Celebrating High Mass, Blessed Charles de Foucauld, and Devotions in Honor of Our Lady of Fatima in NYC

Icon of Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Sunday morning, members of the Fratelli della Santa Fede (Brothers of the Holy Faith) gathered at the Shrine Church of the Holy Innocents (128 West 37th St.) in Manhattan to make confession and celebrate High Mass for the Feasts of Blessed Gerardo Sasso, Santa Chelidonia de Abrruzzo, and the 102nd anniversary of the last apparition of Our Lady to the three shepherd children at Fatima. 

The Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was sung by Celebrant and Homilist Fr. James L.P. Miara, who was dutifully assisted by six servers and the parish Schola. Following his sermon, Fr. Miara consecrated the church’s new icon of Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916), a hermit priest who was martyred at the oasis city of Tamanrasset in French Algeria.

After Mass, the faithful were invited to venerate the icon before retiring to the church basement for some lite refreshments, coffee and fellowship.

Replacing Vespers was the Devotions in Honor of Our Lady of Fatima. In addition to the praying of the Holy Rosary there was a solemn candlelight Eucharistic procession and traditional “Fatima Farewell,” where devotees wave white handkerchiefs as the statue of Our Lady is carried in procession around the nave.

Rosary in hand, Fr. Miara led us in prayer at Duffy Square

Bringing a close to the congregation’s 54-Day Rosary Novena in reparation for all the evils in our country, some fifty parishioners took to the teeming streets of Times Square with Fr. Miara to pray fifteen decades of the Holy Rosary at Duffy Square. Along with new friends Mark and Michael, the Sanfedisti had the great honor of carrying the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the procession.

Returning the statue to the church, we were able to venerate the icon of Blessed Charles de Foucauld a second time before leaving for our celebratory, but modest dinner.

Prayer to obtain a favour through the intercession of Brother Charles - Father de Foucauld

God Our Father, you called your servant Charles de Foucauld to discover the infinite greatness of your love by contemplating the life of Jesus of Nazareth, your Son, who became flesh, who humbled himself to the point of death, who was raised to life, and who sent the Holy Spirit as his first gift to those who believe. May we find, as we lovingly read the Gospel, and as we adore the Eucharist, a fountain of inexhaustible life in Christ, and a missionary courage and energy which will bind us in a spirit of universal fraternity. Thus we can work together to bring about your plan for the salvation of all people. We ask you in particular to grant, by the intercession of your servant Charles de Foucauld, if this is in conformity with your will, this grace.... for... whom we commend to your fatherly heart. We ask you this through Jesus, your beloved Son, Our Lord.