DENVER DIVISION NEWSLETTER

World Apostolate of Fatima

Our Lady’s Blue Army

September 2017

Devotion to the and First Saturday Devotion

“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way which will lead you to .” This is what Our Lady told the shepherd children on June 13, 1917. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is so beautiful, so tender, so loving. What Heart has ever loved Our Lord more than her Immaculate Heart? She invites us and longs for us to share in her love for her Son. Saint Teresa of Calcutta would pray these often, “lend me your Heart ” and “keep me in your most pure Heart”. She needed the Heart of her Mother to love Jesus and neighbor better, and she wanted to be joined to the pure love of the Mother of God, so that she could love Christ with the same heart and love, as that of Mary.

And yet, some people hate her, or are indifferent to her. We practice first Saturday devotion to make reparation to Her Heart. We are holding her to our breast, stroking her hair, and saying, “Mother, I’m sorry they hate you, but I love you.” We are tende rly consoling her as we would our own earthly mother, or child, or loved one, who has been hurt by others. Yes, she offers us an abundance of graces for completing the Five First Saturdays (including receiving for us all the graces necessary for salvation at the hour of death), but shouldn’t our motivation be to console her? And by consoling her, we are consoling her Son.

Why five? We are making reparation for the five wounds against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 1) blasphemies against Mary’s Immaculate Conception 2) blasphemies against Mary’s Perpetual Virginity 3) blasphemies against Mary’s Divine Motherhood 4) reparation for those who keep their children away from her, teach them to hate her of be indifferent towards her 5) blasphemies by those who insult Our Lady in her Sacred images.

What has she asked us to do? On five consecutive first Saturday’s she asks us to receive communion, go to confession (8 days before or after), recite the , and keep her company for 15 minutes meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary. Not only is this consoling her Immaculate Heart, she is taking us by the hand and teaching us how to live our Catholic faith! The and Reconciliation are sacraments at the heart of our faith. We mediate and ponder with her on the life of her Divine Son. She is teaching us how to pray and be Catholic.

Saint James on 13th and Oneida St. in Denver would like to invite you to join them as they offer the full first Saturday devotions to Our Lady!

Saturday, September 2nd Rosary begins at 7:20 am with time for meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary during Eucharistic Adoration. follows at 8:15 am. 2nd class Relics of Saint Jacinta and Saint Francisco are available for veneration at the feet of a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Confession can take place 8 days before or after First Saturday – Jesus said longer still if the soul is in a state of Grace.

- Our Lady of Fatima in Lakewood offers the full First Saturday devotion beginning at 8:15 am with Mass. - Saint Joan of Arc in Arvada offers the full First Saturday devotion beginning at 8:00 am with Rosary. - Does your parish offer First Saturday Devotions? Please email [email protected] so we can let others know.

PLEASE JOIN US IN OU R FINAL EVENTS CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL!

SEPTEMBER 13 MASS AND ROSARY PROCESSION AT SAINT JUDE

SEPTEMBER 16 PILGRIMAGE WALK FROM SAINT JOAN OF ARC TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA

Pilgrimage Walk The pilgrimage walk will take place on September 16.

We will walk from Saint Joan of Arc in Arvada to Our Lady of Fatima in Lakewood. This is a 5.5-mile walk, please do not attempt to walk if your health does not allow it. You can meet us at Fatima to walk through the Holy Doors, pray, and help with carpool back to Saint Joan of Arc. Father Nathan Goebel will be leading us. th Please RSVP by September 11 so carpool and breakfast can be arranged.

8:30 Mass

9:00 Breakfast (provided by the Knights of Columbus) 9:30 Begin Walk (estimated 2-3 hours)

12:30 Walk through Holy Doors, , veneration of

relics of Saint Jacinta and Saint Francisco. Estimated

time of departure is 1:30. *Please join us in this act of prayer, penance, and reparation. It must truly be pleasing to the Lord and Our Lady.

Archbishop Aquila will cancelling our October Mass it can be added to the consecrate our Archdiocese and procession. Please archden.org/heartofmary on October 13th! In order to encourage your pastor to webpage. Please prepare allow everyone to participate participate in some way. your hearts and encourage either at the Cathedral, or at When you know what your others to do the same! their own parish, we are parish is doing to participate Praise God!

nd Our July 22 morning retreat at Mother Cabrini

Shrine was a huge

success! We had over 70 join us. Amy Mintz gave

a presentation on Our Lady of Fatima and Father Christopher Gama presented on devotion to

Our Blessed Mother and Our Lady of Guadeloupe. Artist Devin Montagne

enhanced the retreat and painted a beautiful picture of Mary, “Our

Lady of the Rosary”

(pictured below) while attendees watched and listened.

• September 17: Cathedral Basilica of

the Immaculate Conception • September 18: Our Lady of Mt Carmel, Littleton

• September 19: St. John Vianney Seminary, Denver • September 20:

Our Lady of Fatima, Lakewood

Our Lady is coming! The would accompany the statue New Prayer Cell! world famous International Pilgrim Virgin Statue will be wherever it goes. Her first coming to the Archdiocese of stop was in Canada, she remained in North America Denver September 17 – We have a new prayer until May 13, 1951. The September 20. cell! Immaculate Heart of statue then arrived at Fatima Mary Parish in The statue was sculpted in and Pope Pius XII made the Northglenn is ready and 1947 by famous sculptor Jose following statement, “In eager to receive blessings

Thedim. The image reflects 1946, I crowned Our Lady of from Our Lady of Fatima! Michael Conklin is the precise instructions of Sister Fatima as Queen of the prayer cell leader, thank Lucia. The statue was World and the following you Michael for bringing blessed by the Bishop of year, through the Pilgrim the Blue Army to Fatima on October 13, 1947. Virgin, She set forth as Immaculate Heart of Mary. They meet on the It was the second “twin” though to claim Her 2nd Saturday of the month statue commissioned. This dominion, and the favors She from 10:00am – 11:00am statue would carry the performs along the way are in the sanctuary. Their blessings of Fatima to the such that we can hardly first meeting had 17 West, while the first would believe what we are seeing people pray together. carry the blessings of Fatima with our eyes.” to the East. The Statue has visited over The Bishop entrusted the 100 countries. She now statue to John Haffert, co- comes to us. founder of the Blue Army, (Our Lady comes to the US in 1947) and prayed that Mary herself

“In the end, My Immaculate Heart will Triumph”