Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the apostolic constitution Ineffabilis Deus. This greatly helped the spread of devotions and consecrations to the Immaculata. In the early part of the 20th century, Maximilian Kolbe began his efforts to promote consecration to the Immaculata, partly relying on the 1858 messages of Our Lady of Lourdes. He argued that since Mary is Immaculate, by her very nature she is the perfect instrument of the Holy Spirit in the mediation of all graces, given that "every grace is a gift of the Father through his Son by the Holy Spirit". Kolbe founded the monastery of Niepokalanów ("City of the Immaculate Mother of God") and published Militia Immaculatae in multiple languages, which eventually reached a circulation of 750,000 copies a month, until it was stopped when Kolbe was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Kolbe's efforts in promoting consecration to the Immaculata made him known as the "Apostle of Consecration to Mary". Societal consecration For many centuries, the Carmelites have worn the Brown Scapular as a sign of their consecration to Mary, and her protection over them. In the year 1304, the Servite Order (Servants of Mary), whose focus was on the sorrows of Mary, was approved by the Holy See. Over the centuries, a number of Marian movements and societies have been consecrated to the Virgin Mary, e.g. the fourth vow taken by the Marianist Fathers, whose order was formed in the 18th century, during the French Revolution includes a consecration to the Virgin Mary. In the 1948 Apostolic Constitution Bis Saeculari Pope Pius XII encouraged Marian consecrations by the Marian societies such as Sodality of Our Lady. On Sunday, 8 October 2000, upon the completion of the ceremonies for the Jubilee of the Bishops, Pope John Paul II and the bishops consecrated and entrusted themselves and the Catholic Church in the new millennium to Mary. On 12 May 2010 at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Fátima, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco Marto Pope Benedict XVI consecrated all priests to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Consecration of locations and regions The consecration of cities and regions to the Virgin Mary dates back at least to the 9th century, and during the feuding Medieval period, abbeys, towns and cities began to consecrate themselves to the Virgin Mary to seek her protection. In