Xaverian Mission Center
& Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
101 Summer St. - P. O. Box 5857
Holliston, MA 01746 (508) 429-2144
Gift Shop: (11am-5pm)
(508) 429-8172
- May 13th: Bishop John A. Dooher:
Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, Vicar General - Regional Bishop South
Region - June 13th: Fr. J. Garret Thomson, Pastor of St. Martha in Plainville, MA. - July 13th: Fr. Joe Matteucig, Xaverian Missionaries,
Superior of the Holliston Community - August 13th: Fr. George Hines, Pastor of St. Mary's in Wrentham, MA - September 13th: Fr. Ed Riley, Coordinator of Fatima Apostolate, Archdiocese of Boston. - October 13th: Bishop Emilio S. Allue', SDB, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, Vicar General -
Episcopal Vicar for the Hispanic Apostolate
A Guided Tour of Fatima Shrine
On a bright and sunny Sat. May 30, a group of four Xaverian Mission League members: President Shirley Melle, Secretary Gloria Gelineau, Publicity Director Joyce Covell, and Membership Chair Claire Lombardi, conducted a tour of the Chapel and grounds of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston.
Beginning with Blessed Guido Conforti and the history of the Xaverian Missionaries, the tour group then viewed the large world map of the Xaverian mission locations. Next, they proceeded into the Chapel where the meaning of the artwork on altar and pulpit was explained. They are replicas of the altar and pulpit at the Mother House in Parma, Italy. Next, five wall-mounted Mosaic prints by Slovenian Jesuit Fr. Marko Rupnik which were brought back from Rome by Fr. Ivan Marchesin were examined and explained. Then the 24 spectacular stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Mysteries of the Rosary as well as the Xaverian Patrons and the Fatima appearances are illustrated in magnificent detailed workmanship.
Outside, the original farmhouse building given to the Xaverians by Archbishop Cushing was pointed out. The former Seminary building, which now provides senior citizen housing, was also noted.
The life-sized statues of Blessed Guido Conforti (2006) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus (2007) were also viewed as well as a smaller statue featuring St. Francis Xavier on the bow of a ship en route to a mission location. The Way of the Cross, raised reliefs on white Carrara marble plaques each attached to a soaring pillar of local pink granite, winds through a wooded area leading to the Crucifixion scene. The "slice of Sequoia" tree, which pre-dates our Christian era, was viewed. Next, since Mary is the Patroness of our country, the ground-based gigantic outline of the United States, a cement inlay traced in the grass before the Grotto was viewed. The Grotto beneath Crucifixion Hill, containing a marble replica of Michangelo's famed Pieta, was the next stop. In the life-sized hillside marble replica of the Crucifixion of Jesus, we also see marble statues of Our Blessed Mother, St. John the Apostle, and Mary Magdalene.
Next, the tour group neared the Fatima area of the Shrine where the Angel of Peace is depicted as appearing to the three shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. The Angel came to them three times in 1916 to prepare them for Mary's appearance. The Hill of Fatima illustrates the apparitions of Mary in 1917 in Cova da Iria, Fatima, Portugal, to the same three children who are depicted kneeling attentively in front of her.
The world mission rosary encircles more than an acre of lawn and is believed to be the world's largest rosary. It is 950 feet long and weighs 300 tons. It is the "brain-child" of Xaverian Father Oddo Galeazzi who, for three years in the early 1960s, tirelessly searched quarries and abandoned gravel pits in eastern Massachusetts to find just the right-sized "beads". Each "bead" is a few feet in length and width. Each "Hail Mary" bead bears a copper plaque engraved with the words of the "Hail Mary" in one of 53 different languages arranged in alphabetical order. Heavy links from the chain of a ship's anchor join each bead to form the decades that meet at the 18-ton granite "medal".
The tour ended with a visit to the Gift Shop to view the 25th stained glass window, a scene of the resurrected Christ appearing to the remaining 11 Apostles.
or the occasion of the
50th anniversary of priesthood of Fr. Francis
Signorelli, we send our Congratulations and Best Wishes. He is serving the Holliston Community as Shrine Director, and we thank him for his continued and faithful service. A celebration
was held at Fatima Shrine to mark the 50th of his priesthood as well as the
25th of priesthood of Fr. Joe Matteucig, on Saturday May 16th,
with great participation of friends, followed by a dinner at
the Shrine hall. Enjoy these few photos.
A Letter of Fr. Joe to our friends in Massachusetts
he Lord is risen,
alleluia!” This has been the Church’s song for the last few weeks and like the Church, nature has been singing a song of rejoicing and new life.
This is truly a special time of the year when the world of our faith and the world of nature are in sync, yielding new hope and new opportunities, despite the time of economic difficulties and challenges. We are all the better because of the Resurrection of Jesus. We are
“people of hope”, we see this in the willingness of many brothers and sisters to break down the barriers of race, cultures and religions and bond together in the endeavor to foster a culture of life.
