Pilgrim Statue & Holy Relics Visitation: Vargas Residence, 10/15/2016

A public reminder for all Americans to

pray for the spiritual and moral needs of

our country.  With the Presidential Election

looming less than a month away, urgent

prayer is a must!

Just a couple of days ago - October 13th - it was the anniversary of the stupendous miracle of the "dancing sun" at Fatima, Portugal, which occurred 99 years ago. The date also signals the annual America Needs Fatima nationwide Rosary Rally Campaign held in many public venues and private homes throughout the US. For a group of us Kailua parishioners at St. Anthony of Padua Church, the date also means that one of our own - Auntie Patty Vargas - will be hosting another prayer rally in her family's driveway, to be followed by a delicious luncheon; it's become an eagerly anticipated annual tradition for Auntie Patty's large circle of family and friends.

        

Photos from the Vargas Family's Rosary

Rally.  Prayers were held in the driveway

facing the busy road for the public to see;

a luncheon followed in the home.

So, as with the prior year Vargas Family rallies, I received a call from Auntie Patty who, again, invited my ministry's pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima and my Sacred Relics of the Fatima Seers - Blesseds Jacinta & Francisco; Sr. Lucia; and Bl. Alexandrina of Balasar (the "fourth seer" of Fatima) too - to be a part of the rally. These devotional objects have been coming with me to this event for the past five years so I guess I can safely say that they've become a welcomed part of the tradition, with Auntie Patty and some of the regular participants looking forward to seeing the relics and the pilgrim statue each year.

         

My pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima

flanked by statues and relics of Blesseds

Francisco, Jacinta, & Alexandrina.

It goes without saying that the Rosary Rally was again a beautiful and meaningful experience. At least for me, from the start there was a unique "vibe" in the air - an intense anticipation that something different, but good, was going to happen. The significance of this presentiment became clear when the prayer/song handout I was holding became mysteriously covered with escarchas during the Rosary Prayer! It somewhat startled me because at one moment I was looking at a plain white sheet of paper then, in the next, it was instantly covered with many tiny bluish-silver sparkles! I immediately understood that it was a sign that the gates of Heaven had opened for our Blessed Mother to come through, and that she was now among us in a very real way, although we couldn't see her.

... and even during the luncheon that followed, as I sat eating and talking with other participants, I noticed a few peoples' faces randomly sprinkled with golden flakes (it wasn't make-up)... and it was sort of amusing and frustrating, at the same time, that they were completely oblivious to the fact that parts of their faces were dotted with gold... and that Our Lady had descended from above to bless them in such a special way.

    

Left Photo: A golden flake on my finger;

one of many escarchas I picked-up off the

floor in my home.  Center Photo: A cluster

of silver escarchas that manifested on a

prayer sheet during the Rosary Rally.

Right Photo: One of a few golden flakes 

that appeared on my left hand; visible

on my thumb.

Lastly, I left Kailua humbled and grateful, and still on a spiritual high from this afternoon's event and its accompanying heavenly favors. Whatever grace we received at the rally was apparently extra-powerful because it extended beyond the Vargas home - when I reached my studio in Kaimuki, I discovered more gold escarchas scattered on the floor and furniture throughout my living room, kitchen, and bedroom. It was overwhelming, to say the least, but in a good way.

So with 2017 being the 100th anniversary of the great Fatima events, I'm anticipating that next year's public Rosary Rally will be even more significant and Holy Spirit-filled. I'm personally excited and I'm certain it'll be an exciting year for all Fatima devotees and the rest of the Church, as well.  I can hardly wait!