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Come to Buffalo--Our Lady Did!
Laurence D. Behr, Executive Director
Jul 28, 2003
Dear Friends of the Arch of Triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary and International Shrine of the Holy Innocents,
I hope to see everyone who can make it, here in Buffalo on Sunday
afternoon, August 24, for our free “Second Annual Celebration of the Culture of
Life and Civilization of Love!” (Go to www.archoftriumph.org/celebration.html for more
information and directions.) This will be a great afternoon for the whole family
in a park on the Niagara River, under our tent, rain or shine! We’ll enjoy
worship music led by Buffalo’s Voices of Mercy and Martin Doman, and hear
inspiring talks about Our Lady, and her important role in our lives, our Church,
and our troubled times. Join us, for a memorable--and fun--time!
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DID YOU KNOW?—That Our Lady of Fatima has
already made a TRIUMPHAL ENTRY into America—through Buffalo!
Some may
recall my message of October 4, 2002 (see Message Archives), mentioning as one
possible reason, “why Buffalo should be the site of a great and globally
important shrine to the Blessed Mother, and affirming the sanctity of unborn
human life,” that nearly 60% of our local residents identify themselves as
Catholic—the highest percentage in America. Not long ago Judge Dan Lynch,
National Guardian of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a
director of our Association, may have found another piece in the “puzzle,” as to
why Our Lady might choose Buffalo. Here is Dan’s email letter to our Board of
Directors and National Advisory Board:
“Have any of you ever thought why
Our Lady would choose Buffalo as the home for the shrine as a symbol of her
triumph? Well, so did I and then my friend John Haffert [Co-founder of The Blue
Army of Our Lady of Fatima], God rest his soul, answered it for me. In his last
book written shortly before his death, John tells the story of the first Pilgrim
Virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima to enter the US. Remember, it was Our Lady
of Fatima who prophesied the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.
"In his
book, To Shake the World, pages 138-9, John wrote:
" 'I mentioned
earlier that Cardinal Spellman had opposed the idea of the Pilgrim Virgin, so I
made arrangements for the statue to make its first visit to the Americas in
Ottawa, Canada. Thousands welcomed her. I had chosen the following December 8,
our nation's patronal Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to be Our Lady's first
"official " entry into the United States. It was in the Buffalo (Niagara Falls)
diocese, where the Bishop had extended his warm welcome to us. One newspaper
recorded this visit as the greatest event of the year in that area, resulting in
the largest recorded traffic congestion. After that, to use the very words of
the first Bishop of Fatima, "Our Lady made Her own way." ' "
"Buffalo's
hospitality is still there for Our Lady. The City Council has approved the
shrine project. Let's pray and help Our Lady to build her shrine and then Our
Lady will make her own way."
So, dear friends of Our Lady, it clearly
behooves us, Mary’s children, to erect The Arch of Triumph of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, and the International Shrine of the Holy Innocents, to show the
world our love for this great Queen that we have received from the Holy Trinity,
and to proclaim her glorious Triumph. In doing so, we will help fulfill the
desire of Jesus' Sacred Heart, by promoting knowledge of and devotion to Mary's
Immaculate Heart. It was Mary herself who revealed at Fatima, “Jesus wishes to
establish in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart.” It is for us, my
friends, to carry out the will of Jesus regarding His Blessed Mother.
For the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, Laurence D. Behr, Executive
Director
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MEET ME IN ROCHESTER NY ON
AUGUST 9, AT THE DIVINE MERCY CONFERENCE! I will be representing The Arch of
Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and International Shrine of the Holy
Innocents, and you will hear great speakers, including Sr. M. Catarina Esselen,
vocation director for Sisters of the Divine Mercy, and Rev. Kazimierz Chwalek,
MIC, Director of Development, Marians of the Immaculate Conception.
Divine Mercy Conference
Theater On the Ridge (Kodak Auditorium) 200
West Ridge Rd., Rochester NY Registration $20, doors open at 8:00 a.m.
Conference: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Call Lise at 585-671-6534 for more information
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HELP SPREAD THE WORD! E-mail us at
LDBehr@archoftriumph.org, to be sent flyers describing our great undertaking for
Our Lady and her innocent unborn, for sharing with friends, prayer groups,
Knights councils, other organizations, and fellow parishioners!
BE OUR
LOCAL LIAISON FOR THE TRIUMPH! Just email us to get started—it requires only a
desire to help spread the word in your local community, with our guidance and
support, and the prayers and support of our many Local Liaisons around the
world! (see www.archoftriumph.org/liaisons.html )
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Help build the Arch of Triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary and International Shrine of the Holy Innocents! All
contributions are gratefully received, and are fully tax deductible.
CANADIANS! Thanks to our new partnership with Our Lady Queen of Peace
Center, a Registered Charity based in Edmonton (Charitable Reg. No.
1347-486-98RR0001), you may now deduct your contributions toward the building of
Mary's Triumphal Arch and Holy Innocents Shrine. Just make your checks payable
to Our Lady Queen of Peace Center, and mail them to the address below in
Buffalo.
INCENTIVES: For each donation of at least $100 US, one name may
be inscribed on Mary’s golden Arch of Triumph and also upon the Virtual Arch, of
a person, living or deceased, born or unborn ($175 US per wedded couple; $250
for group names). Please consider adding $7.00 to defray transaction costs.
Donors of at least $1000 will also receive a beautiful signed certificate.
Donors of at least $2000 may also have names placed on bronze plaques in the
Chapels of the Sacred Heart, the Immaculate Heart, the Triumph, or the Holy
Innocents, as they may choose. Qualifying donations may be cumulative. SEND AND
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Arch of Triumph of the IHM, PO Box 394, Buffalo, NY
14201. Make SECURE charge and check account donations on our Web site, http://www.archoftriumph.org/virtualarch/purchase.php or by calling toll free, 1-866-205-6512. Or, you can print a donation
form for faxing or mailing, at http://www.archoftriumph.org/printdonation.html
***********************
NOW HERE! The VIRTUAL ARCH of Triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary! Now, you can view your own name, the names of your
loved ones, and the names of the hundreds of Mary's Children who have donated
already, to build the Arch of Triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart! Just to to our
Home page to begin your tour, or to add your and your loved ones' names,
www.archoftriumph.org .
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Please visit our newest pages! Dedication
to Our Lady of Victory and to Venerable Nelson Baker, www.archoftriumph.org/olvfrbaker.html
Consecrate yourself and our world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus And the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, at www.archoftriumph.org/consecrate.html
Please join our Web site email group, at http://www.archoftriumph.org/subscribe.html
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