Survive Family Travel: Fatima in Washington, NJ
If you happen to find yourself on the East Coast of the USA, and you happen to be Catholic (or curious), I highly recommend planning a visit to the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Washington, NJ.
Time needed: 1-2hours depending on activities.
674 Mountain View Rd EWashington, New Jersey
A little history can be found at the Official Blue Army website.
Any day of the week is a great time to visit, but if you really want to experience a passionate religious experience and make it a pilgrimage, I highly recommend the following five tips:
1. Plan your trip on the 13th or the 1st Saturday of the month.
The 13th of each month was the day that Our Lady appeared to the three poor shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, and there have been special activities planned on those days at the Shrine during the Year of Mercy and also the 100th Anniversary of the apparitions. We went on July 13th, and it was amazing. Thousands of pilgrims to pray with, priests, nuns, lots of people doing confession, and an awesome processional rosary around the grounds.
2. Get there before Mass and volunteer with the ladies in blue vests.
The ladies in blue vests are volunteers for the Shrine. Ask if your children can be "angels" during the procession and/or mass. The kids get costumes and lead the rosary processional, and some get to be gift bearers at Mass. Our little angels also got a picnic lunch with the other children while the late Father Andrew Apostoli spoke.
Mass is held in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 7-days a week at 12:00 noon with the rosary and confessions at 11:30 am, unless otherwise noted in the event schedule.
You can see how hot it was by his face - but he loved wearing his "dress"! I swear!
Handing the chalice to Bishop Somebody - I didn't catch his name! - with the children dressed as Sts. Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia.
3. Be prepared for there to not be enough seating.
Obviously pregnant mothers, elderly, and infirm all get seat priority. But it was HOT and HUMID beyond belief and not enough chairs in the shade. It is an outdoor, open-air church. Prepare yourself by getting there early and/or bring a blanket and sit on the grass under some trees nearby.
4. Check out the gift shop.
The gift shop is below the main church area and is full of affordable knick-knacks as well as gorgeous religious pieces. It is also air conditioned!
5. Relax.
It is a very laid-back atmosphere at the Shrine. Lots of children, lots of green space, lots of bathrooms and people who love kids there. I did not need to worry about my kids running off (or worse yet, being taken!) or getting lost, even in a big crowd of people. There is plenty of space for them to get energy out.
Candles I lit for my late grandma and my family.
*BONUS tip: Bring a picnic lunch and a blanket. The parking lot is close, and you could even tail-gate with a small grill if you really wanted to.
There is an adoration chapel in the basement (where the bathrooms are) that is air conditioned. There was prayer and a constant shuffle of feet to and from the bathrooms. In the entry-way, there is a place to jot down a prayer intention or two and leave it in a box. The kids liked this - even the toddler left a little scribble.
Have you been to the Shrine? What other tips or activities would you share?