Today marks the 98th Anniversary of when Our Lady of the Rosary, appearing at Fatima, revealed the Secret of Fatima to Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. The Secret consisted of three parts. In the First Part, she revealed hell, and how many souls go there because no one prays for them. In the Second Part, she revealed her desire to have Russia consecrated to her Immaculate Heart and that if this was not done, there would be worse wars, Russia would spread her errors across the world, and various nations would be annihilated.
The Third Part of the Secret consists of two parts, a vision (which all; three children saw) and words of the Virgin Mary (which Francisco did not hear, but they were permitted to share with him). This Third Secret was supposed to be revealed in 1960 by the Pope, but he chose not to do so. Half of the Third Secret, the Vision portion, was finally revealed in 2000. However, to this day, the Words of the Virgin - which constitute a terrible message of warning for mankind and especially for the Church - have still not been revealed.
At Fatima, the Ever-Virgin and Blessed Mother of God requested that we pray the Rosary every day (at least five decades), that all Catholics practice the First Saturday devotion, and that the Holy Father consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart.
Sadly, few Catholics are responding to her request faithfully and Russia remains unconsecrated. She promised our world and the pope would suffer much if we were disobedient, but that there would be peace if (when) this was done. Let us do our part, being faithful to Our Lady's request and doing our best to promote the Message of Fatima.
Bishop Fellay recently spoke about Our Lady of Fatima and her message and its relation to the crisis in the Church.
The SSPX's Superior General gave a conference entitled "Our Lady of Fatima and the Crisis in the Church" on Saturday, October 12, during the 2013 Angelus Press Conference.
A 2-part audio of Bishop Fellay's conference is now available on the Society's website:
Image Source: Pope Benedict XVI says Holy Mass to mark the 93rd anniversary of the first appearance of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children in 1917. Source is Reuters
Dear Pilgrims,
"Their descendants shall be renowned among the nations [...], they are a people whom the Lord has blessed" (Is 61:9). So the first reading of this Eucharist began, and its words are wonderfully fulfilled in this assembly devoutly gathered at the feet of Our Lady of Fatima. Dearly beloved brothers and sisters, I too have come as a pilgrim to Fatima, to this "home" from which Mary chose to speak to us in modern times. I have come to Fatima to rejoice in Mary's presence and maternal protection. I have come to Fatima, because today the pilgrim Church, willed by her Son as the instrument of evangelization and the sacrament of salvation, converges upon this place. I have come to Fatima to pray, in union with Mary and so many pilgrims, for our human family, afflicted as it is by various ills and sufferings. Finally, I have come to Fatima with the same sentiments as those of Blessed Francisco and Jacinta, and the Servant of God Lúcia, in order to entrust to Our Lady the intimate confession that "I love" Jesus, that the Church and priests "love" him and desire to keep their gaze fixed upon him as this Year for Priests comes to its end, and in order to entrust to Mary's maternal protection priests, consecrated men and women, missionaries and all those who by their good works make the House of God a place of welcome and charitable outreach.
These are the "people whom the Lord has blessed". The people whom the Lord has blessed are you, the beloved Diocese of Leiria-Fatima, with your pastor, Bishop Antonio Marto. I thank him for his words of greeting at the beginning of Mass, and for the gracious hospitality shown particularly by his collaborators at this Shrine. I greet the President of the Republic and the other authorities who serve this glorious Nation. I spiritually embrace all the Dioceses of Portugal, represented here by their Bishops, and I entrust to Heaven all the nations and peoples of the earth. In God I embrace all their sons and daughters, particularly the afflicted or outcast, with the desire of bringing them that great hope which burns in my own heart, and which here, in Fatima, can be palpably felt. May our great hope sink roots in the lives of each of you, dear pilgrims, and of all those who join us through the communications media.
Yes! The Lord, our great hope, is with us. In his merciful love, he offers a future to his people: a future of communion with himself. After experiencing the mercy and consolation of God who did not forsake them along their wearisome return from the Babylonian Exile, the people of God cried out: "I greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being exults in my God" (Is 61:10). The resplendent daughter of this people is the Virgin Mary of Nazareth who, clothed with grace and sweetly marvelling at God's presence in her womb, made this joy and hope her own in the canticle of the Magnificat: "My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour". She did not view herself as a fortunate individual in the midst of a barren people, but prophecied for them the sweet joys of a wondrous maternity of God, for "his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation" (Lk 1:47, 50).
This holy place is the proof of it. In seven years you will return here to celebrate the centenary of the first visit made by the Lady "come from heaven", the Teacher who introduced the little seers to a deep knowledge of the Love of the Blessed Trinity and led them to savour God himself as the most beautiful reality of human existence. This experience of grace made them fall in love with God in Jesus, so much so that Jacinta could cry out: "How much I delight in telling Jesus that I love him! When I tell him this often, I feel as if I have a fire in my breast, yet it does not burn me". And Francisco could say: "What I liked most of all was seeing Our Lord in that light which Our Mother put into our hearts. I love God so much!" (Memoirs of Sister Lúcia, I, 42 and 126).
