hunger, imprisonment, or exile, the removal of hatred, envy, and discord among men, that they may be once more united in charity. We should pray for the spiritual needs of the family and of youth, and for the restoration of the rights and liberties of the Church, which in these days is so cruelly persecuted... This is a year in which many spiritual benefits are being offered to us. We may rest assured that our Blessed Lady will generously requite any effort that we make to honour her whom God has so greatly honoured... We on our part can make return that will be particularly pleasing to her, if we pledge ourselves to be faithful to the practice of the Family Rosary to be said each evening. This devotion will promote goodwill and harmony in the family, and obtain abundant graces and blessings so that through the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Mother of God the peace of Christ may reign in your homes now and in the years to come. The Stonebridge grotto was a fitting response to the calls of Pope and Cardinal for devotion to Mary the Mother of God