Dear Friends,

Just a note to congratulate our friend, PaulOrthCathConfessor, on his unique on-line Brotherhood in honour of the Mother of God of Fatima.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the first time someone has taken the Brotherhood idea into cyberspace.

The Russian Byzantine Catholics have a great veneration for the Theotokos of Fatima and which is completely in the spirit of Byzantine Catholic Christianity.

I am going to join this Brotherhood (perhaps an on-line Rite of Admission could be had as with the ancient Rite of admission to a Church Brotherhood) and I invite any of you who would wish to join as well to contact Paul directly.

What truly impresses me about Paul's site is that it is not only steeped in Eastern spirituality and devotion, but he also encourages the veneration of the many Russian Catholic New Martyrs, many of whom have yet to be formally beatified, including Fr. Walter Ciszek.

Fr. Serge Keleher once related to me that the icon of the Mother of God of Fatima as we have it today, first appeared in Russia miraculously and before the apparitions at Fatima in 1917!

I also knew a Portuguese Priest with Biritual faculties, Fr. George Couto (+memory eternal!) who was very Eastern and, at the same time, extremely devoted to the Mother of God of Fatima.

When we pray, as Catholics, for the conversion of Russia in the spirit of Fatima, we are not praying for Russia to become Catholic, but for all Russians to return to the Sacraments and the practice of their Orthodox Faith and Church.

It is significant that the apparitions at Fatima spoke of Russia.

There are others which also point to Russia's significance as a great Christian country with a special role in salvation history.

Most Holy Theotokos of Fatima, save us!

Alex

[ 04-24-2002: Message edited by: Orthodox Catholic ]

Alex,
Nice message, now how do we find this on-line Brotherhood?


David

Yeah, where is it?

Dear Friends,

How's about I let Paul respond to your queries and give a much fuller discussion than I ever could on this!

Paul, where are you? We need you!

Alex

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Orthodox Catholic:
[QB]Dear Friends,

>>Just a note to congratulate our friend, PaulOrthCathConfessor, on his unique on-line Brotherhood in honour of the Mother of God of Fatima.<<

Yes, I second that! Congratulations, Paul...!


>>The Russian Byzantine Catholics have a great veneration for the Theotokos of Fatima and which is completely in the spirit of Byzantine Catholic Christianity.<<

Paul... has done a great service to the Church by bringing attention to the fact that there are Byzantine Catholics- most especially Russian Byzantine Catholics- who have devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.
There have been many Byzantine Catholic priests who have been involved with the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, especially in regards to the establishment of the Russian Byzantine Chapel of the Dormition at Fatima as well as the acquisition of the original icon of Our Lady of Kazan.

>>What truly impresses me about Paul's site is that it is not only steeped in Eastern spirituality and devotion, but he also encourages the veneration of the many Russian Catholic New Martyrs, many of whom have yet to be formally beatified, including Fr. Walter Ciszek.<<

May God reward Paul... for bringing attention to the fact that while the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church is numerically one of the smallest Eastern Catholic churches within the Catholic Church, it has given such a tremendous witness to the world in the number of martyrs.

>>Fr. Serge Keleher once related to me that the icon of the Mother of God of Fatima as we have it today, first appeared in Russia miraculously and before the apparitions at Fatima in 1917!<<

Yes, Archimandrite John Mowatt, former chaplain of the Russian Byzantine chapel at Fatima also makes that statement in the booklet he wrote about the Byzantine chapel at Fatima. The icon- which is a version of the "Joy of All Who Sorrow" icon- depicted the Theotokos dressed in white, which is very rare in Byzantine iconography. This icon served as the model for the "Fatimskaya" icon which was painted by an iconographer in France sometime in the late 50's/early 60's. The iconographer simply added the images of Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco to the icon. Copies of the "Fatimskya" can been seen at the Byzantine Dormition chapel at Fatima, and at Our Lady of Fatima Russian Byzantine Catholic Church in San Francisco. Personally, it is one of my favorite icons.