Brothers and sisters, in listening to these innocent and profound mystical confidences of the shepherd children, one might look at them with a touch of envy for what they were able to see, or with the disappointed resignation of someone who was not so fortunate, yet still demands to see. To such persons, the Pope says, as does Jesus: "Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?" (Mk 12:24). The Scriptures invite us to believe: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (Jn 20:29), but God, who is more deeply present to me than I am to myself (cf. Saint Augustine, Confessions, III, 6, 11) - has the power to come to us, particularly through our inner senses, so that the soul can receive the gentle touch of a reality which is beyond the senses and which enables us to reach what is not accessible or visible to the senses. For this to happen, we must cultivate an interior watchfulness of the heart which, for most of the time, we do not possess on account of the powerful pressure exerted by outside realities and the images and concerns which fill our soul (cf. Theological Commentary on The Message of Fatima, 2000). Yes! God can come to us, and show himself to the eyes of our heart.
Moreover, that Light deep within the shepherd children, which comes from the future of God, is the same Light which was manifested in the fullness of time and came for us all: the Son of God made man. He has the power to inflame the coldest and saddest of hearts, as we see in the case of the disciples on the way to Emmaus (cf. Lk 24:32). Henceforth our hope has a real foundation, it is based on an event which belongs to history and at the same time transcends history: Jesus of Nazareth. The enthusiasm roused by his wisdom and his saving power among the people of that time was such that a woman in the midst of the crowd - as we heard in the Gospel - cried out: "Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that nursed you!". And Jesus said: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" (Lk 11:27-28). But who finds time to hear God's word and to let themselves be attracted by his love? Who keeps watch, in the night of doubt and uncertainty, with a heart vigilant in prayer? Who awaits the dawn of the new day, fanning the flame of faith? Faith in God opens before us the horizon of a sure hope, one which does not disappoint; it indicates a solid foundation on which to base one's life without fear; it demands a faith-filled surrender into the hands of the Love which sustains the world.
"Their descendants shall be known among the nations, [...] they are a people whom the Lord has blessed" (Is 61:9) with an unshakable hope which bears fruit in a love which sacrifices for others, yet does not sacrifice others. Rather, as we heard in the second reading, this love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Cor 13:7). An example and encouragement is to be found in the shepherd children, who offered their whole lives to God and shared them fully with others for love of God. Our Lady helped them to open their hearts to universal love. Blessed Jacinta, in particular, proved tireless in sharing with the needy and in making sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. Only with this fraternal and generous love will we succeed in building the civilization of love and peace.
We would be mistaken to think that Fatima's prophetic mission is complete. Here there takes on new life the plan of God which asks humanity from the beginning: "Where is your brother Abel [...] Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground!" (Gen 4:9). Mankind has succeeded in unleashing a cycle of death and terror, but failed in bringing it to an end... In sacred Scripture we often find that God seeks righteous men and women in order to save the city of man and he does the same here, in Fatima, when Our Lady asks: "Do you want to offer yourselves to God, to endure all the sufferings which he will send you, in an act of reparation for the sins by which he is offended and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?" (Memoirs of Sister Lúcia, I, 162).
At a time when the human family was ready to sacrifice all that was most sacred on the altar of the petty and selfish interests of nations, races, ideologies, groups and individuals, our Blessed Mother came from heaven, offering to implant in the hearts of all those who trust in her the Love of God burning in her own heart. At that time it was only to three children, yet the example of their lives spread and multiplied, especially as a result of the travels of the Pilgrim Virgin, in countless groups throughout the world dedicated to the cause of fraternal solidarity. May the seven years which separate us from the centenary of the apparitions hasten the fulfilment of the prophecy of the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity.
Today we remember Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Just yesterday I watched the transfer of the remains of the other Fatima visionary, Sister Lucia who died in 2005, on EWTN.
Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto died shortly after the Fatima apparitions from 1917. Blessed Jacinta (1910-1920) and Blessed Francisco (1908-1919) both died of influenza, and their bodies rest in Fatima today. Shortly before Francisco died, Jacinta said, "Give my greetings to Our Lord and to Our Lady and tell them that I am enduring everything they want for the conversion of sinners" All of the children offered all of their sufferings in reparation of the sins of the world.
The story of Fatima is too long to repost, so please see that post for the amazing story.
Here are some of Mary's requests from Fatima:
* "Men must stop offending Almighty God Who is already so deeply offended." * "I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives." * "To obtain Peace in the World you must pray--pray the Rosary every day!" * "Pray and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to Hell, because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them." * "Certain fashions and styles will be introduced, that will offend Our Lord very much." * "More souls go to Hell, because of sins against purity and chastity, than for any other reason." * "War is a punishment for sins." * "The Holy Father will consecrate Russia and the World to My Immaculate Heart." * "Mary showed a vision of Hell to the children." * "Our Lady foretold that all three children will go to Heaven."
Please say this prayer for their canonization:
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore Thee profoundly with all the powers of my soul, and I thank Thee for the Apparitions of the most Holy Virgin in Fatima which have made manifest to the world the treasures of her Immaculate Heart. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary I implore Thee -- if it should be for Thy greater glory and the good of our souls -- to glorify in the sight of Thy Holy Church Francisco and Jacinta the shepherds of Fatima, granting us through their intercession the grace which we implore. Amen.
This timely warning comes from the recent newsletter of the Society of St. Vincent Ferrer. Let us do all that we can in the next year to spread the news of Fatima, to participate in our Lady's request for the Five First Saturdays, and to pray the Rosary daily.
