Fall River – Members of the Fall River Diocese are invited to join Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., in the annual Procession and Mass for Peace in honor of Our Lady of Fatima on Monday, October 10, 2016, the Columbus Day holiday.

Like last year, participants in the procession should meet no later than 5:30 p.m. in the area of St. Anne Church, across from Kennedy Park on South Main Street, to march approximately one-half mile to St. Mary’s Cathedral. The procession will begin at 6:00 p.m. Marchers will carry candles, recite the rosary and sing Marian hymns in various languages.

At approximately 7 p.m. Bishop da Cunha, S.D.V., will celebrate the Mass for Peace at St. Mary’s Cathedral, located at the corner of Second and Spring Streets. The Bishop will be homilist at the liturgy.

The Mass for Peace will last about one to one-and one-half hours, with the entire ceremony concluding around 8:30 p.m.

Those who are disabled or handicapped should proceed directly to St. Mary’s Cathedral, where a special area will be designated for them.

This year’s Procession and Mass for Peace will conclude a special extended period of daily prayer for that intention in the Fall River Diocese as requested by Bishop da Cunha.

The president of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference had invited dioceses across the country to unite in a “Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities” on September 9. Bishop da Cunha sought to link that date with that of the annual diocesan Procession and Mass for Peace to expand the period of prayer to a month-long observance.

“Since we already have the Peace Mass every year on Columbus day, I thought it would give a special meaning connecting the two days this year and lead people to pray for peace not just one day, but for a whole month,” Bishop da Cunha explained.

The Columbus Day Procession and Mass for Peace is a long tradition in the Fall River Diocese. It was first held in 1975 especially to pray for peace in Portugal but its emphasis has since broadened to include peace and justice worldwide.

Diocese of Fall River
Diocese of Fall River
Office of Communications