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 are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their founding. We congratulate them and are honored to have shared this time with them. We appreciate that they came to us to organize this journey. Our apostolates have interacted for many years, and it was special to join their group as they celebrated this milestone. In fact, the Conikers, who founded the apostolate, lived in Fatima in the 1970s and grounded their spirituality in the Fatima message. In more recent times our Pilgrim Virgin Statues have visited their Catholic Familyland in Ohio, and our custodians speak fondly of their reception. This is not surprising considering the vision that we share: striving to live lives consecrated to our Lady. In the well-known letter of Venerable Sr. Lucia, the last surviving seer of Fatima, to the late Cardinal Caffara, she stated: “A time will come when the decisive battle between the kingdoms of Christ and Satan will be over marriage and the family”. They focus particularly on this battle through the challenges of daily family life. We as the Blue Army/World Apostolate of Fatima promote the pledge which our founder composed with Sr. Lucia directing us to offer up our daily lives to God in a spirit of reparation. The mission is the same, work for the salvation of souls in our families and beyond. Many members of the AFC are numbered among the estimated twenty million worldwide who have signed the Blue Army pledge.
St. Louis De Montfort said this about those, who in the latter times will stand with Our Lady in the battle against evil:
These great souls filled with grace and zeal will be chosen to oppose the enemies of God who are raging on all sides. They will be exceptionally devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Illumined by her light, strengthened by her food, guided by her spirit, supported by her arm, sheltered under her protection, they will fight with one hand and build with the other.
I hope that our members, as well as those of the AFC, and all who are consecrated to Our Lady will be counted among that number. In fact, I am certain that we all will be if we stay loyal to the mission and the requests made at Fatima. Heaven pleads with us to follow these simple invitations to avoid the complications of choosing our own way. The Decade Prayer should be the mission statement for all of us: “Oh my Jesus forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”
Our hotel/retreat center in Fatima, Domus Pacis, was built to host these pilgrimages. As I have written in the past, we strive to uphold the standards set when this international center for the dissemination of the Fatima message worldwide was opened in 1954. In December we will host a conference there and travel to Spain, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions in Pontevedra, which brought us the devotion of the First Saturdays. Our Lady asked for the Communions of Reparation of five First Saturdays. I believe that when enough people have fulfilled this request, we will see the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.
During our time in Portugal, we continued filming our virtual program, the Great Promise Pilgrimage, at the sites of the three shepherd children; including those of Ven. Sr. Lucia’s journey after the apparitions. This will be released for the hundredth anniversary of the Pontevedra apparitions.
The attached clip is a snapshot of the recent pilgrimage:
We are excited about the upcoming Fatima season at the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in New Jersey. Bishop James Checchio has designated the shrine as a place of pilgrimage in the Diocese of Metuchen during the Holy Year. Already, despite the difficult weather this winter many pilgrims have come to participate and receive the benefit of a plenary indulgence at this special time. Our full season schedule will soon be published. Among the many celebrants and speakers scheduled are Bishop Joseph Perry, our Episcopal Advisor, His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke, Bishop James Checchio, Ordinary of the Diocese of Metuchen, Bishop Kevin Sweeney of our neighboring Diocese of Paterson, Fr. John Anthony Boughton CFR, General Servant of the Franciscan Friars of the renewal, and Msgr. Roger Landry, Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. Other scheduled speakers include Congressman Chris Smith, Rev. Joshua Caswell SJC, and Kevin Matthews. Visit our website bluearmyshrine.com for the entire schedule. Our events are also broadcast in real time or delay on EWTN television as well as on our media.
I am completing this piece on the feast day of St. Joseph, patron of families. We ask him to watch over all of us and provide for our needs. St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us.
May you have a fruitful Lent, leading to the glory of Easter.
God bless you and Mary keep you in her Immaculate Heart.
David M. Carollo Executive Director
If you would like to contact me, please do so at [email protected].
David M. Carollo is the Executive Director of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA/National Blue Army Shrine. He wrote this for his Voice of Fatima column.
If you would like to comment on this post, please contact him at [email protected].