In 1689, our Lord gave a message to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that the King of France was to consecrate France to His Sacred Heart. The king disobeyed our Lord's request and exactly one hundred years later, the French Revolution began. The Revolution in France, contrary to what we were all taught in school, caused so much devastation and destruction to the French way of life, the Catholic Church in France, and the lives of many French priests and nuns. (A side note: St. John Marie Vianney received his First Holy Communion in a barn in hiding as a direct result of the French Revolution.)
Imprisoned during the Revolution and shortly before losing his head at the guillotine, the French king finally made the consecration of his nation in obedience to God's request. The French Revolution truly devastated the Church in France and brought many, many evils. In many ways, the revolution we are seeing today (from the Errors of Russia) is but a continuation of the French Revolution on a global scale.
We are nearing one hundred years that the popes have disobeyed Our Lady at Fatima. They have failed to reveal the full text of the Secret of Fatima (in totu) and they have not consecrated Russia to Our Lady's Immaculate Heart in the manner requested by Heaven. Our Lord told Sr. Lucia that the pope would eventually consecrate Russia, but it would be too late, like the French king. Terrible chastisements have already inflicted our world and worse ones are coming so long as this disobedience continues. Terrible wars and natural disasters are on the horizon, nations will be annihilated, and the True Faith will be completely lost in many places. We must each do our best to do as our Lady asked.
Our Lady has promised that once she is obeyed there will be a time of peace in the world (complete peace!). Russia will convert en masse to the one true and only Catholic Church, outside of which there is no salvation. A period of glorious flourishing will occur for mankind and the Catholic Church. The Immaculate Heart of Mary will be honored everywhere. Let us pray that this glorious restoration will occur soon, and let us do our part. (Small note: The Miracle of Fatima took place on 13 Oct 1917, however, it was not until 1929 that Our Lord told Sr. Lucia that now was the time for the Holy Father to consecrate Russia.)
It is extremely important for every Catholic to be familiar with Our Lady's Message and strive to live it as best as possible. This includes (1) the Daily Recitation of the Rosary, (2) The First Saturday Devotion, (3) Making acts of Reparation to her Immaculate Heart (and the Sacred Heart and Blessed Sacrament), (4) Doing Penance, especially the duties of our state in life, (5) Wearing her Brown Scapular, and (6) Praying and doing penance for the Pope, especially so that the Pope, in union with all the bishops of the world, will consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Heaven gave us several unique and special prayers at Fatima. We should pray these often as well. You can find them HERE (just scroll down a bit).
Despite what some claim - that the third secret of Fatima referred to the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II - the actual details of the third secret have not yet been revealed. This allegation, long triumphed by the late Father Nicholas Gruner, has been affirmed in recent days by Archbishop Vigano, the critic of Pope Francis who has largely gone into hiding for publishing some of his errors.
“In 2000, during the pontificate of John Paul II, Cardinal Sodano presented as the Third Secret a version of his own that in several elements appeared clearly incomplete. It is not surprising that the new Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, sought to draw attention away to an event in the past [the assassination attempt on John Paul on May 13, 1981] to cause the people of God to believe that the words of the Virgin [in 1917 when She appeared] had nothing to do with the crisis of the Church [in the decades after 1960] and the marriage of modernists and Freemasonry that was contracted behind the scenes at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Antonio Socci, who has carefully investigated the Third Secret, unmasked this harmful behavior on the part of Cardinal Bertone. In addition, it was Bertone himself who heavily discredited and censured the Madonnina delle Lacrime (Madonna of Tears) of Civitavecchia, whose message perfectly agrees with what she said at Fatima.”
Mr. Ferrara continues:
With this pontificate, says the Archbishop, we are witnessing an attack on ecclesiastical celibacy, the “attempt to introduce a form of ordained female ministry” and in general an “approach to the Church’s dogmas [that has] adopted the so-called ‘situation theology,’ whose theological pillars are accidental facts or subjects: the world, nature, the female figure, young people… This theology does not have God’s immutable and eternal truth as its founding center; on the contrary, it starts from the observation of whatever is the current pressing need of these phenomena in order to give answers that are consistent with the expectations of the contemporary world.”
In a letter published and dated April 5, 2017, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the centenary of the first main apparition (May 13, 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima as a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Such a privilege was intended though only for the 100 year anniversary in 2017.
However, even before Vatican II, Masses in honor of Our Lady of Fatima were likely celebrated in the Diocese of Leiria–Fátima where Fatima is located. The Traditional Propers for Our Lady of Fatima are the same as the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary from August 22nd except the following specific Collect, Secret, and Post Communion prayers:
Collect:
While the multitude of our sins prevaileth, O Lord, we run to the special assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that we who are nurtured by the mercy of her Heart, may by the anticipation of Thy mercy obtain indulgence for our crimes. Through our Lord.
Peccatórum nostrórum, Dómine, multitúdine praevalénte, ad Beátae Mariae Virginis recúrrimos singuláre suffragium: ut, qui eiúsdem Cordis pietáte fovémur, tua misericórdia praeveniente, indulgéntiam delictórum consequámur. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per omnia sáecula saeculórum. Amen. [Latin Prayer Source]
Secret:
Convert, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our rebellious wills, and grant that through the aid of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, we may celebrate the Divine Mysteries with chaste favours. Through our Lord.
Post Communion:
Stretch out, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy right hand to Thy prayerful people, and grant aid, through the intercession the Virgin Mary, to them whom Thou benignly vouchsafest the affection of begging Thee, that they may turn away from all evil, and take possession of all good. Through our Lord.
