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Due to the demands of the Season, Our Lady of Fatima Parish Office will close at 3:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, December 12-15th. We will resume regular office hours the following week, December 19th-22nd. The Parish Office will be closed December 23rd and 26th in observance of Christmas.

From the Gospel of Matthew 24:37-44. At sixty years of age, Maria and Paul had a beautiful life. High school sweethearts, they had four children, five grandchildren, a successful business, good friends and a fabulous beach house. They felt very blessed. Their strong faith in God saw them through some difficult challenges. Without warning, Paul died suddenly. Maria was devastated. Why did God do this? Why did God allow this to happen? An indescribable depth of sadness weighed heavily upon her heart. She felt betrayed by the God she thought was looking out for her. She was overwhelmed by despair. Have you ever experienced such incredible and deafening sadness? Where is God in all of the pain?

Posadas will be celebrated on Sunday, December 11, 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 a piñata for the kids, posole and other refreshments.

From the Gospel of Matthew 24:37-44. We can embrace and relish each moment of our lives as a sacred sacrament or nonchalantly and robotically attend to what life presents. We have our feet in two worlds. One is holy and sacred, and the other is profane and secular. Which one has the greater claim on us? To what do we devote most of our energy? We can easily be consumed with the particular demands and essentials of daily life: family, work, obligations, and the like, that we don’t really notice anything more than what is right before us. We become masters at “doing” and neglect our need to “savor.” Jesus reminds his friends that “as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.”

From the Gospel of Luke 23:35-43. It’s not unreasonable to think that if God wanted to make a statement he could do so in a very dramatic way. After all, he spoke through a burning bush that didn’t actually burn, parted the Red Sea, sent manna to the Israelites from the sky, cured lepers, healed the sick and cast out demons. All of that is pretty dramatic stuff, and they made statements! Now, Jesus hangs dying on a cross. He has been referred to as a king. Considering all of the miracles Jesus did in his short time on earth, isn’t one more in order? If Jesus came down off of the cross, defied death, and parted the waters of suffering and death, onlookers, believers and unbelievers alike, would take notice. It would prove who God is and show us what God wants us to do. Or would it?

The Beneficiary of Our Lady of Fatima’s Giving Tree this year is Birthright. Please help this ministry with diapers and baby clothes sizes 0 to 6 months. ​​​​​​​Gifts can be placed under the tree at the main entrance of the church, or turn into the parish office by December 16, 2022.

Join us on December 19 & 20 beginning at 6:30 PM for the 2022 Advent Mission presented by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR). There is no cost to attend however, donations to the Friary are greatly appreciated. Checks can be made payable to: Community of Franciscan Friars.

View and download the 2022 Advent and Christmas Event Schedule for Our Lady of Fatima.

December 24th-Christmas Eve Masses will be offered at 4:00 PM (with children’s play) and 6:00 PM.
December 25th-Christmas Day Masses will be offered at 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM only. There will not be a 12:00 PM noon Mass
on Christmas Day.

Our Lady of Fatima Parish currently has an opening for a full-time Janitor position . Please call the Parish Office for more information.

Thanksgiving Day Mass, with Blessing of Bread, will be held at 9:00 AM on Thursday, November 24, 2022. The Parish Office and School  will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following  Thanksgiving Day.

Practice will take place after the 12:00 PM Mass on Sunday, December 4, 11 and 18 in the Church All children ages 5 years and up are invited to join us. Participants will have their name placed in a hat and roles will be assigned by lottery. We can never have too many angels and shepherds, so all children who wish to participate will have an opportunity to do so. The Christmas play will be performed at the 4:00 PM Mass on Christmas Eve.

From the Gospel of Luke 21:5-19. Many make it their life’s ambition to determine precisely when the world will end. By reading the signs of the times, consulting scripture, or looking to prophetic predictions that are sometimes centuries old, they claim a certain credibility in being able to do so. Is all that necessary to know? Even when his disciples pointedly ask him this question, Jesus does not directly answer. While the end will inevitably come, Jesus points out that there is a lot we need to do first: remain faithful, face persecution, endure suffering, face wars and insurrections, and give testimony. Human beings tend to focus their energies on the wrong kingdom. Consumed with all of the things we have built and seeking to preserve them, we forget that we belong to a different kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

Read the letter from Fr. Stephen Schultz dated November 3, 2022.

Raffle winners announced! Thank you to all who supported Our Lady of Fatima School by purchasing a 2022 raffle ticket!

From the Gospel of Luke 20:27-38. Facing her 50th birthday and recently diagnosed with Type
2 Diabetes, Rebecca was at a crossroads. Realizing that she had neglected her health and fitness over the years and allowed herself to gain significant weight, she felt poorly about who she had become. While it was easier to give in to temptation and the gratification received from food, her family needed her, and she desired a long life. She had an image of the person she could become. She wanted to be more trim, focused, disciplined, and healthy. She liked what she saw in her mind and set out on a journey to create it. With great effort, she succeeded and accomplished her goals. When we have a goal ahead of us, we are more apt to do whatever is necessary to get it.

From the Gospel of Luke 19:1-10. Barry had a life sentence in prison for doing unthinkable crimes. He would often remark to the chaplain that he was an atheist and could not bring himself to believe in any “god.” When the chaplain asked why, Barry quickly retorted that the book of Genesis speaks of God creating everything and feeling very good about it. God’s creation of people and things is beautiful. Barry continued, “If there is a God who creates something and likes what He makes and that God is good, then how could He have created someone as evil as me?” The chaplain fell silent as tears welled up in his eyes. “God loves you too, Barry. The stuff that you did is another matter. God puts His image and likeness in each one of us, in our souls. How can God not love himself?” God cannot despise or hate anything or anyone. He made you. Life hurt you. He is always about unconditional love and mercy. Barry found a glimmer of hope that day and was touched by love.

Tuesday, November 1st is All Saint’s Day. It is a Holy Day of Obligation this year. Mass will be offered at 6:30 AM, 8:15 AM (Our Lady of Fatima School Mass) and 5:30 PM. Wednesday, November 2nd, is the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Soul’s Day). It is not a Holy Day of Obligation, but it would very appropriate to attend Mass and pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Masses will be offered at 6:30 AM and 8:15 AM.

From the Gospel of Luke 18:9-14. There is a thing called “false piety.” It is when we wear a religious disguise of devotion, attend to our obligations, and outwardly abide by rules while being inwardly unkind, uncharitable, and exclusive. Wearing the right clothes, saying the proper prayers, being in sacred places, and reading devotional books, those exhibiting false piety craftily try to control others using the pretense of love. The Pharisees, consistently criticized by Jesus, are prime examples. Thinking they are superior to others, they foolishly believe they are better positioned with God and more worthy of God’s attention. Forming an exclusive “club,” they divide things between “mine” and “yours” and “us” and “them.” They quickly criticize and point out flaws and errors in rituals and thinking. Conformity becomes the first commandment and control is the game’s name.

From the Gospel of Luke 18:1-8. Brendan wouldn’t stop. He continued nagging his mom to let him have a little more time with his phone. He knew the rules but wanted to finish a game and text a few more friends. He begged, had a temper tantrum, pleaded, screamed, pouted, and used every means he could think of t o get Mom to change her mind. Mom had a busy day and was tired. At first, she held her ground. Then, her son’s persistence got the best of her, and she caved. “Brendan, you can have 30 more minutes and no more!” she retorted. Brendan’s determination paid off. He won.