Holy Relic Visitation: Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group, 7/28/2012

  

A 1st Class Relic of Bl. Angelina di Marsciano occupies a place close to the

Rosa Mystica on the Gruber Family's home altar

It was just a small group of us who came together at the Gruber Residence to pray as members of Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group.  Other regular participants had personal engagements... but none the less,  it was still a meaningful evening of prayer and Christian fellowship for us who met tonight.  The special presence of the Holy Spirit was felt in our midst along with Our Lady... and heartfelt words flowed freely during our time of personal prayers and intercessions.



Bl. Angelina di  Marsciano

This month, for the prayer group's "Saint of the Month", I enthusiastically shared the life and relic of a little-known holy woman - Bl. Angelina di Marsciano - whose Memorial is celebrated every year on July 14th.  She was a noblewoman, who inspired by the Franciscan ideal, had forsaken a life of luxury and comfort to found a religious congregation.  Her excellent pious example led other women of rank to leave their families so as to follow her manner of living, which prompted intense opposition to her from other prominant families.  Bl. Angelina's extraordinary faith helped her to overcome every adversity, sometimes even through miraculous means; she reaffirms for all Christians that anything is possible if we will only have faith in God.

... and so tonight, as we recited the Holy Rosary, my special focus was asking God for the same gift of Faith that inspired and motivated Bl. Angelina di Marsciano and all the other Saints/Blesseds; the luminous faith that lights up the dark.  In lieu of all the recent and disturbing news coverage of the Aurora (Colorado) theater shootings, it's pretty obvious that America is experiencing a time of overwhelming darkness.  May God rekindle in us the light of Faith... and may Our Lady of Fatima and Bl. Angelina intercede for us.

Saturday Morning Rosary at St. John Vianney Church, 7/14/2012

Introducing this ministry's new pilgrim statue...

Earlier this week, the above-pictured statue of Our Lady of Fatima arrived from Ohio from where I had recently purchased it from a private seller.  It stands 27" tall from the base to the top of the head... and it is absolutely stunning!  It will be used by my personal ministry as a "pilgrim statue" to spread devotion to Our Lady and the Holy Rosary, along with my other pilgrim image - a larger Rosa Mystica statue.

This morning, when I attended Mass at neighboring St. John Vianney's church, I brought along the Fatima statue to have it blessed by the priest. After the blessing, I was invited to participate in the Rosary Prayer by a small group of parishioners who regularly pray the Rosary in the church's Blessed Sacrament Side-Chapel after the Mass.  I gladly accepted their invitation... and had the joy of presenting the statue for the veneration of the people who were gathered to pray.

Not wanting to disrespect Our Lady by placing her newly blessed image on the floor where I knelt down to pray, I placed the Fatima statue on the koa wood pedestal beside the Tabernacle for the duration of the prayers.  It was actually quite moving and inspiring to be able to pray in the physical presence of our Eucharistic Lord... while his beloved Holy Mother was represented beside him through the statue.

When the Rosary ended, several people expressed their gratitude for the statue's impromptu pilgrim visit and all commented on its exceptionally lovely face and affable expression.  My prayer is that Our Lady will use this new statue to touch many hearts for her Divine Son as I hope to make it available for future pilgrim visits to my home-parish of St. Anthony's Church in Kailua, and elsewhere where my ministry is invited and welcomed.

Our Lady of Fatima,

Queen of the Holy Rosary,

pray for us!

First Saturday Parish Rosary at St. Anthony's Church, 7/7/2012

Our Lady, the Rosa Mystica, Mother of the Church... and St. Christopher, pray for us.

(click on the photos to view larger images)

Another First Saturday Rosary for Peace was prayed at St. Anthony's Church in Kailua, Oahu.  Our group of regular attendees again came together to offer prayers for peace, and to also intercede, in union with the Blessed Mother, for the conversion of sinners.

At this month's meeting, we were spiritually joined by the ancient Martyr, St. Christopher - the "Christ Bearer" - whose sacred relic was displayed on the altar with Our Lady's veil-relic... and whose life was also shared with all the people who were present. 

The Rosary, along with the Mass that followed in the main church, made for an evening that was filled with blessings and tangible graces from the Holy Spirit.