The remaining propers are from the Immaculate Heart of Mary (August 22):
Introit:
Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need. My heart overflows with good tidings; I sing my song to the king. Glory be...
Epistle: Eccli. 24:23-31
As the vine I have brought forth a pleasant odour: and my flowers are the fruit of honour and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me, shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting.
Gospel: John 19:25-27
At that time, there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus, therefore, had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: "Woman, behold thy son." After that, he saith to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.
Offertory:
My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.
Communion:
Jesus said to His Mother, "Woman, behold, thy son." Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, thy mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
For Catholics in and around Chicago, please check out the upcoming Fatima Conference to be held in Deerfield, IL from October 21 thru October 23rd. The speakers are absolutely top-notch with speakers like John Venari, Fr. Rodriguez, Fr. Albert OP, Fr. Isaac Relyea, and Fr. Phillipson.
As we near the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, the words of Our Lord to Sister Lucy should resonate in our minds and hearts: He warned that unless the Fatima Message were obeyed, His ministers would follow the king of France into misfortune. That misfortune occurred 100 years after the kings of France refused His request to consecrate their nation to His Sacred Heart. The king was deposed and later decapitated. Almost 100 years has passed since Our Lady requested the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart. What misfortune awaits us!?! The time to obey Our Lady is now! Join us in Chicago as we make the case for immediate action by the Pope and the bishops to comply with Heaven's request before it is too late!
The schedule is as follows and it's only $195 for all three days. Can't go on certain days? That's fine - you can buy tickets at a lower price to the specific days you can go.
I will be at the Conference and hope you will join me in supporting Fr. Gruner's work and Our Lady of Fatima as we near the important 100 year anniversary of Our Blessed Mother's appearance in Fatima.
Today 95 years ago, our Lady appeared to three small children in Portugal...our Blessed Mother revealed a message of hope and a warning to the faithful. Happy feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
Fatima, Portugal is the source of a beautiful miracle in our times. In
1917, between May 13 and October 13, 1917, Mary appeared six times to
Lucy, Francisco, and Jacinta. Their small village of Fatima was persecuted by the government, but its citizens remained faithful to the Catholic Church.
In her requests, she promised that many souls would be saved if they
listened to her requests. She told us that war was a punishment for sin
along with hunger, persecution of the Church, and persecution of the
Holy Father. She reminded us of the Commands of God; she added nothing
new but renewed our urgency to follow Christ.
Since the 1930's the Church has approved and supported these apparitions
as authentic. All following popes have also voiced their approval of
these apparitions. They really happened!
On October 13, 1917, Mary appeared again to the three children and said,
"I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honour. I
am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day.
The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their
homes." By then there were thousands of witnesses.
Mary also said, "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."
At that, the Miracle of the Sun was witnessed by 70,000 people as it
danced in the sky, changed colors, and was hurled towards earth as if to
destroy it.
Let us pray (Oremus):
Dearest Mother, Queen of the Holy Rosary, who came to
Fatima to reveal to all mankind the Divine plan for true Christian
peace, of prayer, penance, and consecration, grant an abundance of
grace, strength, and guidance to the members of Thy Fatima Crusade, here
present and throughout the world. Inspire us to great zeal, oh great
Mediatrix of All Graces, that we may be effective instruments in
spreading devotion to Thy Rosary; that we may be faithful in wearing Thy
scapular; that we may inspire our brothers in Christ to a life of
sacrifice, penance, and modesty, and finally, that we may help to bring
about that wonderful day when all men, through consecration to Thy
Immaculate Heart, shall be one in Christ. Amen.
I have a rather controversial topic to share with you today – hell. It’s not very popular these days. Some even doubt its existence or, saying it does exist, they say no one is actually sent there.
Well, Our Lady was never concerned about being popular, and she certainly believes hell exists. What’s more, the Mother of Mercy knew she had to show hell to us all – through the three shepherd children – in order to save souls from going there.
Because, regardless of the latest opinion poll – souls do go there. Our Lady said so. But, you may ask, did she really have to show hell and all its horrors to three little children? Would she really scare them like that?
Sadly, yes, she did have to show them and, yes, it did scare them, big time! Here is a little of what Lucia, only 10 years old at the time wrote about it:
“Plunged in this fire were … souls in human form … amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair.”
Had it not been for Mary’s promise to the children that they would indeed go to heaven, Lucia said: “we would have died of fear and terror.”
The Old Testament speaks of hell; Our Lord Jesus Christ referred to it often; and the Catholic Church has been teaching about its existence – and how to avoid it – for over 2,000 years. But Mother Mary knows her children – those in 1917 and those in 2016 – and she also knew that a picture is worth a thousand words… and this case a million. In the third Apparition of Fatima, hell was not just spoken of, it was made into a reality that those children saw with their own eyes.
All you have to do is look at their faces, and you know that hell is for real. Fortunately, that is not the end of our story. It would have been cruel for Our Lady to show them hell, but then not teach us how to avoid it. Mary just wouldn’t do that!
Our Lady of Fatima asks when we pray our rosary, to add this prayer after every “Glory Be”: Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.
I know you love Holy Mary. If you’re not praying this prayer already, maybe you could start today – 99 years after she showed the children hell, and most importantly, gave us all the Fatima solution.
Today is the second day of the Novena to Our Lady of Fatima. It will last from today through May 13th - the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. For more information concerning the approved apparitions of Mary in Fatima in 1917, please see my post on Our Lady of Fatima.
