www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Fatima Crusade?

Anyone familiar with Nicholas Gruner and his thugs?

www.fatima.org [fatima.org]

What think ye?

wacko but they are not in waco

avoid them.

Fr. Serge

Statement from U.S. Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo concerning Father Gruner:
http://www.fatimafamily.org/news/gruner.html

Why do you call Fr. Gruner and his followers thugs?

Not Father Groaner again. He keeps on with the same old stuff even after numerous Vatican spokesmen have said he is wrong.

I agree with Fr. Serge re: avoid them.

Avoid them maybe, but don't call them "thugs".

Dear Friends,

I visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Youngstown, NY on Saturday - beautiful!

The Barnabites do a terrific job, everyone went to the Chapel of the Immaculate Heart afterwards, VERY VERY MOVING!

By the way, does anyone know why they are called "Barnabites?"

Alex

Dear Alex:
Paschal Blessings to you+
The Clerics Regular of St. Paul had their Motherhouse at the church of Saint Barnabas in Milan in the mid 16th Century. The people to whom the Clerics ministered called them Barnabites from the parish church associated with the Clerics of St. Paul.
May Our Lady of Fatima enfold you in her mantle!
Christ is Risen!
Silouan, Mary's monk

Bless, Father Silouan!

Ahh! Thank you!!

I didn't know that St Anthony Mary Zaccaria was their founder - always loved that Saint and they had a relic of his enshrined there.

The Chapel to the side is a copy of the one at Fatima, Portugal, the wooden statue was carved at Fatima and blessed by the Bishop of Fatima.

Their shrine rosary is interesting. The Our Father beads are silver acorns to recal the Holm oak over which Our Lady appeared at Fatima and the oak symbolizes stability, strength etc.

The emphasis is on prayer, penance and conversion, as well as the Most Holy Eucharist in the Mass and in Eucharistic Adoration.

There were pictures of loved ones in the military who are now in Iraq up on their board and it was very moving to see people praying for them. The Shrine has a papal Ombrellino hanging above as Pope Paul VI declared it to be a Minor Basilica.

There is a Barnabite Seminary there with more than 130 alabaster statues of saints on the grounds.

A shrine we will visit again and again, to be sure!

Alex

Yeah, "thugs" is not the right word. (Father did not call them that, though.)

Dear Friends,

Is the Fatima devotion anti-ecumenical (Orthodox/Catholic)? Is it outdated? Is it something that can continue to have relevance for the EC Churches?

What say you?

Alex

I don't see it as having relevence at all for Christians. Russia has always had a particular devotion to the Theotokos. It would be difficult to find a nation that exceeds it in zeal.

What the children of Fatima were asking for was magick, a ceremonial act which (if done correctly) will unleash the Divine power to force a change upon a nation far away. The specific request (for "consecration") is a novelty in Christianity, with no precedent I am aware of. That casts a great cloud over the legitimacy of the message.

Michael

I think the Fatima devotion for the "conversion of Russia" was a good thing for getting Catholics to pray for Russia at the time when Russia was under the Communist yoke. I remember a lot of people who prayed for Russia who probably would not have prayed for Russia otherwise.

But, I think that this prayer "for the conversion of Russia" is obsolete now. Communism is over in Russia, and the Church there is free. I also think that prayer "for the conversion of Russia" is offensive and counter-productive for ecumenical talks between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

As for the rest of the Fatima message -- a reminder by the Theotokos that people should pray, fast and offer alms for the neighbor -- that is a good thing and it never becomes obsolete.

Just my two cents' worth.

-- John