Our Lady of Fatima Statue Stopping in Berkshires; Vigil Set at St. Elizabeth's
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| Our Lady of Fatima |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church will host the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima for an overnight vigil on Sept. 10-11.
The statue will be at churches within the Diocese of Springfield from Sept. 8 through Sept. 28 as part of a two-year tour.
The procession at St. Elizabeth's begins Saturday, Sept. 10, after the 4 p.m. Mass and the vigil continues through the night until the 8:30 Mass on Sunday morning, Sept. 11.
After Mass at 10:45 a.m. on that Sunday, around noontime, the statue will be carried by firefighters to the city's Veterans Memorial, where a bell will be run for each of the airplanes involved in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. This will be followed by a moment of silence, addresses and a prayer.
The statue of Our Lady of Fatima will then be carried by police officers to Holden Street, transferred to parishioners and returned to the church. The custodian of the statue will give a speech about the messages of Fatima followed by a reception at the St. Elizabeth's Parish Center, where people may view the movie "The 13th Day: The True Story of Fatima," with food and refreshments.
The international statue is one of "twins" carved in 1947 according to the description of Sister Maria Lúcia, one of three children who claimed to see apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. It has traveled the world and, in 2014, was placed in the custody of The World Apostolate of Fatima, USA.
The national statue, which will visit the Diocese of Springfield, is a later creation blessed by Pope Paul VI in 1967. The current two-year journey of statues to 100 dioceses in all 50 states that will end in December 2017 is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima.
Each parish is planning a special day to commemorate the Fatima celebrations, which may include processions, Mass, rosary, confessions, talks on Fatima, and private veneration of the statue.
According to the website, "the goal of the Fatima Centennial U.S. Tour for Peace is to allow Our Lady of Fatima to claim her dominion over America through her Immaculate Heart, and to bring the urgent Message of Fatima—the Peace Plan from Heaven—to a world in need."
The statue will also appear at the following Berkshire churches:
- Sept. 12: St. Mary's, Cheshire, 8 a.m. Mass
- Sept. 13: Sacred Heart, Pittsfield, 9 a.m. Mass
- Sept. 14: Saint John Paul II, Adams, 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Sept 20: St. Patrick's, Williamstown, 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Sept 26: Divine Mercy Shrine, Stockbridge, 9 a.m. Mass
A date for Lee is also possible.
Other nearby stops include the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee, Sept. 15; Mother of Hope, Springfield, Sept. 16; Our Lady of Fatima, Wilmington, Vt., Sept. 18; St Brigid's, Amherst, Sept. 22; Our Lady of the Hills, Haydenville, Sept. 25.
See the website for a full schedule. http://wafusa.org/the-apostolate/national-pilgrim-virgin-statue/
Tags: memorial, religious service, terror attacks,