Novena Prayer:
Most Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with a sincere love of this devotion, so that by meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it, we may gather the fruits and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and this favor that I so earnestly seek.... (State your request here...) which I ask of you in this novena, for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of all people. Amen
(Say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be three times each)
Today is the beginning of the Novena to Our Lady of Fatima. It will last from today through May 13th - the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima. For more information concerning the approved apparations of Mary in Fatima in 1917, please see Our Lady of Fatima Post.
Novena Prayer:
Most Holy Virgin, who has deigned to come to Fatima to reveal to the three little shepherds the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary, inspire our hearts with a sincere love of this devotion, so that by meditating on the mysteries of our redemption that are recalled in it, we may gather the fruits and obtain the conversion of sinners, the conversion of Russia, and this favor that I so earnestly seek... (State your request here...) which I ask of you in this novena, for the greater glory of God, for your own honor, and for the good of all people. Amen
(Say the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be three times each)
The Blessed Virgin Mary warned us that unless we be converted and Russia be consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart, there would be future disaster. An unfortunately, the consecration was never done as Our Lady instructed it to be done. If you are not familiar with the story of Fatima, now is the time to read again an overview of Fatima. We must prepare for what may be a year of great disaster.
We know firsthand that heresies are running rampant in the Church (see here for just some of the recent headlines), and under the leadership of Pope Francis, liberals continue to attack the sacredness of Holy Matrimony and Catholic dogmas that have been in place for over a thousand years. We are witnessing a great battle taking place in the Church. Let us pray each and everyday for the propagation of the Faith, the defense of the Church, and the salvation of souls.
History often repeats itself. And as we begin this 17th year of this century, it is important that we understand the grave events that have taken place in the 17th year of the previous centuries.
The 17th Year of the Century: A Year of Disaster, Disorder, and Error
1317 - Pope Constance V (First Avignon Pope): In his Constitutiae
Clementiae, he dissolved the Templar Order and did away with their vast
wealth. The Hospitalar Order was next on the list of King Phillip V of
France.
1417 - Pope Martin V did away with all
of the laws and restrictions effecting Jews. He had many Jewish
Physicians.
1517 - The Protestant Reformation occurred and as a result, it brought untold destruction to souls that we are still seeing today. Vast numbers of churches, monasteries, and priories were destroyed. Many Catholics were martyred by the protestants and their errors continue to lead many souls to hell since there is no salvation outside of the Church (and yet many of us Catholics fail to evangelize to these souls that need to be saved from these heresies). May St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen pray for us!
1617 - The Protestants held their first jubilee celebration and the enrollment of the Socinians took place. The Socianism heresy is most famous for its nontrinitarian Christology but contains a number of other heretical beliefs as well.
1717
- The Grand Lodge of England and the resurgence of Freemasonry.
1817 - Congress of Vienna
presided over by Rothschild. It started in 1814 and would most likely
have been implemented in around this year. This would have lead to a
type of European Union 100 years early. It was crushed by one of the
few countries that didn't have a Rothschild Bank; Russia. Because of the
actions of Tzar Alexander II, Meier is said to have vowed to wipe his
seed from the earth. In 1917 his dynasty did just that!
1917 - The Soviet Revolution takes place leading to millions of deaths and the enthronement of an atheistic government in Russia. This same year, the Blessed Virgin Mary comes to earth and appear in Fatima to warn us.
Many of these events concern the triumph of the greatest enemies of the Church - freemasons, heretics, and atheists. While much more could be written on each of these items describing their enormous effects on the Church and souls, that is not the scope of this article. Please feel free to investigate any of these items more thoroughly. For example, concerning the events in 1817, you may want to check out "To Take Away the Opiate" by Dr. Rabbi Marvin Antelman. He writes extensively about Shabbatai Zvi, Jacob Frank, Adam Weishaupt and Meier Amchtel de Rothschild. Weishaupt, Frank and Rothschild were the architects to the European Revolutions including the Bolshevik Revolution which killed 36-40 million among of whom were 1.3 million Orthodox Jews. Dr. Antelman talks about this and who the identity of the revolutionaries were and who funded them.
But alas, the point is that the 17th year of the century has been a year of great disaster, disorder, and error. Let us do all we can this year to make reparation (and thus fulfill the request of our Lady of Fatima who often asked for reparation). We should make reparation not only for our own sins but also those of our families and friends and even more so - of those souls in error who will not perform reparation.
May Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. And may the Lord have mercy on us this year and save us from our sins and His wrath!
As the world dives further into a century of “progress” and uncharted horizons, mankind continues its dissent from God, which is eerily reminiscent of the words of Jesus Christ: “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life? Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels” (Mark 8:36-38).
This dissent can be blamed in part on numerous evils afflicting our world from abortion to homosexual marriage to artificial contraception and to poverty. Yet, blame should not hold a central part in the debate on our world’s fate. We must never allow blame to become our primary mode of response to anything. Blame first surfaced in the Garden of Eden as Adam sought to shift the blame for his disobedience. Yet, the technicalities are of no importance – Adam suffered the same fate as Eve.
Our world is above all suffering from a lack of love, and each one of us must fulfill our baptismal promises to love. In my personal observations, atheists lack two characteristics – humility and love for others. Catholics are called to love everyone even those that insult and attack ourselves. For Christ said the greatest of all the Commandments was to love the Lord our God and the second greatest to love our neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).
