Dear Friends of the Apostolate of Our Lady of Good Success,
In honor of the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Apparitions at Fatima to the three Portuguese children, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, we wish to dedicate this first blog post to Our Lady of Fatima and encourage all of you, if you are able, to return to the Message of Our Lady of Fatima and if you have not consecrated yourselves to Her, to do so immediately, and with haste, so as to be placed under Her mantle in these times. And if you have consecrated yourselves to Her – renew your consecration as well in this upcoming year so as to receive as many graces and fortifications from Her for the future which is bleak indeed!
Additionally, we became aware of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima making a Tour of Peace via the World Apostolate of Fatima (aka Blue Army) around the United States which has started this year in March and will continue throughout 2017. We, here, in Milwaukee, were blessed just recently with Her visit. Hundreds of people showed up to greet Her and certainly, She blessed the efforts of those who made Her visit special with Masses, scapular enrollments, talks on Fatima, Consecration to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart, procession with the statue and Benediction and an All Night Vigil. For information on where the statue is touring and upcoming events please go to: https://www.fatimatourforpeace.com/the-tour/
Despite the fact that the Blue Army believes that the Consecration of Russia has been done and that the Third Secret of Fatima has been told, let us pray that this tour brings untold graces for our country and the world right now with an increase of the promotion of the Message of Fatima and the Pledge to Our Lady of Fatima. Even Padre Pio, on recognizing the importance of this Apostolate in his lifetime, encouraged people to join it and promoted the Blue Army Pledge prophesying that Russia would be converted when enough Blue Army members fulfilled their pledge for all of the Communists in Russia. (N.B. We were told by the custodian that there is good reason to believe that this statue that is touring the USA right now is the one which visited Padre Pio and cured him of a serious life threatening ailment! It is one of the twin miraculous statues commissioned for this purpose!)
So, for what other reasons is this historical statue so significant? Please read the following article and find out!
Historic Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima
100 years – 100 Dioceses
By Kathleen Heckenkamp
In 1950, a Coast-to-Coast Fatima Pilgrimage took place, covering more than 50 dioceses in the United States. Now, in 2016- 2017, in honor of the Centennial of the Apparition at Fatima, Our Lady makes a tour of 100 dioceses in the USA.
The history of this statue all began with the Portuguese youth, when they, themselves, in 1946, were inspired to take the first statue made by Jose Thedim on pilgrimage after attending a Congress in Fatima. They went from town to town carrying the statue and in every village, the people gathered together to pray. It is on this pilgrimage with that first statue that the “Miracle of the Doves” occurred along the way and culminated in the Lisbon Cathedral upon its return.
The “Miracle of the Doves” happened in this way. On Dec 1, 1946, six doves were released in the air as a way to honor and thank Our Lady of Fatima. Three of these birds immediately flew to the statue and remained there at Her feet, refusing to leave Our Lady’s side- never eating or drinking and they remained near her for the course of seven days as the statue traveled to the cathedral with pilgrims on foot for the great feast of the Immaculate Conception. On Dec. 7th, the pilgrims arrived with the statue into the cathedral.
On Dec. 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, during the High Mass that morning, suddenly the doves began to fly one to the Epistle side and one to the Gospel side of the altar. At the Elevation of the Host, two doves alighted and folded their wings as if to adore the Host. The third dove remained at the feet of Our Lady. When it was time for Holy Communion, suddenly, the third dove flew up to the top of the crown of the statue. Remarkably, this third dove, then, spread its wings and held them open as the bishop turned and held up the Sacred Host saying “Ecce Angus Dei” (“Behold the Lamb of God”). Many other miracles were recorded.
As a result of this first tour, many requests for the statue where obtained and the Bishop asked for Sr. Lucia’s opinion on whether this was a good idea. She responded that it was, but suggested that a second statue that was just being made should be the choice for this work. In fact, Sr. Lucia worked with John Haffert, co-founder of the Blue Army, to compose the Blue Army Pledge specifically for these pilgrimages and spreading the Message of Fatima.
