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Representatives from Holy Land Handicrafts will be selling religious woodcarvings that have been made in Jerusalem and Bethlehem by Christian craftsmen working with olive wood. The quality of the work is exceptional and the grain lines of the olive wood give real character to the pieces. Come by and take a look. They make wonderful Christmas presents! Your purchase will help Christians in the Holy Land to provide for their families.

In today’s Readings, we hear about things that will happen before Christ returns in glory. In the First Reading (Malachi 3:19-20), from the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi warns that the end is near, and that the final judgment is coming. In today’s Second Reading (2 Thessalonians 3:7-12), St. Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to be mindful of their own behavior and not worry about the indiscretions of others. This comes directly after his warning against deception regarding the Second Coming of Christ. And in the Gospel (Luke 21:5-19), Jesus warns his disciples that there will be wars and insurrections, earthquakes, famine, plague, awesome sights and many signs from the sky. These are dramatic predictions, and many of these things have been experienced throughout history, but keep in mind that Jesus also said that no one knows the day or hour of his return, except the Father in Heaven.

The International Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be visiting our parish on Saturday, December 14th. There will be a procession into the church with the statue at 7:30 AM, followed by Mass. During the Mass, the caretaker of the statue will give a presentation on the history of the statue and where it has travelled to. After Mass the Rosary will be prayed. Then every hour on the hour from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the Rosary will be prayed (rotating the Mysteries) followed by a period of silent prayer until the next hour. Parishioners are encouraged to sign up with the Parish Office to lead the recitation of one of the Rosaries throughout the day. The statue will leave the church in procession after the 5:30 PM anticipatory Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent.

The 2020 Parish Calendars will be available after all Masses in two weeks, on the First Sunday of Advent (December 1st). ​​​​​​​The calendars are offered to our parishioners free of charge while they last, but we ask that you please limit yourselves to one calendar per household for the first weekend so that all families have an opportunity to have a calendar.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish will be hosting a free concert performed by the Madrigal Singers of Albuquerque. The concert will begin at 2:30 PM next Sunday, November 24th in the church. Refreshments will be served in Fatima-Gallagher Hall after the concert. All are welcome!

Our Lady of Fatima will be having an Advent Parish Mission from Monday, December 9th through Wednesday, December 11th. Presentations at 6:30 PM and Confessions at 7:15 PM. Join us for a special walk through Advent with Father Christopher Zugger, from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church. Using insights from both the Byzantine and Latin Rites, we will embark on a special journey to meet the Christ Child, His Blessed Mother, and His Protector, Saint Joseph so as to prepare well for the great feast of Christmas.

Mark your calendars now for the 2019 Our Lady of Fatima School Christmas Musical Program to be held at 7:00 PM on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at Fatima-Gallagher Hall. Come and enjoy performances by our talented students!

Next weekend is “Stewardship of Treasure” Sunday, and we will be invited to renew our commitment to Sacrificial Giving (tithing) as the principle means of stewardship within the parish. Stewardship is based on the spiritual principles of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus. Stewardship is a way of life based on the premise that all that we have and all that we are have come from God and, as a way to thank God for all His many blessings, we return a portion of the time, talent, and treasure that have been given to us. Stewardship encourages a spirituality that deepens our relationship with the Lord. Stewardship involves intentional, planned, and proportionate giving of our time, talent, and treasure.

Mass on Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 28th - will be at 9:00 AM. Parishioners who attend the Mass are invited to being the bread/rolls/tortillas that will be a part of their Thanksgiving meal for a blessing at the end of the Mass. The Parish Office and School will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day.

Monday, December 9, 2019, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because it is celebrated on a Monday this year, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. Masses will be offered at the regular daily Mass times of 6:30 AM and 8:15 AM.

Posadas will be celebrated on Sunday, December 15th, beginning at 5:00 PM in the church. We will then continue in procession to various doors on the parish campus as Joseph and Mary seek a place to stay. The procession will conclude at Fatima-Gallagher Hall where there will be music, a piñata for the kids, posole and other refreshments.

The roofs on several of our parish buildings were damaged during the hail storm of July 30, 2018. After many months of negotiation with the insurance company, as well as consultations with roof engineers and solicitation of proposals from roofing contractors, we are finally ready to begin with replacing the damaged roofs. The construction is scheduled to begin by mid-November and take approximately four weeks. ​​​​​​​Please exercise extra caution in those areas that will be involved in the construction.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 19:1-10), we heard the story of the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus. I invite you to focus on the details of this passage. The encounter takes place in the town of Jericho, which is perhaps most famous for the battle that was fought there when the Israelites first entered the Promised Land at the end of the Exodus from Egypt. During that battle, the Israelite army issued battle trumpets, normally restricted to squad leaders, to every soldier. At night they marched around the city, blowing their trumpets and raised such a commotion, that the inhabitants of Jericho were terrified and surrendered without a fight. The walls came tumbling down.

This coming Friday, November 1st , we will celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints which is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will be held at 6:30 am, 8:15 am, and 5:30 pm. It is a day when we honor the lives of all saints – those officially recognized by the Church, as well as countless others known only to God. As part of the Apostle’s Creed, we acknowledge our belief in the “communion of saints.” The communion of saints describes the spiritual union that exists among the saints in Heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the faithful living on earth.

Raffle winners announced! Winners were drawn at Our Lady of Fatima School's 2019 Halloween Festival on October 25, 2019. Thank you to all who supported Our Lady of Fatima School by purchasing a 2019 raffle ticket!

The Adult Faith Formation Groups will begin a 3-week, videobased study on a program called Forgiven - The Transforming Power of Confession. Classes will meet 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM in Fatima-Gallagher Hall, Room 1, on Wednesday, October 30th; Wednesday, November 6th; and Wednesday, November 13th. Study guides are $6 each and may be purchased at the first class.

The three Readings today bring to mind the meaning of persistence. In the First Reading (Exodus 17:8-13), as long as Moses kept his arms raised (eventually with the help of Aaron and Hur when Moses got tired), Joshua and the Israelite army prevailed in their battle against Amalek and his army. In the Second Reading (2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:2), St. Paul reminds Timothy to remain faithful to what he has learned and believed. In the Gospel (Luke 18:1-8), Jesus uses the parable of the persistent widow to remind his disciples about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.

From September 25th through November 3rd, you are invited to join other Christians who will be participating in “40 Days for Life.” This will be 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion. As part of our participation in “40 Days for Life,” parishioners are encouraged to engage in prayer, fasting and almsgiving, the three traditional means of penance.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Our Lady of Fatima Miracle of the Sun Festivities so special. Special Thanks to The Cooperage for providing the main dish, to everyone who brought a delicious dish to share for the Pot Luck, to our Ministries for enriching our Parish Life, and thank you to the countless other Parish volunteers who are always there when we need them!

Our holiday drive for frozen turkeys, non-perishable food items and monetary donations has begun. Donations can be dropped off in the Parish Office, or your monetary donation can be dropped in the collection basket, however, please clearly mark that it is designated for our Thanksgiving drive. The non-perishable food will be used to re-stock our St. Vincent de Paul Pantry. THANK YOU for your donations and support!