TRAVELS of 2013

The year 2013 had been blessed with so many bon voyages with Our Lady. We started our 75,000 mile journey of the year in January to visit the beautiful Napa Valley in Santa Rosa Diocese, all the way up to the border of Oregon in Cresecent City passing through the Avenue of the Giants. It was an astounding display of redwood trees in the entire 500 mile redwood belt on Highway 101. On top of that was the giant sacrifices of pilgrims willing to offer up anything Our Lady requests of them. February is a month of fervent prayer as we culminated at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacra- mento in conjunction with the Diocese’s effort in promoting the New Evangelization. March was for Miami, West Palm Beach and Venice Dioceses in sunny Florida before we headed up the mountains and ridges of Colorado for the Denver Archdiocese. Patterson, New Jer- sey spent the month of May offering flowers to Our Lady as we visit several parishes there before heading to the Midwest in the Archdio- ceses of Milwaukee and Chicago.

During the summer season, we took the IPVS statue “Down Under” in almost every major cities in Australia where we cov- ered about 30 thousand miles of combined air and land travel in Australian tour alone. Starting from the Chicago area, we flew in to Los Angeles, CA for a connecting flight to Melbourne, Victoria.The Archdiocese of Mel- bourne gave us an overwhelming welcome from the very first day at the airport until we drove off through the outback to the Diocese of Wagga Wagga, then to the Archdiocese of Sydney.

It was a pleasant ride and meeting those people on our journey and seeing some packs of kangaroos along the fields when we got lost more than once while looking for the main highways. From Sydney, we flew in to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption in the Archdiocese of Adelaide at the cathedral. Af- ter just 3 days, we headed to Western Aus- tralia to the Diocese of Bunbury, then in the Archdiocese of Perth officially ending on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. Thousands of people have responded to the requests of Our Blessed Mother. May God bless them and keep them close to the Heart of Our Dear Mother!
Also, we joined Pope Francis during the Marian Day in Rome last October in the Act of Entrustment to Our Lady of Fatima.

While in transit during this trip to Rome, I had the privilege of meeting with the generous and hospitable sisters of the Family of Mary in Amsterdam, Netherlands. I arrived there in the middle of the night but they provided transportation and accomodation. They gladly welcomed me into the chapel of Our Lady of All Nations, where they joined me in thanksgiving prayer.

It was also providential for me to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Fatima, Portugal after the Marian Day in Rome. It has now been 10 years since I first got involved with the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue. While we bring the statue to all places, with it comes the teaching aspect of preaching the gospel call to prayer, penance and conversion - the urgent message of hope and the peace plan from heaven by Our Lady of Fatima.

This pilgrimage is a humble gesture of thanksgiving for all the wonderful things God has done for us and for all the graces obtained through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. God has been very generous to me and to the Apostolate of spreading the devotion to the Blessed Mother. It was my prayer during the Year of Faith, a year with Mary, with Her faithful devotees - we may offer sacrifices in the true spirit of penance and Eucharistic reparation, for the sins of the world to end all wars and violence and so that it may hasten the triumph of Her Immaculate Heart. 

-patrick sabat

Fatima Pilgrimage 2014

Fatima Pilgrimage 2014

IPVS Represented During the Marian Day in Rome

On the occasion of the anniversary of the final apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima (October 13, 1917), the faithful belonging to diverse associations of Marian spirituality gathered for a Marian Day. The Holy Father called for it, we responded. For this event, the original Statue of Our Lady of Fatima was brought to Rome.

It was an honored mission to represent the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue Foundation to take part in this historic celebration at the Vatican Square. I have set foot in Italy for the first time and with reverent awe, I was tremendously struck at the sight of St. Peter’s BasiIica during the great encounter of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and the Pope while I waved the IPVS banner with the pilgrims.

With more than a hundred and fifty thousand pilgrims from all over the world, we sang and prayed the rosary in solemn procession before the Mass. The Pope then led the prayer, the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I joined the delegates of the Confraternity of Mary, MediatrixofAllGrace,fromthePhilippines and California, headed by Rev. Fr. Melvin Castro.

We are very grateful to Her Excellency, Mercy Tuazon, Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican in providing usaspecialpasstoagetaseatonthe main atrium of St. Peter’s Square for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with Pope Francis.

Our presence here signifies our strong commitment to the message of Our Lady of Fatima and our solidarity with the Holy Father. This is part of the conclusion of the Year of Faith. It united hundreds of movements and institutions connoted with Marian devotions among such group as the IPVS Foundation. The purpose of such event was, in the words of the organizing committee, “to express how the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, is the icon of faith for every believer and that in her trusting obedience to the will of the Father She was able to work genuine wonders”.

The next day, I flew to Fatima, Portugal where the statue returned in its place in the capelinha. This was a providential occasion where I was able to personally meet with the Bishop of Fatima, Most Rev. Antonio Marto, shook his hands and joined a handful of other pilgrims during the nightly candle light procession in the Cova da Iria. There are no words to describe the peace and tranquility I have experienced in these holy places together with God’s holy people.

Rest assured, I have brought all your petitions there with me. All of you who have supported this ministry and praying for us, too. You have sent me there and I am very grateful. May we all be united in the love of the Blessed Mother as we promote devotions to Her Immaculate Heart.

-patrick sabat 

Why is the message of Fatima so important?

The message of Fatima to bring about peace by means of prayer, penance and conversion is so important in our troubled and violent world. This is a simple way to regain peace and defeat the evils of our time (selfishness, pride and greed, among others) which are so prevalent in our modern society that abandons God and prayer. The world continues to offend the Lord today even more with their sins and blasphemies. Our Lady of Fatima warns us not to allow all kind of sins to reign in our family and country particularly the sins of abortion and keeping silent about our God-given right to life. It is for this reason that even Pope Francis recently appeals for peace to the whole world and asked Our Lady of Fatima to help us. 

Is this Peace Plan from Heaven only for Catholics?

Peace in the world is not only the affairs of the Catholics but all people of good will. It hopes to inspire the hearts of all men, even to the non-Christians, so that they may open their minds to the truth that the only way to peace is the way of God, as told and delivered to us by Our Lady of Fatima. True peace can only come from God.
To put the statue’s place in history, we can understand that even non-catholics need to respond to its deep roots of the Evangelical calls to prayer, penance and conversion for peace in the world. It is for this reason that we call it the Peace Plan from Heaven.
Historically, the statue’s mission came at a time when the world needed it (1947- after WWII).

Obviously, the world needs it even more today because of its relevance and urgency. The world continues to offend the Lord even more with their sins and blasphemies. The world is still at war with evil. Or have we allowed selfishness and pride and all kind of sins to reign in our family and country, allowing abortion and keeping silent about our God-given right to life?