The following appeared September 4 in the Oakland diocese newspaper, the Catholic Voice.

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, sculpted in 1947 by Jose Thedim based on the description of Sister Lucia, one of the three young children who saw Our Lady each month from May to October 1917 in Fatima, Portugal, will visit various parishes in the Bay Area in September.

The statue will visit parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the dioceses of Oakland and San Jose.

A number of special Masses and talks by the statue’s custodians are planned as it makes its way around the Bay. Please check with each parish listed for specific events and times and for any schedule changes.

When it was made, on Oct. 13, 1947, the statue was blessed in the presence of some 150,000 pilgrims by the Bishop of Leiria at Fatima, Portugal to be the pilgrim, the traveler.

A Pilgrim Virgin Committee was formed to carry out the mandate set down by the bishop, and it continues to bring the message of Fatima to the world. The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue has traveled the world many times, visiting more than 100 countries, including Russia and the Peoples’ Republic of China.

For more information about the Fatima statue: www.pilgrimvirginstatue.com.

Parish visits

Sept. 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Leo the Great, 176 Ridgeway Ave., Oakland.

Sept. 3, 4 p.m.-11 a.m. Sept. 4, Holy Spirit Church, 37588 Fremont Blvd., Fremont.

Sept. 8, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sept. 9, Holy Spirit Church, Fremont.

Sept. 9, 4 p.m. to noon Sept. 10, St. Callistus Church, 2580 San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante.

Sept. 10, 4 p.m.-10 a.m., Sept. 11, St. Catherine of Siena, 1125 Ferry St., Martinez.

Sept. 13, 6 p.m.-10 a.m. Sept. 14, St. James the Apostle, 34700 Fremont Blvd., Fremont.

Sept. 14, 2 p.m.-9:15 a.m. Sept. 15, Church of the Santa Maria, 40 Santa Maria Way, Orinda.

Sept. 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 16, St. Stephen Church, 525 Madonna Lane, Walnut, Creek.

Sept.16, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 17, St. Joachim Church, 21250 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward.

Sept. 18, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., St. Paul Church, 1845 Church Lane, San Pablo.

Sept. 19, 8 a.m.-8 a.m. Sept. 20, St. Michael Church, Livermore.

Sept. 20, 9 a.m.-7 a.m. Sept. 21, St. Isidore Church, 440 La Gonda Way, Danville.

Sept. 21, open.

Sept. 23, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m., St. Joseph the Worker Church, 1640 Addison St., Berkeley.

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