Michigan chapel devoted to our Lady of Fatima named a shrine

The new shrine’s designation will be marked by an October 13 Mass on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima,coinciding with the 103rd anniversary of the “Miracle of the Sun."

Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron announced last week that he has designated Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in Riverview, Michigan, as a shrine.

The chapel and adjacent bookstore are managed by volunteers of the archdiocese’s World Apostolate of Fatima, an apostolate devoted to spreading the message of Our Lady of Fatima.

“With its designation as an archdiocesan shrine, we recognize that Our Lady of Fatima Shrine will continue its service as a sacred place of pilgrimage, a source of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, and a welcoming place for all the faithful seeking lives of peace and holiness,” Archbishop Vigneron said.

The Catholic devotion to Our Lady of Fatima began in 1917, after Our Lady began to appear to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Visitors to the new shrine will be able to venerate relics of the Fatima saints, attend Mass, and see the chapel’s stained-glass windows and life-size statues depicting Our Lady of Fatima’s apparitions.

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The new shrine’s designation will be marked by an October 13 Mass which will coincide with the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and the 103rd anniversary of the “Miracle of the Sun,” when over 70,000 people witnessed a solar phenomenon in which the sun appeared to dance, change color and swirl and descend towards the earth. Physical cures among those who were present have been attributed to the miracle.

To visit

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine and the adjacent St. Joseph bookstore are open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., with Masses celebrated at 7 p.m. on the First Friday of each month, 8 a.m. on the First Saturday of each month, and 7 p.m. on the 13th of each month from May to October in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. The Rosary is prayed before each Mass and confessions are offered on First Friday and First Saturday before Masses. More information about Our Lady of Fatima Shrine is available online at fatimashrinedetroit.org. Group pilgrimages may be arranged by calling (313) 320-7887. Please note that capacity restrictions are in place due to the ongoing pandemic.