Fatima statue at five parishes in June

This month, five parishes across the diocese will be hosting the world-famous International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, traveling worldwide since 1947.

The locations and dates of the statue tour stops are: St. Mary’s in Hague on June 16, Christ the King in Mandan on June 17, St. Leo the Great in Minot on June 18, St. Joseph in Williston on June 19 and Queen of Peace in Dickinson on June 20. Contact the parish for more details on the statue visit.

The statue is on an historic two-year journey across America, March 2016 to December 2017, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima, visiting more than 100 dioceses in 50 states.

Earlier this month marked the 100 ^th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima. She appeared several times over the course of several months to Lucia dos Santos, Francisco, and Jacinta Marto who were, respectively, ten, nine, and seven years old. The three shepherd children lived in Aljustrel, a small village in the township of Fatima in Portugal.

Earlier this month, Pope Francis canonized the two Portuguese shepherd children, Francisco, and Jacinta Marto, who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary over the course of several month 100 years ago. Their reported visions turned the town of Fatima into one of the world's major Catholic shrines.

The two Marto siblings died two years after the visions during the Spanish Flu pandemic in Europe. Lucia, who became a nun, died in 2005. She is being considered for possible beatification, but the process could only start five years after her death.

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima was sculpted in 1947 by famous sculptor José Thedim, upon the precise instructions of Sister Lucia. On October 13, 1947, the statue was blessed by the Bishop of Fatima and commissioned to serve as the Pilgrim Virgin that would carry the blessings of Fatima throughout the world. The Bishop prayed that Mary herself accompany the statue wherever it goes.

Many graces and favors have been associated with the image. The statue has traveled around the globe many times, visiting more than 100 countries, including Russia and China.
 
—Submitted information