2017 is the 100-Year Anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal. As many know, she appeared a number of times to three little children. History records her as having appeared six times to three little children. In her last appearance, 70,000 people, religious and secular alike, witnessed the miraculous event.
TO CELEBRATE THIS ANNIVERSARY, and starting in January 2016, the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan is inviting all Catholic parishes to host activities of their choosing. The diocese will be rotating its statue of Our Lady of Fatima throughout the diocese. Any Catholic parishes may participate; we will bring the statue to you. This particular statue is to be hosted in the parishes only, and not the homes. Each parish may decide upon its own events; the diocese will have suggested ideas as well. This statue is unique to this diocese. It was carved out of the wood from the Cova da Iria, the specific place in Fatima where Mary appeared. A committee out of Marquette has assigned persons to contact parishes to invite them to participate. If you would like more information, please contact the Diocese of Marquette directly. You may also reference the October 23, 2015 issue of the U.P. Catholic.
To learn more about Our Lady of Fatima, go to http://www.theholyrosary.org/fatimaapparitions. Actual photographs from Mary's sixth appearance may be found in an online search and come from the secular newspaper of the day.
God's Mercy is Infinite. Remember the specially designated Year of Mercy which celebrates this unending mercy in a special way, beginning in December 2015.
Christ revealed to St. Maria Faustina in the 1930's, "Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy" (Diary of St. Faustina, 300).
Encouragement to the priests: (Jesus to St. Faustina) Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who will proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak (1521).
Upcoming Marian Feast Days.
December 8 - The Immaculate Conception.
December 12 - Our Lady of Guadalupe.
December 25 - The Nativity of Our Lord
First Sunday After Christmas - The Holy Family
This Posting's Featured Eucharistic Miracle - Boxtel-Hoogstraten, Netherlands, 1380 A.D.
"Boxtel is particularly famous for a Eucharistic miracle that occurred around 1380. A priest
named Eligius van der Aker was celebrating Mass at the altar of the Three Kings. Immediately after the consecration he inadvertently knocked over the chalice containing consecrated white wine, which immediately changed into Blood and stained the corporal and the altar cloth." See www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/english_pdf/Boxtel.pdf.
God bless you.
