100th anniversary of Fatima at Youngstown shrine Saturday

YOUNGSTOWN

Many of those seeking ways to deal with or temporarily escape from the barrage of daily stress in the community, nation and world can find comfort and solace in the symbolism that a sacred statue espouses.

“The people understand the holiness here,” said Carole Elias, referring to the indoor pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the Shrine of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church. “She looks more sorrowful at times than at others; she has a calming presence.”

The statue, along with a large outdoor one on the church’s 30-acre parcel, also will be a main centerpiece for the 100th Anniversary of Fatima celebration Saturday at the church, 517 S. Belle Vista Ave., on the West Side.

The gathering will feature a rosary recitation from 10:30 a.m. to noon, followed by a noon Mass and a luncheon, said Elias, director of the 100th anniversary celebration committee.

The event also will include a brief lecture on the relationship between Fatima and the shrine, as well as other worldwide celebrations honoring the first of six apparitions said to have occurred beginning May 13, 1917.

On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin, under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary, is said to have made her initial appearance at Cova da Iria in Fatima, Portugal, to three children named Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, who had said a prayer while playing in a pasture amid a flock of sheep.

The holy event took place during World War I and the same year as the Russian Revolution.

Read more about her and the celebration in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.