On Sunday, May 15, members and guests of the Regnum Christi family gathered for a prayer retreat at the Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. It’s a peaceful place located in the Garden State, New Jersey. The shrine is a place in America where we can experience the message of Fatima. Now, more than ever, it’s time we embrace Fatima’s call to prayer, penance, and conversion for peace in the world. Upon our early arrival, we were greeted by gracious hosts offering hot coffee and snacks. Father Eric gave a beautiful talk about the Blessed Mother while just beyond our picnic gathering were motor biker enthusiasts awaiting a blessing of their fleet. What a surprise it was to the priest doing the blessing as he too was an enthusiast!

Our group walked the grounds. How beautiful it was to see a great variety of people of different cultures with various personal hobbies gathered to pray. Our group prayed a deeply heartfelt rosary afoot in the Rosary Garden followed by the celebration of Holy Mass. After mass, we had a picnic and were given knot riddles to solve. That was a clever connection to Father Eric’s talk on Our Lady Undoer of Knots. What I remember most about the day was that it felt so good to be together and as Our Lady connects us to Her Son we too were all united in Christ.

May the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always smile on your spirit, obtaining for it, from Her Most Holy Son, every heavenly blessing.  St. Pio of Pietrelcina.