I recently had the blessing and pleasure to speak with dear friend Teresa Tomeo about my children’s Fatima book Our Lady’s Messages to Three Shepherd Children and the World.
You can listen in here at your leisure. Just click here and move the marker to the “39.15” mark to listen to our visit. Or, feel free to listen to the entire show.
Here is my interview on a show called “Drinks with John” sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Fortnight for Freedom.
Here is a small snippet from my new DVD Feeding Your Family’s Soul which I am happy to share with you. It is from the lesson I give on the Blessed Mother. I think that it will give you a sense of my new DVD and a bit about the Blessed Mother in this month of May which is dedicated to Mother Mary. I hope that you enjoy it. Let me know in the comment box below. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!
You can learn more about my DVD for parents, grandparents, and faith educators here.
INTRODUCTORY SALE! (click image to see more)
I simply cannot observe or smell aromatic lilacs without thinking of Mother’s Day and recalling with vivid memory the precious time spent with my mother, my grandmother, and, later on, with my beloved children.
When I was growing up, I spent many a spring day with my mother and grandmother playing near the weeping willow trees and the hedge of lilac bushes that stretched all across our backyard. Luscious lilac scents were roused with every stirring spring breeze; tantalizing my senses and etching a long-lasting childhood memory upon my heart.
When I became a mother, my Mother’s Days were never complete until at least one of my children presented me with a bouquet of fresh lilacs, usually plucked right from a backyard bush. They would adorn our kitchen table and fill the house with amazing fragrance.
With Mother’s Day having just passed, our thoughts might be reminiscent of times enjoyed with our mothers, our spiritual mothers, or mother figures in our lives. The month of May can also…[read the fully story here].
It’s hard to believe that the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, which is the actual anniversary of the first appearance of the Blessed Mother to the three shepherd children is in just two days! May 13, 2017 marks that anniversary. On that day Pope Francis will canonize Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the youngest visionaries of Our Lady of Fatima. Their older cousin, Lucia dos Santos, was also a visionary, but she lived until almost 98 years old! She died in 2005, just twelve years ago. Even so, the cause of her canonization is moving along.
I have been so busy this week with many radio and TV interviews because of the upcoming 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. I have not had any time to blog. Although, I do have a couple of articles coming out on Fatima. Here is one in the National Catholic Register in which I tell how families can apply the Fatima message to their lives.
I have a Fatima article coming up in the Catholic World Report which I hear will be out soon (probably tomorrow–Friday). There are a few excerpts of my two Fatima books out now. You can read one here which talks about the Third Secret and is from my book Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions. One about the Angel of Peace visit to the shepherd children from that same book is here. Here is one from my children’s chapter book Our Lady’s Messages to Three Shepherd Children and the World.
Here’s a good article in the National Catholic Register by Father Raymond J. de Souza in which he quotes my book Our Lady of Fatima. In some of the blog posts on this website prior to this one, I have several radio interviews about Fatima.You can check them out and listen at your leisure. I’ll be posting about the TV interviews and other radio interviews soon. As well, here is an article in Legatus magazine in which I was interviewed.
Pray for the graces! We are living in an incredible part of history. In addition, do your best to pray the daily Rosary for peace in the world. Commit to the Five First Saturday devotion that Our Lady of Fatima asked for. We need to step up to the plate and do our part by praying for the reparation of sinners and for peace in the world. Remember, the Blessed Mother said that there are many souls that go to hell because there aren’t enough people praying for them.
Finally, check out the special programming on Our Lady of Fatima on EWTN.
EDITED to add a new article. Here is my article in Catholic World Report.
In case you missed it, you can listen here at your convenience. Click “download now” Slide the time marker to about 40:43 to get to our visit or listen to the whole show! Enjoy!
The children thoroughly enjoyed their days together playing and praying. Sometimes the girls would skip and dance in the sunshine to Francisco’s flute, and other times, Jacinta would gather wildflowers and throw the petals into the air, as she had seen the girls do in Corpus Christi processions.
Being outside so often in God’s beautiful creation gave Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta much time to ponder His goodness in their lives and to pray — especially to offer reparation, as the angel had instructed them, for those who had offended God. The children worshiped God in St. Anthony’s, their parish church, along with their families, but they also worshiped God in His “outdoor cathedral” in nature as they prayed each day. Their commitment to prayer can indeed inspire us all to praise and glorify God everywhere — not just in church.
On May 13, 1917, the young shepherds took their sheep to the grazing spot in the Cova da Iria (or Cove of Irene, which means “peace”). While the sheep happily nibbled at the grass, the cousins sat in a shady spot to eat their lunches. After rushing through a Rosary, they were just about to begin a game when the sky lit up with intensity as if by a huge bolt of lightning. Though there was no sound of…
I hope that you enjoy this excerpt from my new book Our Lady’s Message to Three Shepherd Children and the World here at Catholic Exchange!
In case you missed it and would like to listen to my conversation with Drew Mariani, take a listen here. We had a lively and very REAL conversation. You can slide the little time marker over to the 30:00 mark. That’s where our segment begins.
Enjoy!
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
In case you missed it, Here is my recent radio chat with
Alexis Walkenstein on “Mary’s Touch” radio show. You can listen in here at your leisure. I hope that you enjoy it!
I am sharing a long excerpt of my book: Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions.
The third secret was revealed to the children at the Cova on July 13, 1917. It was to be kept in the greatest confidence. When Sister Lúcia was with the Dorothean Sisters in Tuy, Spain, she fell ill in mid-1943. Because it was feared that she could die before the third secret was revealed by her, the bishop of Leiria requested that she write down the remainder of the secret (or third secret) told to the children in 1917. Obediently, and in the midst of her painful sickness, Sister Lúcia wrote it down on a single sheet of paper. She placed it in an envelope and sealed it.