While society may ignore the reality of this lack of love, we can blame no one except ourselves. We must be beacons of the Light of Christ. We must become mirrors of His love to “bring the Gentiles from darkness.” The Lord will judge each of us per our works (Romans 2:6), and unfortunately, society ignores the inevitably reality of Judgment.
Do not be disheartened when men rebuke you and insult you for preaching the truth. For the Light of the World dispels darkness and in turn reveals ourselves completely – sin and all. And many people in our world do not want to admit their sins. They wish to live in darkness because in darkness they can hide from the truth of their own sinfulness. But, as St. John of the Cross has said, "In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”
Of course we can ignore the spread of sin in society and seek shelter in darkness, but we can blame no one else when more people die from new and deadly viruses or when thousands starve to death in Western Africa. And, at Judgment we can blame no one except ourselves for refusing to accept Jesus as the Light of our life. The light is the true refuge of the world and the world must return to that refuge. First, we must individually return and pledge to love and honor Christ. Only after this first pledge can we go out into the wilderness and seek the lost sheep of the Kingdom of God.
Each one of us can only grow closer to Jesus Christ through prayer and the Sacraments – the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. We all are obligated by our Baptism and Confirmation to go out and proclaim the Truth, but we must first grow interiorly. We must read Sacred Scripture, frequent the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Penance, and understand what the Church truly teaches on a matter, which does require extensive mental prayer, studying from approved Catholic sources, and personal penance. Without the Sacraments and finding the oasis of prayer in a desert of sin, we will wither up and die. We must all learn to balance our zealous urge to teach with a desire to learn from the one true teacher, the Lord.
Most supreme of all Sacraments is the Most Holy Eucharist, the consecrated bread and wine from Mass, because It truly is Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. And since Jesus Christ, being the eternal Son of the Father, has the same soul and divinity as the Father and Holy Spirit, we can say that the Eucharist contains God completely. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the Eucharist “…the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324).
As the Church progressed through the centuries, many divisions have separated the people of God. The Church fought heresies nearly as long as Christianity has existed. Against Gnosticism and Arianism, the Church has fought for hundreds of years and continues to fight. In 336 AD, Arius began to teach that Jesus Christ was not divine claiming He was inferior to the Father. Thus, Arianism became the first great heresy against the faith. Other heresies including Manichaeism had occurred before, but the impact of Arianism was far more widespread; it still seeps into modern culture. Through God’s providence, notable saints like St. Anthony of Padua and St. Boniface emerged to preserve the Church and the authentic teachings of Jesus Christ, including His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.
After an extended period of differences, the Church broke into two bodies, Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholic in the West. While this did not certainly occur in one year, 1024 AD is the officially recognized date of the Great Schism. By this action the people of God were first split. Following this in 1517, Martin Luther ripped open God’s Church. Through his 95th Thesis, many souls would leave the Catholic faith and the authentic Sacraments. Luther would teach justication through faith alone, encourage private interpretation of the Scriptures, deny the Mass, abolish Confession, and deny the Supremacy of the Pope. Lutheranism was condemned as a heresy in the Council of Trent between 1545 and 1563.
But, Martin Luther also taught against the Most Holy Eucharist. Catholics believe in transubstantiation meaning that at the words of Consecration, the bread and wine truly become Jesus Christ. After the words of Consecration, which Jesus gave us from Scripture (cf. Matthew 26:26-28), the only thing remaining of bread and wine is called the "accidents", which is the appearance of bread and wine. Lutherans believe in consubstantiation meaning that the Eucharist is both Christ and bread and wine. The Eucharist to Protestants is like a sponge that soaks up the divinity of Christ. After their service, they believe the bread and wine become bread and wine fully again. In Catholicism, the Eucharist becomes Christ at the moment of Consecration and remains Christ.
However, theologically, the Communion bread and wine from any non-Catholic service can not be Jesus Christ. Catholics do not view Protestant Communion as legitimate. We realize that Jesus Christ gave the power to consecrate bread and wine to His disciples alone. He did not give them to everyone of His followers but a select few. This is clear at the Last Supper recorded in the Gospels. And, these men passed down the power to consecrate the bread and wine through the ordained priesthood. Through the imposition of hands, a man can be made a priest of Our Lord and can consecrate bread and wine. No protestant church has this power.
Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic faith and could no longer celebrate the Sacraments along with all other people that broke away. An excommunicated person is forbidden “… to have any ministerial part in the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist or in any other ceremonies of public worship; to celebrate the sacraments or sacramentals and to receive the sacraments; [and] to exercise any ecclesiastical offices, ministries, functions or acts of governance” (Canon 1331 of the Code of Canon Law 1983). The power of excommunication is a power given to the Apostles and their successors, the bishops. Excommunication is alluded to in Matthew 18:18.
Consequently, the Sacraments of all Protestant denominations except baptism are considered illegitimate. Thankfully, the Roman Catholic Faith remains still bearing the essential four marks of the Church of Jesus Christ – It is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. These four marks are all qualities of His True Church on earth. If any denomination is lacking one of the marks, it is not the Church of Christ. This does not mean the denomination teaches complete lies; it means that it does not teach all of the truth. And we are called to the complete truth in Jesus Christ.
