Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., visited the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Asbury, N.J., in the Trenton Diocese on May 13 to celebrate Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Several priests concelebrated the Mass.
The visit started with a rosary procession, with the Our Lady of Fatima pilgrim statue carried around the shrine’s grounds. Thousands of pilgrims from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and around New Jersey attended the Mass. The World Apostolate of Fatima operates the shrine.
The day’s schedule included a talk by David M. Carollo, the shrine’s executive director; an exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; a Eucharistic procession and Benediction, and a blessing of religious articles. The event ended with a “Fatima farewell,” during which pilgrims sang a song and waved white handkerchiefs as the statue departed.
The focus on Our Lady of Fatima during the day had special meaning. The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13 commemorates the first of six apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917 to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. It is a recognized Optional Memorial in the Catholic Church, emphasizing messages of prayer, peace, penance, and the daily rosary, according to Franciscan Media.
Pilgrims may visit the shrine and receive a plenary indulgence during the Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year.
For more information, visit BlueArmyShrine.com.
