Statue of Mary to go "on tour" in the Archdiocese of Newark The Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fátima will be hosted by parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Newark between Saturday, November 29, 1997 and Sunday, February 22, 1998. The statue's presence will coincide with an exhibit in the Newark Museum entitled "Crowning Glory: Images of the Virgin in the Arts of Portugal," which begins on Wednesday, November 26. The Pilgrim Virgin will be present in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, on November 29 and 30, 1997. Then, it will be transported to various parishes during the remaining period. The statue comes through a request made by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick to the Bishop of Fátima, Most Rev. Serafim de Sousa Ferreira e Silva. "There is a large and very faithful congregation of Portuguese Catholic people here in the Archdiocese and that is truly one of the great gifts of the Church of Newark," Archbishop McCarrick said. "The presence of the Pilgrim Virgin will surely be a sign of the devotion of our Portuguese people and of the entire Roman Catholic community of this Archdiocese." The statue of Our Lady of Fátima comes from Fátima, Portugal, one of the most famous modern shrines of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She appeared to three children six times between May 13 and October 13, 1917. During the apparitions, "the lady" revealed that she was Our Lady of the Rosary. She requested frequent recitation of the Rosary, penance, increased devotion to her Immaculate Heart, prayers for the conversion of Russia and a church building in her honor. On October 13, as she had promised, a miracle (the spinning sun) was seen by 50,000 people. Reportedly, a "secret" was given during the Fatima Apparitions. That secret has never been revealed. The Director of Pilgrimages for the Archdiocese, Monsignor Richard F. Groncki, said that "the presence of this widely venerated image of the Mother of God will most certainly be a source of grace and blessings for our parish communities." Editor's note: Copy of official itinerary is printed below. Information about individual parishes can be found on our Parishes page
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