Message of prayer, reconciliation

CHATHAM TOWNSHIP  Last year the Church worldwide celebrated the 100th anniversary of the visitation of Our Lady of Fatima before three shepherd children in Portugal in 1917. While the centennial celebrations have concluded, Our Lady’s message still remains strong and needed more than ever.

Because her message of prayer, conversion and reconciliation remains timeless, Corpus Christi Parish here will welcome one of 13 official pilgrim statues of Our Lady of Fatima to the parish from Oct. 11 to 15. The statue comes from Our Lady’s shrine in Fatima where the Blessed Mother appeared to 10-year-old Lucia Santos and her young cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. These visitations took place on the 13th of the month, from May to October 1917, with the exception of August when she appeared on the 19th.

Father Lemmuel Camacho, parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Parish, is coordinating the activities of the statue and has planned many events during the visitation. There will be holy hours, Masses, recitation of the rosary, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, blessing of religious articles and the Living Rosary. The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick will also be available upon request. The schedule of events can be found on the parish’s website www.corpuschristi.org. Many parishioners of Corpus Christi have volunteered their time to make the event possible and the religious education classes at the parish will be hosting the Living Rosary.

One of the highlights of the visit includes Mass, celebrated by Bishop Serratelli on Saturday, Oct. 13th, for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time at the 5 p.m. vigil Mass in Corpus Christi Church. During the Mass, the congregation will renew its consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The faithful are welcomed to attend the Mass and all the events during the visitation.

“This is a great opportunity to be in the presence of Our Lady,” said Father Camacho, “Spending time with her can lead us to a conversion of the heart. Especially during these difficult times, the message of Fatima shines forth. We need to pray, reconcile with the Lord and with one another so there can be lasting peace. “

Father Camacho has had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother during his life, attributing his vocation to the priesthood to her.

While studying in Rome for the priesthood, Father Camacho spent the summer of 2012 as a volunteer pilgrim assistant to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. There, he helped in the visitor center, assisting visitors to the shrine and giving small explanations about the importance of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima. It was during this time he made lasting connections with the shrine in Fatima, which allowed him to have the opportunity to have one of the pilgrim statues come to Corpus Christi.

Shortly after he was ordained a priest in 2015, he returned to Fatima and celebrated Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, which is at the exact location of where the Blessed Mother appeared to the three children in 1917.

The statue’s visit connects the Chatham parish with many churches worldwide, which have welcomed the pilgrim statues of Our Lady of Fatima. “The message of Fatima is about prayer and reconciliation. Returning back to God and praying the rosary is a message that has no limit, it doesn’t end. We all need to pray and every moment give to the Lord with all our hearts,” Father Camacho said.