Fil-Ams honor Our Lady of Fatima

Fr. Karl Arcosa celebrating the anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. FEDERICO ESPIRITU

OAKLAND, California –Churches of the Catholic faithful brimmed with devotees of the Our Lady of Fatima as they commemorated and celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the Miraculous Lady’s apparitions before three young shepherds in the idyllic village of Cova de Iria in Fatima, Portugal.

Around the world, Our Lady of Fatima devotees and pilgrims recited the Holy Rosary just as Lucia dos Santos, Francisco Marto and his sister, Jacinta, were asked by Mother Mary to pray the rosary for the conversion of sinners and the return of souls to God during the six apparitions that happened from May to October, 1917.

At the Good Shepherd Church in Pittsburg last October 13, multiracial Catholics, dominated by Filipino Americans, converged for the Holy Mass and nocturnal procession.

Similar activities were undertaken at the Immaculate Heart of Mary, St Anthony Church in Oakley, St. Ignatius Church in Antioch and other churches in the Diocese of Oakland.

In his Homily, Father Carl Arcosa urged the devotees of Our Lady of Fatima Shepherd Parish to “Pray for peace… ask for a miracle that we realize that we are miracles ourselves as children of God…start bringing the peace of Christ as children of God… daily miracles happen…Every day that we wake up is a miracle…Grant us the miracle that we are looking for which is peace… Pray for the world, for our church for our unity.’’

After the Mass the devotees marched in procession with the Our Lady of Fatima statue while reciting the rosary from the altar to the church complex. It was enthroned at the spacious function hall where they offered flowers led by three shepherd-attired children.

They then viewed a photo exhibit chronicling the apparitions saga displayed prominently at the hall. Subsequently, Father Carl blessed with prayer and Holy Water all the Fatima statuettes, rosaries, images and icons brought by parishioners that lined up the center stage where the Our Lady of Fatima statue stood divinely enthroned.

The event was anchored by La Pieta International Prayer spearheaded by Willie and Linda Ilas in collaboration with other ministries of the Good Shepherd Church.

Fil-Ams even traveled to Fatima for the eventful centennial pilgrimage, like Kevin and Beth Casarino, Regina Lim Delfino, Phoebe Fernandez all from Sacramento and others during a pilgrimage organized by Bishop Myron Cotta of the Diocese of Sacramento.

The Roman Catholic Church not only approves, but also widely promotes the Fatima apparitions as worthy of belief. Seven successive Popes endorsed the Fatima apparitions and the messages given to the three shepherds; several Popes even went on pilgrimage at the apparition site.

Pope Francis has granted special plenary indulgence during the Church’s centennial celebration of the Fatima apparitions from November 27, 2016 to November 26, 2017. A plenary indulgence is the full remission of temporal punishment due to sins, which have already been sacramentally forgiven.