Past events

Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
March 2022

In response to the War in Ukraine, on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25th, Pope Francis, in union with all of the bishops throughout the world, will entrust and consecrate all of humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart was a specific request of Our Lady to Sister Lucia, one of the Fatima visionaries. This is therefore a very important event for our Apostolate. To take part in the consecration, we will be beginning prayers and adoration at St Kilian's Church, Bendigo on March 25th at 9pm (see schedule below).

To join our livestream, click on the link below, and it will take you to where it is being streamed on Facebook. (You might get a pop-up asking you to sign in or create a Facebook account, but you can just ignore it by clicking on the 'X'). At 3am, you will want to switch to the live coverage at EWTN

live.bendigofatima.com

A copy of the text of the Act of Consecration has been released and can be downloaded here.

Past Bendigo Marian Festival Mass and Devotions ...

2021 Bendigo Marian Festival Mass and Devotions

Sacred Heart Cathedral Bendigo

Watch the Festival on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shE8vDIyBPE

The festival has the blessing of Most Rev Bishop Shane Mackinlay, Bishop of the Diocese of Sandhurst.

Sacred Heart Priests:

· Parish Administrator - Very Rev Father Brian Boyle

· Assistant Priest - Rev Father DJ Suguitan

Chaplain to the Apostolate of Fatima for the Sandhurst Diocese: Rev Father Stephen Bolling

Organist and Music Director - Dr Paul Taylor

Cantor - Ms Joanne Bonazza

For the last 45 years, the Marian Festival has been celebrated every year in the Bendigo area as a special day of prayers and devotions in honour of Our Lady of Fatima. It has taken place at different Churches in the Bendigo area over the years, but in the 1990s it was moved to Sacred Heart Cathedral and in 2001 it was made an official event of the Sandhurst diocese by Bishop Joseph Grech. Since then the festival has always included a procession around the Cathedral, praying of the Rosary and the crowning of the statue of Our Lady. The festival has grown in size over time and in recent years hundreds have come from all over the Sandhurst Diocese as well as from Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong. This year, because of the lockdown restrictions, the festival will be streamed online so people can participate from home.

The festival is run by the Bendigo Apostolate of Our Lady of Fatima, which is the local branch of the worldwide movement. The work of the Apostolate is to promote devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the messages she gave at Fatima. At Fatima in 1917, Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children and spoke to them. She exhorted us to pray and offer up sufferings for the salvation of poor sinners, and in reparation for offenses against her Immaculate Heart. She also warned of very difficult times to come for the world and the Church, but promised that in the end her Immaculate Heart would triumph. To face these challenges, she asked us to entrust ourselves and the world to her, especially through praying the Rosary and the First Saturday Devotions.

In Bendigo, the Apostolate consists of a small number of lay faithful from several Bendigo parishes. In particular, John and Wilma McCormack have been a driving force for the festival every year and for the Apostolate since it was first founded in Bendigo in 1974 when John was elected as the inaugural President.

Especially in these challenging times, we need to turn to the Blessed Virgin for strength and consolation. At Fatima, Our Lady revealed that these times would be extraordinary, and that Our Lord had placed especially in her hands the remedy against, and final triumph over, the sin and error that has spread and become embedded in our modern world. As we navigate these confusing times and stormy waters, there is nothing safer and surer than turning to Our Lady, the Star of the Sea. Please join us in honouring Our Blessed Mother and entrusting into her hands our diocese, our nation and our world at the Marian Festival.

Fr Stephen Bolling, Chaplain to the Bendigo Apostolate of Our Lady of Fatima

2020 Bendigo Marian Festival Mass and Devotions

Watch the Festival on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZYoXoClEf4