Sharing Christ Across Cultures and Faiths
Fatima Shrine Featured on CatholicTV of Boston
From the Mission Blog
Embracing Christ, Embracing All Creation
On June 22, friends of The Missionary Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima gathered for lunch and a special mini-retreat for this Jubilee of Hope, deepening the spirit of caring for our common home with all creation. Mr. Leo Racine, pastoral associate of St. Mary’s Parish in Franklin, Massachusetts, led our encounter.
We opened our gathering of eighteen friends with a beautiful video song, “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter. The opening lyrics created the frame of the day: “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies. Christ, our Lord, we raise this hymn of grateful praise to you.” The scenes of trees, flowers, and fields that characterize the shrine encircled us as we entered this lush prayer.
Monthly Prayer Guide from the Laudato Si Project of Fatima Shrine
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Fatima Days 2025 for the Jubilee of Hope
In the Church’s interfaith movement, one of our unique opportunities is our interfaith solidarity, religious and secular dialogue, and collaboration. We began this work in 2013 by gathering secular humanists and spiritual leaders at our conference center in Coatbridge, Scotland. We continued this work in 2015 by convening a similar conference at Rutgers University in New Jersey, with secular and religious voices seeking common ground. For the last eight years, we have gathered a MeetUp group of religious and secular friends once a month. Search here on our website for a recap of these events, church teaching on understanding the culture of unbelief, and blog posts and articles written for further study. Our conversations now take place directly on Zoom without using Meetup. Contact missionmedia@xaverianmissionaries.org for more information.
LISTENING TO THOSE WHO LEFT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
In America the landscape of the Catholic Church is changing dramatically, as is all religious communities and institutions. The new mission of the Xaverian Missionaries seeks to engage with our Catholic tradition to all outside of the church, Christianity, and even religion itself. The departure of those formed in the Catholic faith is felt in every parish. Disaffiliated families make up the majority of Catholic communities throughout the country.
We listen to those who left the church and sacramental practice lovingly and empathetically.
We root ourselves in these departure narratives, learning about their world and how they walk in it.
We gain deeper insight into the needs, longings, and desires of young people and others, and in dialogue with our tradition, we can change our pastoral maps and parish cultures, beginning in Catholic families.
Catholic Interfaith Solidarity
Check out the latest resources and opportunities for Catholics and others to share our lives, faith, and friendship with people of other faiths and traditions. Click here. Other resources for interfaith dialogue may be found here.
