Electronic
Newsletter: February 2008
Fatima Peace
Conference in India
– Most Successful
Ever!
Fort Erie, Feb. 8,
2008: From January 30 to
February 5, the Fatima Center held
its “Only Way to World Peace”
conference in Chennai, India. Nearly
400 priests and bishops attended
from countries throughout the world.
At least 13 nations were
represented, including India, Sri
Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, the
Philippines, Papua New Guinea,
Scotland, Italy, United States and
Canada.
The conference focused on
the central importance of the Fatima
Message, stressing Our Lady’s
requests at Fatima; the Rosary;
Marian Doctrine and Devotion; the
urgency of the Consecration of
Russia; current trends detrimental
to the Catholic Faith; the threat of
Protestantism; the United Nations as
the false solution for world peace
and much more.
Conference organizers say
this latest conference in India was
the most successful Fatima Peace
conference to date. Tens of
thousands of scapulars, leaflets,
flyers, magazines and books were
distributed to participants eager to
bring the full Fatima message home
to their dioceses and parishes.
The conference also
distributed thousands of leaflets
now available in Tamil, one of the
main languages of southern India.
Father Nicholas Gruner spoke
of the establishment of the Fatima
Movement of Priests, a worldwide
movement for Catholic priests to
stress the importance of Our Lady’
Message at Fatima. The latest
conference in India has swelled the
ranks of this important movement
dedicated to making Our Lady’s words
at Fatima known, loved, defended and
obeyed.
Along with the daily
lectures and the priestly
camaraderie of this large assembly,
the activities also included a trip
to Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in
Pondicherry where an impressive
Fatima procession was held.
Thousands turned out for the event,
including hundreds of children
dressed in beautiful regional
clothing.
Priests and bishops of the
conference also visited three other
parishes in Pondicherry, including
the Cathedral. Thousands of the
faithful flocked to each of the
churches to see the pilgrim statue
of Our Lady, to pray the Rosary and
to hear Father Gruner deliver a
brief address on Our Lady’s Fatima
visitations. The faithful received
this with great enthusiasm, as the
people of India nourish a deep love
of Our Lady, referring to her
affectionately as “Mother Mary”.
Bishops and priests at the
conference took to heart the Fatima
message, pledging to consecrate
themselves, their parishes to the
Immaculate Heart; and to promote the
Rosary, Brown Scapular and the Five
First Saturdays.
At the conference’s close,
four priests from different regions
publicly thanked Father Gruner, the
Fatima Center and its benefactors
for making the conference possible.
Practically all of the
attendants noted their appreciation
of the event. One priest said, “My
devotion to Mary was enhanced and my
vocation was strengthened.”
Another priest said, “The
conference gave me a very clear
exposition of the urgency of the
Message. It was challenging. I am
going to be a Marian priest and do
all I can to please Our Lady and
obey Her commands.”
A priest from Kerala pledged
to “start spreading the Fatima
message wherever I am appointed and
wherever I travel ... I will
proclaim it to all I meet.”
A bishop who attended wrote
these words of encouragement: “Keep
going onward, do not give up!”
All of the lectures from
conference are available for viewing
on line at
www.fatimaondemand.com
Look for more about the
India conference from the Fatima
Center’s webpage, mailings, and
upcoming Fatima Crusader
magazine.
Webpage:
www.fatima.org
