Visit the National Blue Army Shrine, a designated pilgrimage site for the Marian Jubilee.
As the anniversary of the death of St. Francisco Marto on April 4 approaches, one cannot help but recall his great love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and his desire to receive Holy Communion. Having lived just ten years, he only received Holy Communion twice – the first from the Angel of Peace in 1916; the second from the local priest who brought him viaticum at his deathbed.
It’s always refreshing to know that the saints or saintly people had a human side. Some, like St. Louis de Montfort and St. Damien of
We just returned from a beautiful pilgrimage to Fatima. The past eight days were spent with the members of the Apostolate for Family Consecration who
by Catherine Moran and Barb Ernster St. Joseph in Sacred Scripture is only briefly mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. He is a
The season of Lent, at first glance, appears to be a time solely of penitence and reparation. And, surely, it is. In increasing our dedication to prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we certainly seek to atone for our own sins and those of others, just as Our Lady of Fatima implored us to do. But if we dig further beneath the surface of these penitential acts, we find a beautiful purpose that is too often easily overlooked.
One month into his second term as President of the United States, Donald Trump has, as he promised, hit the ground running. A whirlwind of initiatives, executive orders and legislative presentations has put into motion a redefinition of the status quo. More accurately an attempted elimination of it. Most will agree that government needs to go on a diet as costs and bureaucratic choke points have exploded and are a burden to the economy and invasive to working class people. Some worry that needed programs will not survive. Some see the breakneck pace of these changes as onerous; others are applauding it.
If there is anything we can learn from Venerable Sister Lucia, it is heroic patience and perseverance, which she embraced fully as each day unfolded – one to the next – until her death at age 97 on Feb. 13, 2005. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of her holy passing, Lucia is a good reminder of how to become a saint through what she called “the long, hard road of martyrdom that has to do with daily living.”
As we gathered under the towering presence of the Washington Monument, the excitement of the Pro-Life Marchers was palpable. For many in our country it seemed that the great pro-life victory achieved by the overturning of Roe vs Wade in 2022 marked the end of the Pro-Life movement on the national stage. But nothing could be further from the truth. Our drive to transform the culture of death into a truly pro-life generation and to end the victimization of the most innocent in our society has only increased, as political support and a great awareness of the sanctity of life continues to spread. Listening to the Vice President of the United States address the captivated crowd we could feel the winds of change stirring above our nation’s capital.
We welcome 2025 in a special way. The Holy Father has declared a Holy Jubilee Year dedicated to the virtue and message of hope. At the same time, we also commemorate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions in Pontevedra, Spain where Our Lady gave us the First Saturdays devotion. It is no coincidence that the Holy Year and this great anniversary come together in this special year. The message of Fatima was first presented to us by an angel who laid the foundation of this spirituality by calling for pardon through the adoration of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Eight years later, the last surviving seer, Sr. Lucia, was given the formula for obtaining mercy and hastening the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart promised at Fatima. Eucharistic devotion is at the forefront of this devotion. How appropriate that this unique convergence comes only one year after the great year of the Eucharistic Revival.
The innumerable pilgrimages by my father’s cousin sparked a desire in me to travel as a pilgrim. Fatima would be my first encounter with an overseas pilgrimage. It was a dream come true!
My father’s cousin had been there seven times. Always, always he lavished us with gifts upon his return. On one occasion he brought each of my siblings a statuette of Our Lady of Fatima. We treasured them dearly!
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Explore Fatima’s holy sites with monthly meditations from Fr. Luke Mary, CFR.
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