Memo from Bishop Myron J. Cotta, auxiliary bishop of Sacramento: As we approach the 100th Anniversary of the First Apparition of Fatima on May 13, please be reminded of the opportunity to visit the designated pilgrimage site located at Christ the King Retreat Center in Citrus Heights. In addition to the Retreat Center, I am pleased to announce that St. Joseph Church in Redding will serve as a pilgrimage site for visits, and the granting of the special indulgence, beginning on May 13.

Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence opportunity for the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions throughout the centennial year, from the 27th of November 2016 till the 26th of November 2017. There are three ways to obtain the indulgence, detailed in a statement from the Fatima Shrine in Portugal.

To obtain the plenary indulgence, the faithful must also fulfill the ordinary conditions: go to Confession and Communion, be interiorly detached from sin, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.

1. Make a pilgrimage to the shrine: To the faithful who make a pilgrimage to the Fatima Shrine in Portugal and participate in a celebration of prayer dedicated to the Virgin. In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke the Mother of God.

2. Pray before any statue of Our Lady of Fatima: To the faithful who visit with devotion a statue of Our Lady of Fatima solemnly exposed for public veneration in any church, oratory or proper place during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October 2017, and there devoutly participate in some celebration or prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary. In addition, the faithful must pray the Our Father, recite the Creed and invoke Our Lady of Fatima.

3. The elderly and infirm: To the faithful who, because of age, illness or other serious cause, are unable to get around, may pray in front of a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and must spiritually unite themselves to the jubilee celebrations on the days of the apparitions, the 13th of each month, between May and October 2017. They must also “offer to merciful God with confidence, through Mary, their prayers and sufferings or the sacrifices they make in their own lives.”

WHAT MUST I DO TO GAIN PLENARY INDULGENCE AT OUR LADY OF FATIMA? To receive a plenary indulgence for yourself or a departed loved one, the following five conditions must be fulfilled:

1. Make a sacramental Confession within 20 days before or after the day the indulgence is sought.

2. Receive Holy Communion, also within 20 days before or after.

3. Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and say the Creed and Our Father.

4. Have complete detachment from all sin, even venial sin. In other words, a complete rejection of the desire to commit any sin.

5. Complete the specific prayers or works declared by the Church for the reception of the indulgence as follows:

a. Visit the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima at Christ the King Retreat Center in the form of a pilgrimage.

b. Devoutly take part in some sacred function or pious practice in honor of the Our Lady of Fatima, such as the Rosary, 1st Saturday Devotions, or offer humble prayers to God through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for: the conversion of sinners, vocations to the priesthood and religious life, the defense of the sanctity of life, the institution of marriage and family. Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima.

Full story at Diocese of Sacramento website.