FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Connie Schneider
National Committee Chair of Children’s Program
World Apostolate of Fatima - a public
association of the faithful under the Pontifical Council of the Laity
Ph: 651-776-0363
Email: connieschneider@earthlink.net
www.childrenoftheeucharist.org
Video
Invitation from Rome: http://childrenoftheeucharist.org/video/frbyrne.html
6th
ANNUAL “WORLDWIDE CHILDREN’S
EUCHARISTIC
HOLY HOUR”
Catholic
school children to unite globally in Eucharistic Adoration, following
in the footsteps of the three shepherds at Fatima
(ST. PAUL, MINN. –
AUGUST 15 – 2008) The World
Apostolate of Fatima’s Children’s Program, Children of the Eucharist, Friends of the
Hidden Jesus, will host its 6th Annual Worldwide Children’s
Eucharistic Holy Hour at the Basilica of
the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.,
Friday, October 3, 2008.
Father Patrick Byrne,
General Secretary of the Pontifical Mission of the Holy Childhood
Association will
preside over the event, and is inviting the children all over the world
to unite their prayers and Eucharistic adoration with the school
children at the Basilica, which is the Eucharistic epicenter of this
global children’s spiritual movement.
The theme of this
year’s event is “I WANT TO CONSOLE
JESUS,” in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Francisco,
the ‘Little Shepherd” of Fatima, who always desired to console Jesus in
the most Blessed
Sacrament.
EWTN will broadcast the
event LIVE from the Basilica to over 40 different nations and Irish Singer, Dana,
who sang in Washington DC. for Pope Benedict XVI and World Youth Day in
Australia, will emcee the event.
Little
planning and easy to do!
The event has been
growing annually since the World Apostolate of Fatima, Archdiocese of
St. Paul/Minneapolis, held the first Children’s Eucharistic Holy Hour
during the Year of the Rosary in 2003. By 2005, the epicenter moved to
the Basilica in Washington D.C., and a growing number of parishes and
dioceses around the globe have participated each year. It has also
received the blessings of Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and many
cardinals and bishops.
The World Apostolate of
Fatima, encourages bishops, priests, school principals and families
around the globe to plan “little pilgrimages” to their own cathedrals,
parish churches and chapels on this day, and gather their school
children before the Most Blessed Sacrament to unite their prayers for
the coming of the Holy Spirit upon all children and families of the
world, in anticipation of the long-awaited Springtime in the Church.
Daytime: A pilgrimage by bus
can be planned to your local diocesan Cathedral, or simply walk the
students to their parish church or chapel.
Evening: Parishes can plan
a "Family Holy Hour" gathering the Religious Education Children and all their parish
children, to unite their prayers of the daytime Holy Hour program.
“It's easy, free and
more powerful than a nuclear exchange, a concert of love from the
children of the world, for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate
Heart of Mary,” said Connie Schneider, Director of the Children’s
Program for the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA. “This children’s
movement is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of this global Holy
Hour is a growing movement of weekly and monthly children’s Eucharistic
Adoration occurring in our parishes, schools and families. It’s already
happening.”
Schneider recalled that
when Pope Benedict XV exhausted all worldly means to end World War I,
he called a meeting
with the children in Rome, and pleaded for
their help. In the spring of 1916, heaven sent the “Angel of Peace” to
teach the three little shepherd children at Fatima, how to adore Jesus
in the Most Blessed Sacrament, in anticipation of the visits by the
Queen of Heaven. This was the first “Children’s Holy Hour,” Schneider
said. “We are hopeful, that corporations and
people of influence and means will be inspired
to help sponsor this growing, global event.”
IMPORTANT
TO NOTE
Because
this Global
Children’s Eucharistic Holy Hour is being broadcast, we
do not wish to imply that schools around the country and world join in only if
they have the technical capabilities to do so.
The
broadcast of the Holy Hour provides a virtual “Eucharistic Epicenter”
for children from around the world to spiritually unite with the school
children gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. and all children throughout
the world.
The
primary focus of the event is: On one day, always the First Friday in
October, the children of the world gather before our Eucharistic Lord
and, following the program, pray for peace in our families and the
world. It is the responsibility of those leading the Holy Hour in their
parish or school to help the participating children understand that
they are spiritually united with other children around the world, and
that Jesus, truly present in all the tabernacles of world,
sees
them united as
ONE!
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