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June 11, 2017
Fifteenth annual Eucharistic Rosary Procession steps off in Northampton
REGIONAL
Story and photos by Carolee McGrath
Hundreds processed through the streets of Northampton for the 15th annual Diocesan Wide Eucharistic Rosary Procession, Sunday, June 11.
NORTHAMPTON – With the focus on the Blessed Mother and the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima, hundreds of Catholics processed through the streets of Northampton for the 15th annual Diocesan Wide Eucharistic Rosary Procession, Sunday, June 11. The theme was “To Jesus through Mary to console their two hearts.”
The event, organized by the Children of Mary, began at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish on King Street at 1 p.m. Marian Father Anthony Gramlich, director of the Diocese of Springfield’s Catholic Charismatic Renewal and rector of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, spoke on the significance of the apparitions in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.
“About a month ago, Pope Francis canonized two children that Our Lady appeared to. They are the first two children saints of the church that are not martyrs,” explained Father Gramlich in his talk. He explained how the message of Fatima, in which the Blessed Mother told the children to pray for sinners and to pray the rosary daily, is still relevant today with suffering and secularism in the world.
“Our Lady told the children to pray the rosary every day for peace in the world. Pray the rosary for peace. Don’t we want peace in the world?” Father Gramlich asked the congregation. “We want peace in the world. Think about the terror, the violence. But back then there was a war, World War I.”
The Virgin Mary appeared to three young children, Lucia dos Santos, 10, and her two cousins, Jacinta, 7, and Francisco Marto, 9, from May to October 1917 near Fatima, Portugal. She came to visit them on the 13th day of the month.
“She asked the children if they were willing to make sacrifices for sinners and they said yes,” he continued, adding that Mary told the children to offer up their suffering for the conversion of souls. He told those gathered that their sacrifice of a few hours on a hot Sunday afternoon to be a public witness for Jesus would not go to waste.
“So we can pray that today, before we go out into the 90 degree heat,” he said.
After Father Gramlich’s talk, there was the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. After a series of prayers, including the act of consecration to the Sacred Heart, the consecration to the Immaculate Heart, and intentions, more than 750 people left the church processing behind the Blessed Sacrament, and a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The route wound through downtown Northampton.
“The reason for this today is it’s the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. The message at Fatima is of hope and peace for the world,” said George D’Astous, a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish and the organizer of the annual event. Some of the intentions included prayers for the sanctification of marriage; prayers for the protection of life from conception to natural death; and prayers for soldiers, vocations and those suffering from addiction.
After the procession, the congregation came back to the church for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. David Flannery led the singing of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, while the St. Cecilia Children’s Choir sang praise and worship music.
At the end of the service people had a chance to venerate relics of Sts. Jacinta and Francisco.
A reception followed at the parish hall on Hawley Street.
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