This statue is the second of “twin statues” made by the famous Portuguese artist, Jose Thedim, under the guidance and specifications Sr. Lucia of Fatima and that statue is the very one used on this “Tour for Peace.”
In 1947, the Bishop of Fatima and Pope Pius XII blessed this statue and the Pope granted many graces for those who would venerate her image. After that blessing, John Haffert brought the statue to the United States.
On May 13, 1951, Pope Pius XII, in his famous radio address to the pilgrims at Fatima, recalling his Canonical Coronation of this Fatima statue in 1946 stated:
"In 1946, we crowned Our Lady of Fatima as Queen of the world, and the next year, through her pilgrim image, She set forth as though to claim Her dominion, and the miracles She performs along the way are such that we can scarcely believe our eyes at what we are seeing."
On October 24, 1952, once again, Pope Pius XII blessed the statue and imparted a special blessing on the work of the tours of the Pilgrim Virgin Statue.
Fr. Joaquim Alonso, an official archivist at Fatima, stated: “Never in the history of the Church have charismas descended in such abundance on the people of God as through the Pilgrim Virgin.”
One type of miracle that has been documented is this statue becoming life-like – often weeping tears, changing expression, facial color and even seen to change her position.
One of the most famous of these occurrences happened in July, 1972 in New Orleans, LA. It was there that the statue wept tears in front of hundreds of people. It was photographed and the press reported on this. The Archbishop of Louisiana put the statue under investigation and it was verified that the moisture was, in fact, human tears. This event has taken place many times ever since.
There have been documentation of cures, not just physical, but more importantly spiritual healings and conversions. One physical cure happened in Detroit nine years ago, when a man who had been suffering from shoulder pain for over 30 years was asked to carry the statue. He had been taking pain medication every morning for this reason. He was honored to be asked to do this for Our Lady so he made no mention of his disability. After carrying the Pilgrim Virgin Statue on his shoulders, the next morning he was surprised to discover that he had no more pain and has been pain free ever since.
“And the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary, who is venerated at Fatima and is the same great Mother of God who obtained a great victory at Lepanto, will be with you with her powerful protection.” From the encyclical “Saeculo exeunte” by Pope Pius XII in 1940
THE ORIGNAL BLUE ARMY PLEDGE
(Pledge composed by John Haffert in conjunction with directives of Sr. Lucia. On the topic of this pledge, Sr. Lucia told John Haffert: “...But the Rosary is not the most important request.” Rather, Sr. Lucia explained “… the essential request of Our Lady of Fatima was conveyed to the children in the very first question Our Lady put to them when She said: ‘Will you be willing to accept whatever God will send you and to offer it up for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary?’” taken from “Dear Bishop” by John Haffert page 6. May Our Lady of Fatima assist us in making this our #1 objective in life as She requested – this sacrificing of selves! So few are aware of the True Message of Fatima!)
I PLEDGE MYSELF TO OUR LADY
Dear Queen and Mother, who promised at Fatima to convert Russia and bring peace to all mankind, in reparation to Your Immaculate Heart, for my sins and the sins of the whole world, I solemnly promise to:
1) Offer up every day the sacrifices demanded by my daily duty;
2) Pray the Rosary daily while meditating on the mysteries;
3) Wear the Scapular of Mt. Carmel as profession of this promise and as an act of consecration to You,
4) To observe the First Saturday Devotions
I shall renew this promise often, especially in moments of temptation.
Signature..........................................
Note: This pledge is not a vow and does not bind under pain of sin. (Nevertheless this is a promise... your word given to your Heavenly Mother.
My Morning Offering
O my God in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss your Brown scapular...partial indulgence) I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with it the offering of my every good thought, word and action of this day.
O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit so that I may offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate... so that She may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
O Jesus, it is for Your love, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins done against the Immaculate Heart of Mary
