Our Lady of Fatima visits West Side
By Kurt Backscheider • kbackscheider@communitypress.com • November 12, 2010
Julie Reece, of Delhi Township only needed one word to describe what she saw: "Beautiful."
Reece was one of the many Our Lady of Victory parishioners who stopped by the church Thursday, Nov. 11, to get a glimpse of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary made stops at several West Side parishes as part of a tour of churches and schools throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The world-famous statue was sculpted in 1947, based on the descriptions of Sister Lucia, who was one of three children who saw the Blessed Virgin 30 years earlier at Fatima, Portugal.
Sister Lucia was 10 years old when the Virgin Mary appeared to her and her two young cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, on May 13, 1917, in a field outside Fatima. The apparitions continued through Oct. 13 of that same year, and they conveyed Mary's predictions of World War II, the rise of Russian communism and the urgent need for the faithful to pray the Rosary.
The statue of Our Lady of Fatima was created and sent on a teaching mission to spread word around the world about Mary's messages to Sister Lucia and her cousins.
Carl Malburg, custodian/director of the statue for the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue Foundation Inc., said he's been traveling around the world with the statue since 1993.
He said since its creation in 1947, the statue has traveled continuously, visiting more than 100 countries and spreading the message of hope - the "peace plan from heaven" - to millions of people. On more than 30 occasions the statue is reported to have shed tears.
"People are always asking me about miracles," Malburg said. "We know God does make miracles happen from time to time, and as this statue travels around God hears a lot of prayers."
He said the Cincinnati Archdiocese invited the foundation to bring Our Lady of Fatima on a tour throughout the area. He said the statue hasn't been on display on the West Side for several years.
On each stop of the tour, he said there's a constant flow of people who stop throughout the day to see the statue.
Malburg said he loves his job and the mission of the foundation is fulfilling.
"We get to work with saints every day," he said. "I love to see people put God first in their lives and recognize the importance of religion and the messages like those of our Blessed Mother."
Reece said she's seen the statue four times, and tries not to miss an opportunity to see it.
"I've seen it before, but it's still gorgeous," she said. "To me it represents love and peace from our Blessed Mother. Her messages have always been about love."
The statue also visited Elder High School and Holy Family School in Price Hill, and St. Bernard parish in Taylor's Creek.
It will be at St. William Church in Price Hill from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18; and St. Antoninus Church in Green Townsjavascript:void(0)hip from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19.
"International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Fatima"
By: Mike Mattingly