Movie Recommendation

Some of the good team of workers who have been fixing up the monastery the past 8 months.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings on Remembrance Sunday! Here in England, we are marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, and commemorating the many men and women who lost their lives. Every priest is permitted to offer a requiem Mass for the repose of the souls of all who died in the two World Wars last century. I had the blessing of offering two such Masses this morning--at Lanherne and Plymouth. And the day had many other blessings.

It began with quiet prayer, the Divine Office, and Confessions, but then I blessed a new mother (or rather a mother who had just given birth to her 5th), in the traditional "Churching of Women" ceremony, which offers special prayers for the mother. After the Mass in Plymouth, I had the joy of eating with the young adults (18 - 30) of the congregation and spending time talking and laughing with them. Then, here at Lanherne, there was an evening Baptism of the newest member of our congregation. The children and all present (perhaps 30 people) were especially reverent and prayerful. It is always a joy to baptize a baby and then hold him in my arms as I consecrate him to Our Lady.

Next weekend I will be, God-willing, moving back into my room, which the workers have been studiously transforming and preparing, along with the rest of the presbytery. They have done an excellent job of replacing all the piping, wiring, much of the roof, fixing windows, a new heating system, etc. etc. and in addition have made the rooms look quite nice. I hope to share some photos with you. Am quite looking forward to moving back upstairs as I will once again be able to pull my office and various other items out of boxes and operate in a good workspace. But the looks of things, the end result will be well worth the wait!

But as the title of this post indicated I wanted to recommend a movie to you: The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952). I watched it this week in order to evaluate it for a local family. I am pleased to say that it is better than I remembered it. Cinematographically well-done and entertaining. More importantly, it conveys a good sense of the basic events and environment of the apparitions. While to be sure artistic license was taken, I find it to be a wholesome, family-friendly movie that will lift your hearts to God and renew your thanksgiving for the beautiful gift of Fatima, which came in the midst of World War I.

May Jesus and Mary watch over each of you and guide you this week.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari