Our Lady of Fatima Statue Stopping in Berkshires; Vigil Set at St. Elizabeth's

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Our Lady of Fatima

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church will host the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima for an overnight vigil on Sept. 10-11.

The statue will be at churches within the Diocese of Springfield from Sept. 8 through Sept. 28 as part of a two-year tour.

The procession at St. Elizabeth's begins Saturday, Sept. 10, after the 4 p.m. Mass and the vigil continues through the night until the 8:30 Mass on Sunday morning, Sept. 11.

After Mass at 10:45 a.m. on that Sunday, around noontime, the statue will be carried by firefighters to the city's Veterans Memorial, where a bell will be run for each of the airplanes involved in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. This will be followed by a moment of silence, addresses and a prayer.

The statue of Our Lady of Fatima will then be carried by police officers to Holden Street, transferred to parishioners and returned to the church. The custodian of the statue will give a speech about the messages of Fatima followed by a reception at the St. Elizabeth's Parish Center, where people may view the movie "The 13th Day: The True Story of Fatima," with food and refreshments.

The international statue is one of "twins" carved in 1947 according to the description of Sister Maria Lúcia, one of three children who claimed to see apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. It has traveled the world and, in 2014, was placed in the custody of The World Apostolate of Fatima, USA.



The national statue, which will visit the Diocese of Springfield, is a later creation blessed by Pope Paul VI in 1967. The current two-year journey of statues to 100 dioceses in all 50 states that will end in December 2017 is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima.

Each parish is planning a special day to commemorate the Fatima celebrations, which may include processions, Mass, rosary, confessions, talks on Fatima, and private veneration of the statue.

According to the website, "the goal of the Fatima Centennial U.S. Tour for Peace is to allow Our Lady of Fatima to claim her dominion over America through her Immaculate Heart, and to bring the urgent Message of Fatima—the Peace Plan from Heaven—to a world in need."

The statue will also appear at the following Berkshire churches:

  • Sept. 12: St. Mary's, Cheshire, 8 a.m. Mass
  • Sept. 13: Sacred Heart, Pittsfield, 9 a.m. Mass    
  • Sept. 14: Saint John Paul II, Adams, 8:30 a.m. Mass
  • Sept 20:  St. Patrick's, Williamstown, 8:30 a.m. Mass
  • Sept 26:  Divine Mercy Shrine, Stockbridge, 9 a.m. Mass

A date for Lee is also possible.

Other nearby stops include the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Chicopee, Sept. 15; Mother of Hope, Springfield, Sept. 16;  Our Lady of Fatima, Wilmington, Vt., Sept. 18; St Brigid's, Amherst, Sept. 22; Our Lady of the Hills, Haydenville, Sept. 25.  

See the website for a full schedule. http://wafusa.org/the-apostolate/national-pilgrim-virgin-statue/


Tags: memorial,   religious service,   terror attacks,   

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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.

Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.

We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.

In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.

Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear. 

The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.

"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."

Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.

In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.

The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.

"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.

They are hoping their display carries on the tradition of the Arnold Family Christmas Lights Display that retired in 2022.

The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.

In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.

"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said. 

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