SHRINE NEWS: The month of May is full of feast days, Holy days, and secular holidays with some overlap. This year, Ascension Thursday falls on the first Candlelight procession, and the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The First Saturday falls on the feast of St. Joseph the Worker or May day as it is sometimes called in the secular world. Mothers day is on the 9th of May. Pentecost falls on the 23rd followed by Mary the Mother of the church. The following Sunday is the Most Holy Trinity followed by the Visitation of the BVM, which also happens to be Memorial day. Not to mention the myriads of birthdays, First Holy Communions, Graduations, Weddings. May can be a very busy time of the year, as spring develops and blooms lets pray that our lives will begin to open up and bloom as this virus goes away and the restrictions are lifted. We are looking forward to getting back to normal as the shrine is opened daily for anyone to stop by and light a candle. It has been a very tough time for many, and we are hopeful that the coming months things will change for the better. I would be remissent if I failed to mention that the entire month of May is dedicated to Our Lady, and on the 13th of the month along with the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima and Ascension Thursday it will be the 40th anniversary of the attempted assasination of Pope St. John Paul II. It was said that the Pope was bending over looking at a pin a young woman was wearing of Our Lady of Fatima when he was shot. He almost bleed out and was taken into emergency surgery. The doctor insisted the pope remove his brown scapular, but he refused. He later claimed that there was one person guiding the gun and another that guided the bullets. The pope was certain it was Our Lady who saved his life that day, and he publicly thanked the young visionary Jacinta Marto of Fatima for all her prayers for the bishop dressed in white who fell prey to an attack they saw in the vision which became known as the Third Secret of Fatima according to Sr. Lucia’s memoirs. The pope would make a pilgrimage to Fatima one year to the day to thank Our Lady, and in the process he had the bullet that entered him placed in the crown of the famous statue in the Cova de Iria at the place of apparitions with over a million people in attendance. St. John Paul II, and St. Jacinta; Pray for us!
FIRST SATURDAY:
On May 1st we will celebrate First Saturday Mass and devotion at the Shrine. We asked that you use your own judgement and stay home if you are sick or feel compromised because of a pre-existing condition in any way. We asked that you wear face masks and keep a healthy social distance from each other while at the shrine. We will have hand sanitizer on hand. Mass will begin at 9am; Rev. Ronald Tacelli S.J, will celebrate the mass.
CANDLELIGHT PROCESSION:
The first of our Candlelight processions this year falls on Ascension Thursday, I hope all could join us as we begin a new season of candlelight processions. Rev. Ed Riley will be our honor Guest. We will begin at 8PM on the 13th of May at the shrine, there is plenty of room both inside and outside, pray the weather will be nice.
SANTO ROSARIO: Santuario Nuestra Señora de Fátima. The Spanish Community of St. Columbkill’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: A reminder that there is still a handful of us that meets at the shrine every Sunday to come together to pray for peace. We begin around 2pm, feel free to stop by.
REMINDER: A Pro-Life Rosary for our nation is held at the Shrine daily around noon.
