The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima (photo credit:  Mary Anne Urlakis)

"Please don't touch her.  She'll touch you."  

~a sign placed in front of the statue

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima was designed in 1947 to the exact specifications of Sister Lucia, one of the three Fatima visionaries.  Since then, she has traveled the world with two caretakers, making visits to faithful believers in all nations.  Many prayers have been answered, graces and blessings bestowed, and even a miracle or two have been attributed to prayers in her presence.  She has even been known to weep.


Roses for Our Lady is blessed to host a visit from the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima at our June 9th Holy Hour for Vocations at 2 PM at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee. Just two weeks prior to the holy hour, we found that our scheduled priest would be unable to attend.  I made a pilgrimage to visit the Handmaids of the Precious Blood and to Marytown with my sisters, and there I asked the Blessed Mother to please help me find a good and holy priest who would assist Roses for Our Lady with this holy hour, a priest that she herself would choose.  That very night, not one, but two, very holy priests contacted me with their willingness to help.  I heard from both Fr. Jim Kubicki, SJ, the National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer, who offered to be a back-up and gave me much peace of mind, and Fr. Enrique Hernadez, a newly ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, who wholeheartedly agreed to participate.  How blessed I felt to know that Our Lady was so eager to come to our little holy hour that she stirred the hearts of two holy men who would make sure that she was well cared for!  Before she even arrived, she was answering prayer!

I have been in such eager anticipation of this event that I wanted to pay an advanced visit to her at Holy Hill for the Feast of Corpus Christi.  As I knelt before her in prayer, I was overcome by her beauty.  I thanked her for how lovingly she has watched over my family and asked for her intercession for a friend in need of work.  All too soon, it seemed, it was time for me to go. The next day, my friend for whom I had prayed, wrote to tell me that he was offered, and accepted, an even better position than the one he had left behind!

A friend of mine who happens to be an amazing photographer, had taken pictures of the statue at Holy Hill.   I chose several pictures of Our Lady to share on the Roses for Our Lady facebook page. When I looked at them all together, I was utterly amazed to see that in one picture her head was bent down and in another she was looking straight ahead!  Miraculous!!!

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima (photo credit:  Mary Anne Urlakis)

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima (photo credit:  Mary Anne Urlakis)

If you will be in the Milwaukee area on Sunday, June 9th, I invite you to join us in prayer at our Holy Hour for Vocations.  I am confident that our seminary and our Archdiocese will be particularly blessed by Our Blessed Mother during this time of prayer.  If you aren't able to join us that day, please visit her in another Milwaukee or Chicago location.  The schedule can be found here.  Be prepared to be showered with graces and blessings, and maybe an answer or two to prayer!

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima (photo credit:  Mary Anne Urlakis)