>>When we pray, as Catholics, for the conversion of Russia in the spirit of Fatima, we are not praying for Russia to become Catholic, but for all Russians to return to the Sacraments and the practice of their Orthodox Faith and Church.<<

Yes, I agree, but I also agree that there is an implied statement of unity as to the conversion of Russia. Many experts on Fatima have made this statement. Sister Lucia herself stated that -as she put it- the "Oriental rite" of the Catholic Church will play a role in the conversion of Russia. Are we not seeing that now with the re-emergence of the Ukrainian Catholic Church?
I believe that the Byzantine catholic Church( both Russian and Ukrainian) still have a major role to play in the continued conversion of Russia.

Christos Voskyresye!

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for your kind and supportive comments. A special thanks goes to, Alex, for starting this thread. I will, with the Administrator's permission, post the address for the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Fatima. Ladies are also welcome.

http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/fatimabyzantinecatholics/

Presviataya Bogoroditza Fatimskaya, spasi nas.
RusOrthCath martyrs and confessors, pray for us.

Christos Voskryesye!

I am sorry for any confusion. Just click on "yahoo groups" and type in "fatimabyzantinecatholics." This should take you to our brotherhood.

Presviataya Bogoroditza Fatimskaya, spasi nas.
RusOrthCath martyrs and confessors, pray for us.

Glory to Thy Passion, O Christ!

Dear friends,

I know a fair amount about the history of devotion to the Theotokos of Fatima among the Russians. Can anyone share information about some of the other Orthodox-Catholic churches?

I have heard that the late Bishop Nicholas Elko of Pittsburgh had a strong devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. He promoted the cult of Virgin of Fatima among the Carpatho-Rusyns in America. I belive that Carpatho-Rusyns practiced this devotion in a Roman manner with statues, Carmelite (brown) scapulars, the Western prayer rope (Dominican rosary), Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart, etc. At least three other Carpatho-Rusyn bishops encouraged devotion to the Theotokos of Fatima: Stephen Kocisko of Pittsburgh, Michael Dudick of Passaic, and Thomas Dolinay of Van Nuys and later of Pittsburgh.

Later under the late Metropolitan Judson a Pittsburgh chapter of the Blue Army was formed. Metropolitan Judson directed that Byzantines (Ruthenians) in the Blue Army ought follow Orthodox Carpatho-Rusyn tradition while practicing their devotion to the Theotokos of Fatima. He appointed a more Eastern chaplain. Now the Carpatho-Rusyn clergy and faithful in the Blue Army venerate icons, chant molebens, and use their prayer ropes in an Eastern manner.

I know that several Ukrainian Catholics worked with the Blue Army. Our late patriarch, Hieroconfessor Joseph, Patriarch of Kyiv-Halych and all Rus', presented Blue Army petitions to Pope Paul VI asking for a collegial consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He also made a pilgrimage to Fatima. Bishop Paul Vasylyk, confessor also promotes devotion to the Theotokos of Fatima. Bishop Ivan Prashko of Australia also promoted devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. Fr. Paul Maluga, CSSR raised money in support of the Russian Dormition Chapel at Fatima.

Presviataya Bogoroditza Fatimskaya, spasi nas.
RusOrthCath martyrs and confessors, pray for us.

Dear Paul,

Well, you know everything there is to know already!

Alex

Christos Voskryesye!

Dear friends,

I want to thank each of you who have expressed intrest in and even joined the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Fatima. Just use the link above. I plan to post more on Our Lady since May is the month in which the apparitions began. I believe that it is no coincidence that May 1917 is also the anniversary for the formation of the Russian Orthodox-Catholic Exarchate.

Presviataya Bogoroditza Fatimskaya, spasi nas.
RusOrthCath martyrs and confessor, save us.

Dear Paul,

I have been working on a draft of an Akathist to the Theotokos of Fatima that I'll send you for comments just as soon as I'm finished.

Alex