SHRINE NEWS: The month of November was a busy month at the shrine as we were graced with the presence of Fr. Leonard from EWTN. Fr. Leonard held a healing service at the shrine which was by all accounts a beautiful event. We also initiated hosting a prayer cenacle for the Marian Movement of Priest at the shrine once a month all are welcomed.
It is hard to believe that We are now in the first weeks of Advent as we look forward to a new church year. The nativity scene at the shrine is set up for your viewing as we prepare the shrine for the feast of Christmas. This is always an exciting time for us at the shrine and if you like you can donate money toward our Poinsettia fund to decorate the Nativity scene and surround Our Lady with fresh flowers in the name of your loved ones. We would like to invite all of you to our First Saturday in which we will celebrate the season following services. There will be plenty of food and caroling, thanks to some of the members of the Crusaders of Fatima and the Filipino community, so please feel free to stop by.
The 8th of December is the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, so make a special trip to the shrine to light a candle or offer prayers for our country. That particular day concludes the year dedicated to St. Joseph, so let Joseph take us back to Nazareth.
“His Excellency Joao Pereira Venancio, who was bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima from 1958 – 1968, when asked to summarize the message of Fatima, said: “Fatima is reparation, reparation, reparation and especially Eucharistic Reparation.” Fatima is very Eucharistic. This is evident when one visits the sanctuary in Portugal, where all is centered on the Eucharist. There is the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration, where our Eucharistic Lord has been exposed in the monstrance and adored since 1960. During the summer months, a procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament takes place in the precincts of the shrine on Sundays and Thursdays. Hundreds of thousands of Holy Masses have been offered at the Capelinha (Little Chapel of the Apparitions) since 1921, continuing all day, seven days a week. Masses also take place in the nearby Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. In 1916, the Angel of Peace of Portugal, whom many believe was St. Michael the Archangel, visited Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta to prepare them for Our Lady’s visit one year later. He told them to pray and to make reparation for sin. During his third and final apparition, he came holding a chalice and above it a Host from which drops of blood flowed into the chalice. Leaving the Host and chalice suspended, he prostrated himself with his forehead to the ground and repeated three times a prayer that has become known as the Angel’s Prayer: “O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.” Fr. James Miara is the pastor at the Shrine and Parish Church of the Holy Innocents in New York City
FIRST SATURDAY: On Saturday December. 6th we will celebrate the First Saturday Mass and devotion; the celebrant will be our friend Rev. Ron Tacelli S.J. We plan on processing around the grounds as part of the First Saturday devotion. Confessions will be available followed by coffee and doughnuts. We will have sanitizer on hand, and an indoor/outdoor setup. We will be having a Christmas gathering after the Rosary with Holiday Cheer and food, thanks to the Filipino community of Boston.
MMP PRAYER CENACLE: The next Marian Movement of Priest prayer Cenacle will be held at the shrine on Tuesday January 25 at 10:00 am starting with Holy Mass, rosary, confession, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
SANTO ROSARIO: Santuario Nuestra Señora de Fátima. The Spanish Community of St. Columbkille’s most Holy Rosary group meets at the shrine at 3pm every First Saturday of the month for song, prayer and fellowship all are welcomed.
SUNDAY ROSARY FOR PEACE: There are more than a handful of us who meet at the shrine every Sunday to come together to pray The Rosary for peace. We begin around 2pm, feel free to stop by.
REMINDER: A Pro-Life Rosary for our nation continues at the Shrine daily around noon all are welcomed; With a special attention given to the devotion of the Holy Face of Christ, and the Flame of Love.