It is in this spirit of HOPE that we invite you to once again participate in our
ANNUAL MISSION RAFFLE. The specific purpose of this year’s raffle is a goal close at home. It will benefit our elderly missionaries, after many years of mission service, to enjoy a more serene and less worrisome life. Think of Fr. Bob who spent years in Bangladesh; Fr. Jerry who served in Indonesia and in Sierra Leone; or Fr. Francis who for years crisscrossed the rivers of the Amazon in northern Brazil: think of these missionary priests who, without counting the cost, have given years of their lives in faithful service to our brothers and sisters.
Here in Holliston, we have begun to put into action a long-delayed plan to provide these and other missionaries a more
welcoming and caring residence. We began this plan with the hope that you would join us.
Our community invites you to buy a raffle booklet for a $10.00 contribution. Please call our office at
(508) 429-2144 for more information. It’s a small thing, yes, but, as Mother Theresa reminds us: “nothing is too small in God’s eyes, when done with love.” Together we can sustain the hope of our senior missionary priests as well as the hope of the people we continue to serve whether in the missions or here in the USA.
We are truly blessed to have you as friend and partner-in-mission. Know that you and yours are constantly present in our prayers.
Thank you for your support, and may God bless you and your family!
Fr. Joe Matteucig, sx
Video
on the Xaverian Presence in Boston
Fr. Tony Lalli describes in this 2.5' video the role of the Xaverian Missionaries in the archdiocese
of Boston and their support of mission throughout the
world Enjoy this You-Tube presentation.
Soup and Mission with Congo in our Minds and Hearts
ee
some photos from community newspaper Holliston Tab,
which show the Soup and Mission event held at Fatima Shrine, with the focus on Congo. Martin Bahati, a Jesuit priest born in the Congo, and studying at Boston College, spoke about his native country. He shared his mission concerns, and the Xaverians offered a light meal of homemade soup during this Lenten season.
The topic was on the social and political situation of the peoples in the Great Lakes area of
Central Africa and the challenge facing the churches in those countries (RD of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Sudan).
Fr. Martin Bahati did a superb job, he had a nice power point presentation and people like him and felt challenged by what he said. It was great.
About 60 people came and joined in this Faith and Food
event: share our mission and concern with others as well as enjoy, in the spirit of Lent, the
homemade soups prepared by our friends of the Holliston League.
13th of the Month at Fatima Shrine 2008
hese
monthly gatherings have become a tradition in the spiritual life of parishes and people in the area. They find joy and spiritual nourishment in coming together to pray and celebrate. On May 13th, a great crowd joined us. For the occasion we invited one of Boston's Auxiliaries Bishops:
Bishop Robert F. Hennessey. It was the first time for him to come to the Shrine. He made a great impression on people. In a simple and yet profound way he touched the lives of the people in attendance by presenting Marian spirituality as an integral part of what it means to follow Jesus. Bishop Hennessey is a friend of the Missions. As a Member of the Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle he worked for more than eight years (1986-1994) in Bolivia. This experience has enhance his priesthood and the way he sees ministry. His pastoral approach is very much influenced by this missionary experience.
Then, on June 13 we had Fr. Ivan Marchesin. It was a good opportunity for him to celebrate here, to thank and say goodbye to people who have been so close to the shrine and to our community. Fr. Ivan, as you know, worked quite a lot in the upkeep of the shrine grounds and it is also to his honor that people continue to find the place beautiful and welcoming.
On July 13th we are going to have Fr. Tom Kopp. He is the new Director of the Propagation of the Faith Office in Boston. We feel this is a good occasion to connect with him and the office and to let him come to know us... On August 13 we are going to have
Fr. Stephen Gemme. The pastor of St. Bernadette in Northboro (Diocese of Worcester) one of the parishes we help out during Advent and Lent. Then in September we are going to have
Fr. Carl Chudy. And in October for the closing of this year's Fatima Days we are going to invite our local bishop (Western Region),
Bishop Walter Edyvean to preside.
Home 
Fatima Days: Remember the 13th of the Month 2009
A Guided Tour of Fatima Shrine
Next, the tour group neared the Fatima area of the Shrine where the Angel of Peace is depicted as appearing to the three shepherd children: Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. The Angel came to them three times in 1916 to prepare them for Mary's appearance. The Hill of Fatima illustrates the apparitions of Mary in 1917 in Cova da Iria, Fatima, Portugal, to the same three children who are depicted kneeling attentively in front of her. 
or the occasion of the
50th anniversary of priesthood of Fr. Francis
Signorelli, we send our Congratulations and Best Wishes. He is serving the Holliston Community as Shrine Director, and we thank him for his continued and faithful service. A celebration
was held at Fatima Shrine to mark the 50th of his priesthood as well as the
25th of priesthood of Fr. Joe Matteucig, on Saturday May 16th,
with great participation of friends, followed by a dinner at
the Shrine hall. Enjoy these few photos.
he Lord is risen,
alleluia!” This has been the Church’s song for the last few weeks and like the Church, nature has been singing a song of rejoicing and new life. 
ee
some photos from community newspaper 
Community News
Provincial House
