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April 30, 2017
Movie night in Northampton features message of Fatima
REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath
More than 80 people gathered at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish hall in Northampton to watch the “13th Day,” a film about the message and miracles of Fatima.
NORTHAMPTON – More than 80 people gathered at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish hall on Hawley Street in Northampton, Saturday evening, April 29 to watch “The 13th Day,” a movie about the miracles at Fatima.
The film, by Ian and Dominic Higgins, chronicles the story of three young children, Lucia dos Santos,10, and her two cousins, Jacinta, 7, and Francisco Marto, 9, who were visited by the Virgin Mary from May to October 1917 near Fatima, Portugal. The Blessed Mother came to visit them on the 13th day of the month. The film shows how some did not believe the children and how they were put in jail and threatened by a government official.
The Children of Mary, a prayer group at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, organized the event. George D’Astous said he thought it was important to show the movie as the world prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions.
“In 1917, she came to tell people there would be an end to World War I and peace would come to the world. Then she said, if people did not stop offending her son, that a greater punishment was going to come and another war, more suffering and persecution,” said D’Astous.
“She also said error would spread from Russia and spread throughout the world causing wars and persecution of the church,” he continued, referring to communism.
The Blessed Mother told the children to pray the rosary daily for peace and told them to offer up their suffering for the conversion of souls. The film depicts the children who were terrified in the jail cell, offering up their suffering, and rejoicing thinking about the souls that would be saved.
“The rosary is the message. The rosary is the weapon. She (the Blessed Mother) called it the weapon. People don’t realize how many rosaries need to be said and how it can change things,” D’Astous said.
Father Ryan Sliwa gives a talk following the movie on the message the Blessed Mother gave to the world through the three children at Fatima.
The Children of Mary organize the diocesan wide Eucharistic Rosary Procession, which will be held this year June 11 at 2 p.m in Northampton.
“Imagine 1,000 people processing, praying the rosary, the power of that coming and being received into heaven, walking with Jesus and praying the rosary. It’s unbelievable,” D’Astous added.
Father Ryan Sliwa, the parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish in Westfield, gave a talk after the movie. He said the message the Blessed Mother gave to the children was fervent, but simple.
“It’s nothing very complicated. A lot of people don’t know about Fatima, but it’s a simple message. Return to the basic things of our faith: prayer, prayer for others, and being faithful to the Gospels,” said Father Sliwa.
On the message of offering up suffering, he said, “It’s right out of the Gospels. Jesus said, ‘Take up your cross and follow me.’”
Several other events are planned throughout the diocese to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, including a local World Youth Day celebration scheduled for July 8 at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Ludlow.
For a video version of this story, tune into an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” the Diocese of Springfield’s weekly television news magazine that airs Saturday evenings at 7 on WWLP-22 NEWS