In his most recent column Archbishop Chaput writes, “Exactly 100 years ago this Saturday, May 13, three young children in Fatima, Portugal, had the first of six apparitions of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Church is very wary of claimed apparitions for good reason. Many turn out to be natural phenomena, or innocent imaginings, or even outright frauds. The Church thus investigates and reflects carefully on claimed apparitions for years before acknowledging the authenticity of events like Lourdes or Fatima…

But there’s no doubt today that Mary’s presence at Fatima, and her predictions about the crises and sufferings of the 20th century, were real…

What links Lourdes and Fatima is this: In both places, Mary appeared not to Church leaders, or intellectuals, or celebrities, or the wealthy, or the socially connected, or the politically skilled, but to the lowly; children who were poor and humble. Their simplicity made them sane enough to see and believe the miracle before them and hear the messages that Mary brought – messages ultimately about our need for conversion and trust in God, even in the face of crushing trials.”

You can read the complete column and the Archbishop’s reflections on these two anniversaries by opening the attached document or visiting www.CatholicPhilly.com.  Thank you.

Dear Friend,

By now you may have heard the news that a Presidential Executive Order on Religious Liberty is widely anticipated to be released tomorrow on the National Day of Prayer.

I have just come from a meeting on Capitol Hill where we learned that the final language is still being worked out and that it could be helpful to hear from defenders of religious liberty like you right now.

Please take a moment to let the Administration know what we expect. A quick click does the trick.

Thanks for raising your voice. Together we will be heard!

Amy McInerny
Executive Director

Registration for Camp Cabrini 2017 is now OPEN!

Click HERE to register your family, or print out this form and return it to the Rectory.

Mother’s Day is coming up on May 14th, if you need ideas, be sure to shop at www.smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate to Saint Frances Cabrini Catholic Church. Amazon has a large variety of gifts that are perfect for Mother’s Day including electronics, jewelry, clothing, and more.

Tune to EWTN for Canonization and special 100th Anniversary programming from Fatima!

EWTN Global Catholic Network is airing the most extensive coverage of the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Fatima, including the historic canonization by Pope Francis of Fatima visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Marto!  For a full list of EWTN’s Fatima programming, go to:ewtn.com/fatima/programming.asp.  Use EWTN’s Channelfinder at ewtn.com to find the companies that provide EWTN programming in your community.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and Chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, has released a statement in reaction to an announcement by the Democratic National Committee’s Chair that pledged support only for pro-abortion candidates. The full text of Cardinal Dolan’s statement can be found below and is being provided at the request of Archbishop Chaput. Cardinal Dolan Calls Pro-Abortion DNC Pledge Extreme, Disturbing, Intolerant April 26, 2017   “The recent pledge by the Democratic National Committee chair to support only candidates who embrace the radical unrestricted abortion license is very disturbing. The Democratic Party platform already endorses abortion throughout the nine months of pregnancy, even forcing taxpayers to fund it; and now the DNC says that to be a Democrat–indeed to be an American–requires supporting that extreme agenda.   True solidarity with pregnant women and their children transcends all party lines. Abortion doesn’t empower women. Indeed, women deserve better than abortion.   In the name of diversity and inclusion, pro-life and pro-‘choice’ Democrats, alike, should challenge their leadership to recant this intolerant position.”

The Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood is sponsoring a 9-day Novena, beginning on Saturday, April 29th, to promote and encourage vocations to the priesthood and religious life. I will be praying the first day of the Novena via Facebook Live on Saturday, April 29th, at Noon (www.facebook.com/phillypriest). Prayers for each subsequent day of the Novena will be led by seminarians and the videos posted at Noonon the Vocation Office Facebook Page. I ask that you share these videos on your personal/parish Facebook pages, and encourage your parishioners to like our page and participate in this Novena. Prayers for the Novena will be posted on our website at www.heedthecall.org.