On Sunday, our children will crown the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes during their Faith Formation class (about 9:25). Everyone is invited to join them, as we recall Mary as our Mary.

When he visited Fatima on August 5, 2023, Pope Francis suggested that we call Mary, “Our Lady who runs”. At first, this sounds like an odd way to speak of Mary. However, it is an image drawn from the Gospel of St. Luke. The pope said:

“Pilgrimage is a particularly Marian trait, because the first one to go on pilgrimage after the annunciation of Jesus, was Mary. As soon as she heard that her elderly relative—although already advanced in years—was pregnant, Mary ran out. That is a somewhat free translation, for the Gospel says she ‘went with haste’; yet we could say she ran out, ran eagerly to help, to be present.”

For his full reflection, see the article “Holy Rosary with Sick Young People at Fatima” (on the Vatican website).