To commemorate the centenary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal, a novena to Our Lady of Fatima will take place on May 5-13 at the Dominican Nuns' Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary, located at 335 Doat St. in Buffalo.

Confessions will be heard daily at 6:15 p.m. with the recitation of the Holy Rosary at 6:40 p.m., followed by Holy Mass at 7 p.m. Father Bernard Confer, OP, the monastery's chaplain, will open and close the novena on May 5 and 13. Other preachers will be attending and preaching in the course of the novena, including Father William J. Quinlivan, Father Michael H. Burzynski, Father Czeslaw Krysa and Father Michael Monshau, OP.

To mark this anniversary, Pope Francis has granted a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to the faithful who visit with devotion and pray before an image of Our Lady of Fatima during the days of the anniversary of the apparitions, the 13th of each month from May to October of this year. The statue of Our Lady will be exposed for veneration during the novena in the sanctuary of the monastery chapel, including May 13. Sacramental Confession, Holy Communion, an interior detachment from sin, and prayer for the Holy Father's intentions are understood to be the usual conditions, and the Roman document specifies, "an Our Father, the recitation of the Creed, and an invocation of Our Lady of Fatima."

The message of our loving Mother at Fatima is the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, a message of prayer, conversion and reparation for sin. It is a strong and decisive message, an ardent appeal from her immaculate heart that is more relevant and urgent today.

The Dominican Nuns began their contemplative life in our diocese on May 24, 1905, at the invitation of Bishop Charles H. Colton. Wholly consecrated to God, the nuns cooperate in the work of redemption through their monastic life that includes intercessory prayer. The nuns on Doat Street are a part of the worldwide Dominican order, also known as the Order of Preachers, which includes nuns, friars, sisters, brothers and laity. St. Dominic founded the first monastery of contemplative nuns in 1206 in France. He associated these holy women as an essential part of his "holy preaching" by their lives of prayer and penance.

For more information, including the daily schedule of the monastery, visit www.opnuns.org or call 716-892-0066.