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Benedictine College is uniting its Fatima Centennial celebrations with St. Benedict’s Abbey to participate in a 40 Hour Prayer Vigil for the United States of America on Election Day.
The 40 Hours Devotion will be held in St. Benedict’s Abbey ending when polls close Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.
During the 40 Hours Devotion, Benedictine College will host a Pilgrim Virgin statue of the World Apostolate of Fatima, feature a talk on the Message of Fatima, and conduct a Eucharistic procession.
The timeline is as follows:
“We have turned to Our Lady in times of need again and again at Benedictine College, and we have never been disappointed,” said President Stephen D. Minnis. “Our Lady of Fatima’s message about the need for national conversion is especially needed in this election year.”
Abbot James Albers, OSB, explained the prayer vigil: “Central to the Benedictine charism is the opus dei, the work or God in in our prayer for the Church and the world. It seems most important during this time of our local, state and national elections, when religious freedom is among the important questions of the day, that we have our nation at the fore in our prayer, and even that we double our efforts with this 40 Hours devotion.”
May 13, 2017, Benedictine College’s Commencement Day, marks the 100-year anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. Benedictine College has devoted the year to the anniversary. The daily Fatima rosary at Mary’s Grotto began on Sept. 8. On Oct. 30 the college enthroned the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the center of campus and renewed its consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The World Apostolate of Fatima’s pilgrim statue was sculpted in 1947 by Jose Thedim. The image reflects the description of Sr. Lucia, one of the three shepherd children who witnessed the Fatima apparitions. The image was commissioned on Oct. 13, 1947 by the Bishop of Leiria at Fatima and has traveled the world many times. Benedictine College is proud to have previously hosted Pilgrim Virgin Statues of the World Apostolate of Fatima in the March for Life.
Benedictine College’s history of Marian devotion began in 1856 when Benedict Abbey founder Father Henry Lemke prayed to the Blessed Mother, “If you help me out of this difficulty, I shall always call on thee.”
Photo: World Apostolate of Fatima, USA, Our Lady’s Blue Army
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is proud to have been named one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report as well as one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. It has a mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have been named one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report, the best private college in Kansas by The Wall Street Journal, and one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to transforming culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
