Serving Christ and Connecting Catholics in Western North Carolina
It is 1917, and the three young visionaries of Fatima – brother and sister Francisco and Jacinta Marto, and their cousin, Lúcia dos Santos – have learned much over the preceding months. Part of God’s plan, the true identity of the Lady who appears over the holm oak, and the terrors of hell have been revealed to them in a series of apparitions from the Blessed Virgin Mary. They studied reading and writing at the request of Our Lady.
One of the greatest privileges I have as a bishop is the opportunity to preside at the sacrament of confirmation. A drawback, however, is that I am obligated to conduct over 40 confirmations in roughly a two-month period – which means that I become tired, rather quickly, of my own homily!