Our Lady of Fatima statue graces local home

Ethel Fazande (pictured above, handing a rosary to a friend) was recently asked to host a traveling statue of Our Lady of Fatima inside her Broadmoor home for the day. Fazande, who prays a daily rosary and oraganizes a rosary in front of her home every October, has been an active parishioner of Blessed Trinity Church in New Orleans (formerly St. Matthias) since 1970. (Photos by Beth Donze, Clarion Herald)

By BETH DONZE
Clarion Herald

Earlier this month, more than a dozen faithful gathered inside the Broadmoor home of Ethel Fazande to offer their prayer intentions, pray the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary and learn about the apparitions and foretellings of Our Lady experienced by three children in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917.
Fazande, a parishioner of Blessed Trinity Church in New Orleans, played host to a traveling statue of Our Lady of Fatima, a copy of the original statue crowned by St. Pius XII in 1946. Ten replicas of the statue travel to 2,000 homes in the U.S. every year through the efforts of America Needs Fatima, a national campaign that promotes the message of Fatima and the praying of a daily rosary in reparation for sins such as blasphemy, satanism and abortion, said volunteer Ben Broussard.

As a parishioner of Blessed Trinity and graduate of Our Lady of Grace Elementary and High schools in Reserve, Fazande, 82, takes Communion to the homebound and serves on the pastoral council, St. Vincent de Paul and “Lord, Teach Me to Pray” groups. She said was “on Cloud Nine” to be hosting the statue in her home.

“I know the Blessed Mother loves me, and she knows I love her!” Fazande said.

America Needs Fatima invites all to join in the praying of a public rosary every second Saturday at noon on the neutral ground at the intersection of Clearview Parkway and Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie.