Lucia of Fatima, Pray for Us!

Lucia, the oldest of the Fatima seers, died 17 years ago on Feb. 13, 2005. The story of Sister Lucia’s death in her biography, A Pathway Under the Gaze of Mary, written by the Carmelite Sisters of Coimbra, is extremely touching. Her health had been declining for several years as old age crept in. The year before, she began to suffer intense pain from a deformed spine, which also caused her hands and feet to be deformed. Yet, Sister Lucia kept up her good humor and cheer until the end. Four months before she died, she commented lightheartedly, “Our Lady said I was here for some time more…but it is already so much!” Can any of us imagine that it meant Lucia would remain on earth nearly 88 more years (Lucia died at age 97).

In the days leading up to her death, she offered her sufferings vocally, “for the Holy Father, for the Holy Father.” On the morning of February 13, Sister Lucia received an apostolic blessing from Pope St. John Paul II, faxed over from the Nuncio and brought to her by the bishop of Coimbra. She held the fax in her hands and personally read the message. Throughout the morning, she made the sign of the cross frequently. After the bishop gave her final rites, her eyes closed and all thought she was leaving this life. To their surprise, Sister Lucia opened her eyes one more time and looked at each of the sisters personally, giving them a final farewell. She then went into the arms of Our Lady.

Sister Lucia’s cause of canonization was opened in 2008. The diocesan inquiry phase, which required the examination of over 10,000 documents, her personal diary of 2,000 pages and the interviewing of 60 witnesses, has been completed and is awaiting Vatican approval. It is expected Sister Lucia will be declared “venerable” soon. The next phase in her cause is the study of a miracle that has been attributed to her.

Let us pray for her cause to move forward:

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly and I thank you for the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima that revealed to the world the riches of her Immaculate Heart. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I implore You, if it should be for your greater glory and the good of our souls, to glorify Sister Lucy, one of the Shepherds of Fatima, by granting us the grace which we implore through her intercession. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be…

Like this content? Help us spread the message of Fatima.

The Hope of Advent

December 5, 2024 No Comments

I held it together until the morning after our beloved family puppy had gone missing. Up until then, I was all action: printing “lost dog” flyers, helping my husband canvass neighborhoods where she’d last been seen, and consoling our three children who were understandably yearning to find her.

Extra, Extra! Read All About It – In More Ways Than One

November 21, 2024 No Comments

Times change. The institutions that seemed to be enduring without extinction are, in fact, showing a new face. The free press is a necessary piece of the social political structure in a democratic representative society. Newspapers and broadcast news were traditionally the trusted sources of information, and a window to the events of the world. Everything evolves, and as change can be unnerving to some, it must be looked at as inevitable and, in some cases, exciting. I remember the big three networks as the only source of major broadcast news, with a few local channels in large cities. Cable TV and talk radio began the downward spiral of influence for these legacy institutions. The introduction of the news channels with their 24-hour cycle brought constant coverage which also led to fatigue.

Saint Faustina: The Apostle of Purgatory

October 31, 2024 No Comments

St. Maria Faustina, through her devotions, meditations and prayers, allowed numerous holy souls in purgatory to reach heaven. Her conversations with Our Lord and Our Lady as recorded in her diary, including her own beautiful prayers and, of course, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, show this important work of mercy – praying for the dying souls and those in purgatory.

Peace is Found in Unity – Which Comes from God

October 24, 2024 No Comments

St. Paul said that we are going to win. Our Lady promised that in the end her Immaculate Heart will triumph. Like most of us I look around and wonder how this will come about. Doom and gloom are fed to us daily. By watching the news and following the flow of pessimism that rules the day it is easy to understand why despair is on the rise. A priest once suggested that I stop watching the news. It is said that “no news is good news.” I often think of former Vice-President Spiro Agnew’s famous depiction of the press, referring to them as the “nattering nabobs of negativism.” Obviously, we cannot totally ignore world events, but obsessive focus on things that we cannot directly affect is counterproductive. Strong devotion leading us to proper action is how we effect change.

The Rule of God and the God of Rulers

September 27, 2024 No Comments

We saw the new motion picture “Reagan” last week. It brought me back to the time of my own political coming of age in the 1970s. The first presidential election in which I participated was in 1976. The United States was reeling from the disruption of both a presidential and vice-presidential resignation. The country was in the hands of two appointed men in the executive branch of our nation. In 1972, by an overwhelming majority, Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew were reelected. Two years later, Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller held the offices of president and vice-president. The political and social turmoil of the time was redefining the United States.