Bishop Kevin Vann and Fr. Christopher Smith will pray the rosary with the faithful of Christ Cathedral Parish on Saturday, May 13, as they celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Fatima and the 100th Anniversary of the apparitions of our Blessed Virgin in Fatima.
The special celebration in the Arboretum will include: Crowning of Mary, Procession, Rosary, consecration, Mass and Eucharistic Adoration in Arboretum.
A plenary indulgence is also available for participants. There are three ways to obtain an indulgence for the 100-year Fatima anniversary.
Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence opportunity for the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions throughout the centennial year, from the 27th of November 2016 until the 26th of November 2017. There are three ways to obtain the indulgence, detailed in a statement from the Fatima Shrine in Portugal.
To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the ordinary conditions: go to Confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
- Make a pilgrimage to the shrine in Fatima, Portugal: To the faithful who make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration of prayer dedicated to the Virgin. In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke the Mother of God.
- Pray before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima: To the faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October 2017, and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary. In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.
- The elderly and infirm: To the faithful who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around, may pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017. They must also “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.”