Dear Crusaders of Fatima,
The month of November begins on a Holy Day of Obligation with the Feast of All Saints, followed by the Feast of Holy Souls on the 2nd. The entire month we remember the souls of our loved ones that have gone before us. Special prayers are said throughout the month for the souls in Purgatory. This is good time for us to take account of our own lives and to be grateful for the grace that God has bestowed on us and on our dear homeland. The 21st of the month is the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she offered herself to God in a way that would leave her open to being chosen to bear the Messiah. It is no coincidence that this year it falls on the day before Thanksgiving. To me Thanksgiving is one of the special days of the year, a day set aside solely to give thanks to God. My family and I begin this day with mass in the morning, and what better way of giving thanks then participating in the celebration of the Eucharist which means Thanks Giving. Thanks Giving day is not a holy day of obligation which makes the effort made even more of a free act of love toward our God and therefore more meaningful. I especially like that this day is sacred to all, and is celebrated in a way that a day of the Lord should always be celebrated, with family, and food, and all that is good. The following are words written by our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln on the occasion of declaring Thanks Giving a National Holiday.
“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwells in the Heavens. and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union. “ By the President: Abraham Lincoln
The shrine is opened daily from 10am until 6pm enter from Washington St. The board wishes to thank the generosity of those who contributed to the wood pews replacement project.
The First Saturday devotions will continue to be held at the Shrine throughout construction, and we apologize for any inconvenience the construction has caused while visiting the shrine.
We would like all of you to know that you are remembered here at the shrine at our devotional services. If you would like to contribute to the poinsettia’s fund to decorate the statue with flowers you could send in your donation with the prayer petition for your loved ones to P.O. Box 35854, Brighton MA. 02135. Thank you for your support!
The Rev. Al Winshman S.J. will be presiding at our First Saturday devotion in November,
