SALISBURY — First Saturday Devotions are continuing at Sacred Heart Church despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Father John Eckert, pastor, will livestream the parish’s First Saturday Devotion with Mass and also offer a reflection on Saturday, May 2.
“In this unique time of pandemic, keeping our priorities straight is essential, and this devotional practice is an incredible aid to do just that,” Father Eckert said. “I know it’s a time filled with anxiety about what is coming next. But at Fatima, our Blessed Mother told the shepherd children not to be afraid because, in the end, her Immaculate Heart would triumph.”
He first streamed the devotion earlier this month, and plans to continue the monthly broadcast as long as health restrictions on public gatherings are in place.
“It’s important that, in the face of all the challenges and unknowns, we remember that we are being loved into existence at this very moment, that Our Lord and Our Lady are with us, and that we can pray and offer up sacrifices and penances for the conversion of poor sinners,” he said.
The First Saturday devotion was asked for by Our Lord and Our Lady in connection with the apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, which took place beginning just over 100 years ago.
The four parts of the devotion are praying the rosary, meditating for 15 minutes on a mystery or mysteries of the rosary, receiving Holy Communion and going to confession within eight days of the devotion, all with intention of making reparation for the sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
“In general, participating in these four spiritual practices once a month is like a brief, monthly retreat that keeps you grounded in the mysteries of the life of Jesus Christ,” Father Eckert said.
During this time of pandemic, a well-made Spiritual Communion takes the place of receiving the Blessed Sacrament, he added. Those unable to go to confession can make a perfect Act of Contrition.
The schedule for the May 2 livestream is: 8:15 a.m., Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; 8:30 a.m., recitation of the rosary and Benediction; and 9 a.m. Holy Mass, followed by a 15-minute meditation on the mysteries of the rosary. After a brief break, Father Eckert will give a talk about the First Saturday Devotion and the fruits he has seen come from it.
Father Eckert is offering the livestreamed First Saturday Devotion in conjunction with Luminaries of Holy Mary, a lay prayer group dedicated to learning, living and spreading the messages of Fatima. He is spiritual director of the group, which has seven chapters in the United States, including Sacred Heart Church and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Charlotte.
According to one of the groups co-founders, Mary Sample, the Luminaries of Holy Mary is connected to a Portuguese religious congregation, Aliança de Santa Maria (Alliance of Holy Mary).
It carries out the congregation’s mission of evangelization in the U.S. by creating chapters in Catholic parishes, praying the rosary, honoring the First Saturday Devotion, and organizing retreats and other events.
For more information about the Luminaries of Holy Mary, email Mary Sample at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Viewers can tune in via the Sacred Heart Vimeo or Facebook pages. Go to www.salisburycatholic.org for details.
— Dina Wilson, Correspondent