Immaculate Heart of Mary

CLIFTON  Parishes throughout the Diocese will join Bishop Serratelli and Catholics around the world in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s apparitions at Fatima in 1917 and her message that still resonates today — global peace and conversion to Christ. The centennial will be celebrated with an array of spiritual events in May and in coming months, including holding rosary rallies and a Marian devotion, showing a movie about her appearances there and holding and planning pilgrimages to Fatima.

Bishop Serratelli will mark the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima (OLF) by personally consecrating the Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Saturday, May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, at the end of the 10:30 a.m. Mass in St. Peter the Apostle Church, Parsippany, at which he will ordain 10 seminarians to the transitional diaconate.

Also, the Bishop will lead a spiritual journey to Fatima in Portugal and to Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga in Spain from July 16 to 24. A brochure with the day-to-day itinerary may be obtained by contacting: Great Experiences Inc. at (201) 825-3725 or email: [email protected].

Since March 4, St. Simon Parish, Green Pond, has been praying the rosary on first Saturdays after the 8:30 a.m. Mass, and will continue on first Saturdays “to honor the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to pray for peace, ” Father Richard Bay, pastor, wrote in the bulletin.

“Mary appeared asking them [the three shepherd children to whom she appeared] to pray the rosary every day to bring peace to the world and an end to war. We have to remember that this occurred in the midst of World War I. Mary asked that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The devotion may be spread through the world. This devotion was spread through the five first Saturdays’ devotion,” Father Bay wrote. “Our Lady promised that through this devotion, she will assist the dying with the graces necessary for salvation to those who receive communion of reparation on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.”

The requirements to obtain these promises are: confession, Holy Communion and five decades of the rosary. Over the five months, the faithful must meditate on the 15 mysteries of the rosary, “taking at least 15 minutes each first Saturday and to do all these things in the spirit of preparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” Father Bay wrote.

The evangelization team of St. Jude Parish, Budd Lake, kicked off centennial celebrations with a viewing of the movie “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima” on April 30 in the parish center. Starting Saturday, May 13 and continuing on the 13th of every month until October, the team will present a brief historical reading about Our Lady’s monthly appearances to the children, which took place from May to October in 1917. These gatherings will take place in the daily chapel at 7 p.m., followed by the recitation of the rosary and prayers, said Michael Sabella, St. Jude’s evangelization coordinator.

“People don’t know what happened [at Fatima]. It [the anniversary] is a reminder for people that we need continuing catechesis and understanding,” said Sabella, who noted that St. Jude’s has been displaying an OLF anniversary banner outside church.

The Filipino-American Society of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Passaic, will hold a Marian Devotion for OLF’s centennial year in the church basement with Father Lemmuel Camacho, parochial vicar of Corpus Christi Parish, Chatham Township, on Saturday, May 6 at 9 a.m. Information: Cora Banaag at (973) 897-1733.

On Saturday, May 13, a Rosary Rally will be held at the Paterson Falls at noon. It will include the hymn, “Immaculate Mary,” the Angelus, the rosary, information about how to pray the rosary, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Prayer of Total Consecration and the Divine Praises, said Marlene Gulino, who organized the event. Information: call Gulino at (973) 278-4220.

St. Catherine of Bologna, Ringwood, will also hold a Rosary Rally on Saturday, May 13 at 11:45 a.m. Information: call Phil Broderick at (973) 839-1069.

During this anniversary year of the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, several local parishes have planned pilgrimages to holy sites in Portugal and, in many instances, elsewhere in Europe.

Father Owen Moran, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, East Hanover, will lead a pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela, the burial site of St. James; Fatima; and the shrines of Portugal, from Monday, Aug. 21 to Thursday, Aug. 31. Information: call Anne Breslin of Great Experiences at (201) 825-3725 or Stephanie Politi at (973) 599-2944.

Father Nick Bozza, pastor of St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish, Chester, will serve as spiritual director on a pilgrimage to the Marian shrines of Lourdes in Spain, and Fatima from Friday, May 19 to Sunday, May 27. Information: call St. Lawrence at (908) 879-6714.

Father Matthew Twiggs, pastor of St. Thomas Parish, Oak Ridge, and St. John Vianney Parish, Stockholm, will lead a pilgrimage to Fatima and Lourdes from Tuesday, Nov. 7 to Friday, Nov. 17. Information: call St. Thomas at (973) 208-0090.

The Travel Club of St. Therese Parish, Succasunna, will travel Fatima and Lourdes from Sunday, Sept. 24 to Tuesday, Oct. 3. Father Andres Baquero, parochial vicar, will lead the trip, which will include two nights in both locales and two nights in Burgo and Barcelona. Information: call Pat at (862) 432-6475.

Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption Parish, Morristown, will lead a pilgrimage to the shrines of Portugal and Spain, including Fatima, from Sunday, Sept. 24 to Tuesday, Oct. 3. Information: call Assumption at (973) 539-2141 or Select International Tours at (800) 842-4842.

Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany, will lead a pilgrimage from Sunday, May 21 to Wednesday, May 31, visiting Lisbon, Fatima, Portugal and Spain. Pilgrims will visit Fatima for two days with Mass and candlelight processions for their petitions. Information: call Nuevo Tours at (973) 882-0021.

“The message of Fatima highlights many central truths and devotions of our Catholic faith: the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Eucharist, Penance, the rosary and the sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. There is a special emphasis on the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a refuge of maternal love for us all and a sure path leading us to God. Mary’s Immaculate Heart will triumph, because she is full of grace and all holy. Mary…wants us to be saved by Jesus, her divine Son,” Msgr. Tillyer wrote in St. Peter’s bulletin about the OLF anniversary.