A Sign from Our Lady? News from the Pilgrim Virgin Tours
There have been a number of reports of supernatural manifestations stemming from the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, during her visitations to parishes, particularly in the dioceses of Youngstown, OH this past week, and Rockville Center, NY in May.
Finding Fatima Through The Lord of the Rings: Part 2 – Through the Fires
As I established in the first part of this series, Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien discouraged his audience from reading The Lord of the Rings as an allegory. This doesn’t mean that similarities between his fantasy and Catholicism shouldn’t be made, though. In fact, doing so only serves to strengthen our understanding of our Faith.
Man’s Search for Peace
There is much news today that point to the rumblings of war. Pope Francis noted two years ago that we are living through a “third World War,” one that is being fought piecemeal, referring to the Russian/Ukraine conflict. Since Oct. 7, 2023 – the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary – we have watched the destruction unfold in the Israel/Gaza conflict, and the ideological divide unfold in this country, threatening civil peace here. The upcoming election looms large, and both sides of the political spectrum threaten that the other side will destroy democracy in this country. Anxiety levels are at an all-time high.
Mary Calls Us To Deep and Abiding Prayer
Prayer is the mainstay of the Christian and Catholic life and so it isn’t surprising to see how, once the Fatima children had experienced the awesomeness and power of the angel of Fatima and the beauty and goodness of Our Lady, they increasingly devoted their lives to prayer.
A Smaller, More Spiritual Church is Emerging
As we honor the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Friday and Saturday, I am heartened by the great mission given to Lucia dos Santos at Fatima in 1917, to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart throughout the world, and that Jesus desired this devotion to be placed next to devotion to His Sacred Heart.
First Saturday and the Spiritual Motherhood of Mary
Many of you have probably heard about the movement for a fifth Marian Dogma, specifically to declare the Blessed Virgin Mary as “Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate,” and you wonder how this movement aligns with the message of Our Lady of Fatima. We know that Sister Lucia never recorded Our Lady at Fatima ever saying anything about a fifth Marian dogma, but this does not mean there are not many significant parallels to the Fatima message. Many of you might be surprised to hear that the movement for a fifth Marian dogma actually pre-dates the supernatural events at Fatima.
Anything But “Ordinary” Time
Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the Church, marks the end of the Easter season. Leading up to this day we completed the Novena to the Holy Spirit which began on Ascension Thursday; “Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy Love.” Although many dioceses transferred the feast to the following Sunday, most of us began the nine-day prayer on the traditional day. This was a great preparation for the mission ratified when the Holy Spirit came upon Our Lady and the Apostles. It is the time when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and fills us with the gifts needed to carry on our mission as Catholics. On Pentecost the Church was born.
The Fatima and Divine Mercy Messages are Grace and Mercy for the World
This weekend First Saturday is followed by the Divine Mercy Sunday – uniting these beautiful messages of grace and mercy together. What a great time to go to confession and open our hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Fatima’s Spirit of Sacrifice
Sacrifice as a Duty of Love As Lent continues it can be easy to lose that original spark of devotion and energy awakened in us on Ash Wednesday. Our daily sacrifices and resolutions start out strong, but keeping them becomes increasingly tiresome, a chore rather than a loving gift. It is therefore extremely important that […]
Sister Lucia offered her painful death for the Holy Father
Sister Lucia of Fatima passed away on Feb. 13, 2005, after a long, drawn-out illness due to old age. She died just short of her 98th birthday, which would have been on March 28. Her charm and good humor lasted to the very end, even when she could not eat anything, but lupines (legume-like seeds […]