The time for humanity to return to God and His laws is long past. Our Lady of Fatima told three young shepherd children in 1917 that war was the result of sin. Namely, she said that if the world did not repent than a second great war would erupt. Sadly, the world did nothing. It is long past the time for action – we must act immediately. Yet, what is the appropriate cause of action? Our world is suffering from an array of calamities from natural disasters to deadly influenza strands such as the H5N1 Virus. But the answer is simple – we must return to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Only in the pierced Heart of Our Redeemer can the world find lasting peace. The Sacraments and prayer all converge on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
How truly ironic that the Heart encircled with thorns is the center of the entire world. The same event occurred after the Resurrection as the greatest tragedy would become the richest source of grace. Jesus even said that after His death he would life up all men to himself: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).
From the sacred side of Jesus on the Cross, the Church was born. And this grace continues to gush forth from the wounded heart of Christ to everyone in the entire world. And He is met with dwindling congregations, increased abortions, and violations of His most supreme Commandments. We should be grateful that our world is not yet destroyed by our own selfishness!
Remember that God is Divine Mercy but He is also perfect justice. Our world must return to the Sacred Heart of Our Redeemer or plunge further into a dark chasm without the light of salvation. The read to Hell is wide and full of attractions and comfort but caves in to a never-ending chasm of despair. But, the road to Heaven is laden with rocks, and thorns, and many Crosses. However, it is only through the Cross that one can reach the royal road to the Resurrection. For us, that road has been blockaded and roped off by the temptations of the world.
In honor of this event, a special indulgence has been granted:
1. Make a pilgrimage to the shrine
The first way is for "the faithful to make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration or prayer dedicated to the Virgin."
In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed, and invoke the Mother of God.
2. Pray before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima
The second way applies to "the pious faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each months from May to October (2017), and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary."
Regarding this second way, the rector of the Fatima Shrine told CNA that the visit to the statue of the Virgin, "does not necessarily have to be only at Fatima or exclusively in Portugal," but can be done anywhere in the world.
Those seeking an indulgence must also pray an Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.
3. The elderly and infirm
The third way to obtain a plenary indulgence applies to people who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around.
These individuals can pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and most spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 20017.
They also must "offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives."
St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote: "The rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the Heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who loves His Mother."
How to pray the Rosary:
The Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a prayer given to St. Dominic in 1214 by Mary, and today this is said by saying certain prayers typically kept track by using Rosary beads. Here is how to say the Rosary:
STEP 1: Make the sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
STEP 2: Say the Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose again. He ascended into heaven And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
Amen.
STEP 3: Say 1 "Our Father":
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
STEP 4: Say 3 "Hail Mary's":
(For the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity)
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.
Fatima Prayer: O My Jesus, forgive our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to Heaven especially those that most need your divine mercy.
STEP 9: Continue the Rosary:
To continue the Rosary, announce the next mystery and repeat steps 6-8 for all the mysteries of that given day.
Above all, the Holy Trinity is the Lord alone; He is the One and Only God. We as Catholics don't worship Mary at all but ask her to pray for us as I would ask a friend to pray for me. We honor saints as holy people, but we never adore them as Christ alone is to be adored. Devotion to Mary and the saints is very important. See Why Pray to Mary and the Saints? for the answer to the fundamental issue in this question.
Also, it's important to understand that the Rosary is not a set of repetitive prayers said vainly at all. It is our tool for effective mental prayer. Learn how to pray the Rosary as a form of mental prayer. Virtues Corresponding to Each Mystery:
When we pray the Rosary, we can keep in mind the various virtues that correspond to each mystery. As we pray and meditate on the Rosary mysteries, we also pray for the corresponding virtue.
Fatima Requests:
In a series of apparitions that have been proven as authentic, Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima. These three shepherd children were given messages and a miracle was even performed there that was witnessed by thousands. In the miracle on Oct 13, 1917, the sun danced, changed colors, and was hurled toward earth as if to destroy it. The sun then rose again in its original position. This event was witnessed by 70,000 thousands of people! It's been called the Miracle of the Sun.
Before this, on May 13, 1917, Our Lady told the 3 children (Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco): "Say the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war." In an apparition on July 13, she requested devotion to her Immaculate Heart and Communions of Reparation on the first Saturday of each month. In a September 13th apparition, she stressed the importance of the daily Rosary, and in her final apparition, she said, "I am the Lady of the Rosary."
Rosary Miracles:
Pope St. Pius V issued the papal bull Consueverunt Romani Pontifices on September 17, 1569, which described the essence of the rosary's present configuration. The Pope made it clear that there are two essential elements of the Rosary: vocal prayer and mental prayer. He also made it clear that the Rosary is composed of 150 Hail Marys, in connection with the 150 Psalms. The papal bull referred to the Dominican roots of the Rosary and the fact that as a young friar, St. Pius V had been a member of the Dominican Order:
And so Dominic looked to that simple way of praying and beseeching God, accessible to all and wholly pious, which is called the Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which the same most Blessed Virgin is venerated by the angelic greeting repeated one hundred and fifty times, that is, according to the number of the Davidic Psalter, and by the Lord's Prayer with each decade. Interposed with these prayers are certain meditations showing forth the entire life of Our Lord Jesus Christ, thus completing the method of prayer devised by the Fathers of the Holy Roman Church.