Before we look at Sister Lúcia’s testimony, I offer the words of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who gives some context to the revelations of Lúcia. There was great speculation and controversy over the third secret of Fátima because it was kept under wraps for many years. In his theological commentary The Message of Fátima, Cardinal Ratzinger pointed out that the contents of the envelope that held the third secret for so long might be “disappointing” to some…
You can see the excerpt in its entirety right here. I hope that you enjoy learning about the Third Secret of Fatima. Please let me know your thoughts in the comment box below.
Don’t forget! I am leading a pilgrimage to Fatima and Poland this September with Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R! Information is here.
Pope Benedict XVI said we should “Learn the message of Fatima, LIVE the message of Fatima, and SPREAD the message of Fatima!
Special BUNDLE offer!
Get both books (autographed) and with a blessed Miraculous Medal for just $29.00 (plus shipping and handling)!
We chatted about Our Lady of Fatima and lots of good Catholic stuff! In case you missed it, here is how you can listen in at your leisure. Just click here.
Enjoy!
What does this mean?
I am very excited to report that my children’s Fatima book: Our Lady’s Message to Three Shepherd Children and the World has now been delivered to my home! It is ahead of schedule.
Just a little note about my excitement that this book is here…I will give you a little background…
As you might know, I have written a book on Fatima entitled Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions. I was happy to be asked by the publisher to write this book for the 100th anniversary year of Our Lady of Fatima. I am also very blessed that Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R. has written the Foreword. Some fascinating things happened during the writing of this book which I tell about in the Afterword.
This book came out just recently. It’s been ranked as the Number One New Release in Christian Mariology for quite some time. That tells me that people want to learn more about Our Lady of Fatima
It is $15.99 (plus shipping and handling). Order here (below) for within the United States:
I am happy to offer my books to you at a special price for First Holy Communion and Confirmation gifts!
SUITABLE for either First Communion gift OR Confirmation gift…
An autographed copy of Our Lady’s Message to Three Shepherd Children and the World…
$15.99 Hard cover children’s chapter book
AND an autographed copy of my book Angels For Kids!
$14.99 Paperback filled with Angel Catechesis for children and adults
BUNDLED together for just $28.00 plus shipping and handling. A $3.00 SAVINGS!
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SUITABLE for Confirmation gift…
Here is another option: An autographed copy of Our Lady’s Message…
$15.99 Hard cover chapter book
AND: An autographed copy of My Confirmation Book:
$16.99 Hard cover keepsake and teaching book
BUNDLED together for just $30.00 plus shipping and handling. A $3.00 SAVINGS!
Here is another GIFT option:
My Confirmation Book AND Catholic Saints Prayer Book (both hard cover)
BUNDLED together for a CONFIRMATION gift for ONLY $22.00 (plus shipping and handling)!
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I’m excited about my new forthcoming DVD for families and Faith formation educators! Take a look here.
I am super excited to pair beautiful tea cups and saucers with my upcoming book for Catholic women of every state of life. One of the tea cup designs is shown below. A little card (which can be used as a bookmark in the book) accompanies the tea cup and saucer and has a very special story about my dear mother on it that is in the book (but a bit paraphrased to fit on the back of the card).
This pairing of tea cup with saucer and book will make a lovely gift for any woman–tea drinker or not! Though I am not a coffee drinker, I am sure that coffee or any other beverage, for that matter will taste just as elegant as a spot of tea in the lovely cups.
It was actually one of my mother’s last wishes and I believe that we can all learn from her wise words…
Don’t Save the Good China!
One day when my mother was lying in her hospital bed ill with cancer, she decided that life was much too short to save the good china for special occasions. She vowed that when she got home, she would start using her fancy dishes stored away in her china cabinet. Sadly, my mother never made it home from the hospital to use her china, but we can all learn from her. Let’s use our good china with joy. And make sure to have regular family dinners, too; they certainly show your love for your family. Most importantly, strive to make every day a celebration of life. Having a joyful heart is contagious and will help all those around us, too.
[excerpt from the book, but paraphrased a bit to fit on the back of the card]
Mother’s Day is fast approaching! You can learn more about purchasing the “pair” (tea cup and book) here. Scroll down a little on that web page.
By the way, don’t you just love the cover of the book?
Here is the publisher’s description of the book:
As an award-winning author, TV host of EWTN’s “Everyday Blessings for Catholic Moms,” “Catholic Mom’s Cafe,” and “Feeding Your Family’s Soul,” mother of five and grandmother, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is well aware of the difficulties women face today as they balance all their responsibilities and struggle to find time for prayer.
This book will affirm women on their journey while celebrating the strength, dignity, and specific gifts of women in the context of the faith. Donna-Marie offers words of encouragement, as well as traditional and original prayers for women who are single, married, mothers, consecrated women, and single mothers, while straightforwardly addressing specific difficulties in women’s lives, with prayers for stress, complicated pregnancies, and walking through divorce. Words from Mother Teresa, St. John Paul II, saints and mystics enrich the text with inspiration.
It is such a blessing to be a “Gwand-MA”! I recently celebrated with my dear grandson.
I didn’t get a chance to mention that I am visiting on EWTN’s Women of Grace this week. Each day it airs at 11:00 AM ET and 11:30 PM ET. I hope you can tune in.
We are discussing my memoir The Kiss of Jesus and the twists and turns of my life and how they helped to shape my life.
