1. Ash Wednesday
  2. St. Kathrine Drexel
  3. The First Friday
  4. The First Saturday
  5. St. Perpetua & Felicity
  6. St. John of God
  7. Daylight Savings Time
  8. St. Patrick
  9. St. Cyril of Jerusalem
  10. St. Joseph
  11. The Annunciation

The penitential season of Lent begins on March 2nd, Ash Wednesday. I would suggest as part of our program of penance and conversion during this time, that we keep in mind a request that Our Lady made of the children at Fatima over a hundred years ago. It was the occasion of the first apparition on May 13th, 1917, that the Lady from heaven addressed them with this question; “Do you wish to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may be pleased to send you, both as an act of reparations for the sins with which He is offended and as an act of supplication for the conversion of sinners? Lucia the eldest of the children answered for them by responding; “Yes, we do.”  The Lady said: “Well then, you will have much to suffer. But the grace of God will be your comfort.” The children were only 10, 9, and 7 years of age. A few minutes later, Our Lady added, after showing them a vision of God through an indescribable light, “Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” We only need to look at the headlines today to see how relevant this message is, and how much of what Our Lady conveyed through them is coming to fruition. I would go so far as to say that we need to follow Our Lady’s peace plan for the world, by doubling our efforts in reciting the Rosary and by making sacrifices for the end of the war.  I believe what we are seeing today with Russian aggression against its neighbors, with chaos, and confusion throughout the world can be traced back to Fatima as a warning of what is to be unleashed on the world for ignoring the cry from heaven over 100 years ago.  Are we witnessing the beginnings of the Third World War, or at least the conventional aspects of it? Is Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II correct in associating Our Lady of Fatima as “The Women clothed in the Sun” in the 12th chapter of the Book of Revelations, or as the “Great Sign that appears?  On May 13th, 1967, in Fatima, Portugal, St. Pope Paul VI in the Apostolic Exhortation, Signum Magnum, translated “Great Sign” in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. The exhortation marked the visit of the first Pope who came as a pilgrim to the shrine. This historical visit and the exhortation underline the modern popes’ honor to the apparitions and messages of Our Lady of Fatima. Why the name “Great Sign?” The Pope begins and includes Mary, the “Great Sign” as the “woman clothed with the sun,” a quote from Rev. 12:1. “Mary stands as the Great Sign of the Church in the contemporary world, for she is a Great Sign fully consecrated to Christ and participant in his work of redemption. She also represents the “Great Sign” at Fatima, Portugal, coming from heaven in 1917 to give hope to the modern world.” At the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco on May 13th, 2000, Pope John Paul II said: “According to the divine plan, “a woman clothed with the sun” (Rv 12: 1) came down from heaven to this earth to visit the privileged children of the Father. She speaks to them with a mother’s voice and heart:  she asks them to offer themselves as victims of reparation, saying that she was ready to lead them safely to God. And behold, they see a light shining from her maternal hands which penetrates them inwardly, so that they feel immersed in God just as – they explain – a person sees himself in a mirror.”  Let us not ignore this “Great Sign” nor the battles to follow as we contemplate on how to approach our Lenten obligations, in prayer, fasting and giving alms. We know how it all ends, but let us help mitigate the damage that will occur by offering ourselves to the services of the Women clothed in the Sun.  “In the end My Immaculate Heart Will Triumph.”

 

FIRST SATURDAY:   On Saturday March 5th we will celebrate the First Saturday Mass and devotion; the celebrant will be the most Rev. Ronald Tacelli S.J. Confessions will be available, and coffee/doughnuts/refreshments.

 

MMP PRAYER CENACLE:   The next Marian Movement of Priest prayer Cenacle will be held at the shrine on Saturday March 19th at 9:00 am. Please join us we pray for priest, peace and the family.

 

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 many of us who meet at the shrine every Sunday to come together to pray The Rosary for peace.  We begin around 2pm, all are welcomed.

 

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.