The first major Rosary miracle and one of the most impressive is the one that occurred at the Battle of Lepanto shortly after his papal bull was issued. In 1571 the Christian army, after intense devotion with the Rosary, succeeded in one of the greatest naval victories in the Battle of Lepanto against the powerful Turks. The sixty-five thousand men prayed the Rosary for three hours. Finally, after these devotions, the men were given absolution (cf. forgiveness of their sins). The Turks had nearly three times more troops. The winds were against the Christians, and the conditions were poor, but after the devotions ended, the winds, at the very start of the battle, aided the Christians to a colossal victory against the Turks. This was one of the greatest naval upsets in history. From this, the Turks never fully recovered, and their threat in the Mediterranean Sea ended. Following this victory, Pope St. Pius V established the Feast of Our Lady of Victories on October 7th. The name was later changed to its present form - the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
There are many other miracles, including one attributed to Hiroshima. Read the inspiring story of how Jesuits were saved from the atomic bomb by the Rosary.
The reason why the Russians pulled out of Austria in 1948 is also attributed to the Rosary Campaign there, where 1/10 of the population prayed the Rosary daily for the withdrawal; it came on May 13, 1955, the anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, when the Russians signed the accord to leave Austria, and no one was injured at all. Read about this miracle on America Needs Fatima's website.
15 Promises of the Rosary:
Mary has promised 15 specific promises for those devoted to the Rosary that she told St. Dominic when she gave us the Rosary to lead us closer to God.
Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.
Rosary Encyclicals:
Supremi Apostolatus Officio:
It has always been the habit of Catholics in danger and in troublous times to fly for refuge to Mary, and to seek for peace in her maternal goodness; showing that the Catholic Church has always, and with justice, put all her hope and trust in the Mother of God. And truly the Immaculate Virgin, chosen to be the Mother of God and thereby associated with Him in the work of man's salvation, has a favor and power with her Son greater than any human or angelic creature has ever obtained, or ever can gain. And, as it is her greatest pleasure to grant her help and comfort to those who seek her, it cannot be doubted that she would deign, and even be anxious, to receive the aspirations of the universal Church.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 1, 1883
Octobri Mense:
At the coming of the month of October, dedicated and consecrated as it is to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, we recall with satisfaction the instant exhortations which in preceding years We addressed to you, venerable brethren, desiring, as We did, that the faithful, urged by your authority and by your zeal, should redouble their piety towards the august Mother of God, the mighty helper of Christians, and should pray to her throughout the month, invoking her by that most holy rite of the Rosary which the Church, especially in the passage of difficult times, has ever used for the accomplishment of all desires. This year once again do We publish Our wishes, once again do We encourage you by the same exhortations. We are persuaded to this in love for the Church, whose sufferings, far from mitigating, increase daily in number and in gravity. Universal and well-known are the evils we deplore: war made upon the sacred dogmas which the Church holds and transmits; derision cast upon the integrity of that Christian morality which she has in keeping; enmity declared, with the impudence of audacity and with criminal malice, against the very Christ, as though the Divine work of Redemption itself were to be destroyed from its foundation -- that work which, indeed, no adverse power shall ever utterly abolish or destroy.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 22, 1891.
Laetitiae Sanctae:
For We are convinced that the Rosary, if devoutly used, is bound to benefit not only the individual but society at large.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 8, 1893.
IUCUNDA SEMPER EXPECTATIONE:
It is always with joyful expectation and inspired hope that We look forward to the return of the month of October. At Our exhortation and by Our express order this month has been consecrated to the Blessed Virgin, during which for some years now the devotion of her Rosary has been practiced by Catholic nations throughout the world with sedulous earnestness. Our reasons for making this exhortation We have made known more than once. For as the disastrous condition of the Church and of Society proved to Us the extreme necessity for signal aid from God, it was manifest to Us that that aid should be sought through the intercession of His Mother, and by the express means of the Rosary, which Christians have ever found to be of marvelous avail. This indeed has been well proved since the very institution of the devotion, both in the vindication of Holy Faith against the furious attacks of heresy, and in restoring to honor the virtues, which by reason of the Age's corruption, required to be rekindled and sustained.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 8, 1894.
Adiutricem:
The mightiest helper of the Christian people, and the most merciful, is the Virgin Mother of God. How fitting it is to accord her honors ever increasing in splendor, and call upon her aid with a confidence daily growing more ardent. The abundant blessings, infinitely varied and constantly multiplying, which flow from her all over the whole world for the common benefit of mankind, add fresh motives for invoking and honoring her.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 5, 1895
FIDENTEM PIUMQUE ANIMUM:
We have already had the opportunity on several occasions during Our Pontificate of bearing public testimony to that confidence and devotion towards the Blessed Virgin which We imbibed in Our tenderest years, and have endeavoured to cherish and develop all our life long.
Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII promulgated on September 20, 1896
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links on this blog are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate, for instance, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made by those who click on the Amazon affiliate links included on this website. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Support A Catholic Life. Your Patronage Helps Keep Us Updated and Online!
Matthew is a Third Order Dominican from Chicago and an expert on Catholicism, with an emphasis on Traditional Fasting. He has written for "A Catholic Life" since 2005. Matthew is a Certified Catechist and is a speaker available to address your next parish or Catholic conference gathering. Matthew spends his leisure time traveling, teaching, writing, and enjoying Catholic culture. He is also a writer for "Catholic Family News" and "The Fatima Center." Please contact Matthew directly regarding advertising requests for A Catholic Life or in regard to speaking engagements.
.jpg)
