The First Saturday Devotions are a specific set of practices requested by Our Lady of Fátima in 1917 and later elaborated upon by her to Sister Lúcia in 1925. The purpose of these devotions is to make reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the offenses committed against it, and to implore peace for the world.
To fulfill the First Saturday Devotions, one must complete five specific practices on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
1. Confession: Go to confession within eight days before or after the first Saturday.
2. Holy Communion: Receive Holy Communion on the first Saturday.
3. Recite the Rosary: Pray five decades of the Holy Rosary.
4. Meditate for 15 minutes: Spend at least 15 minutes meditating on one or more of the mysteries of the Rosary. This meditation should be done in a spirit of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
5. Intention of Reparation: All these acts must be performed with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Our Lady promised that those who faithfully complete these five First Saturdays will be assisted at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation. The Church encourages devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saturdays have long been a traditional day for honoring Our Lady. The First Saturday Devotions are a specific and powerful way to honor Mary and respond to her call for prayer and reparation.
Here at St. Lawrence, we will add a 9:00 AM Mass on the First Saturday of each month, beginning on Saturday, August 1st.