America Needs Fatima

America Needs Fatima is a campaign of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), a Catholic 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It advocates faith and morals based on the teachings of the Virgin Mary, particularly based on the visions of an apparition of her reported by three children in Fátima, Portugal in 1917.[1]

America Needs Fatima
MottoBecause it's the solution for our times!
Founded1985
FounderC. Preston Noell, III
Type501(c)(3) Charity
Location
Key people
Robert E. Ritchie, Executive Director
Websitewww.americaneedsfatima.org

Structure

America Needs Fatima was founded in February 1985. C. Preston Noell III was its first executive director. Leadership passed in 1996 to Robert E. Ritchie, who remains executive director. America Needs Fatima claims an active membership of 193,000. The headquarters are in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.

Activities

America Needs Fatima is a conservative advocacy group that opposes abortion rights, extending marriage rights to same-sex couples, euthanasia, and socialism. It applies its interpretation of the message of Our Lady of Fatima to what it sees as the "moral crisis" in society.

Fatima home visits
The image of Our Lady of Fátima visits the homes of her devotees.

Since 1994, the primary activity of America Needs Fatima has been the "Mary in Every Home" program. It consists of a Fatima custodian taking a four-foot tall statue of Our Lady of Fátima to a person's home, with a crowning and enthronement ceremony, a short audio-visual about the story of Fátima, Portugal, and the praying of the rosary.[2] ANF claims to have visited approximately 10,000 homes in all 50 states with this program.

Anti-blasphemy protests

America Needs Fatima has protested films, plays, and art exhibits it considers blasphemous or otherwise offensive to Catholicism. Protests consist of sending protest cards, making phone calls, and sending mass e-mails as well as promixmate street demonstrations.

Films, plays, and art exhibits that America Needs Fatima has protested include:

  • The Da Vinci Code[3]
  • The Crime of Father Amaro[4]
  • The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys[5]
  • Dogma [6]
  • The Last Temptation of Christ[7]
  • Hail Mary [7]
  • Corpus Christi[8]
  • Jesus Has Two Mommies[9]
  • Jerry Springer: The Opera[10]
  • Piss Christ, by Andres Serrano[11]
  • A Fire in My Belly, by David Wojnarowicz, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art [3]
  • Our Lady by Alma Lopez [12][13]

America Needs Fatima protesters showed up at the Uptown Players production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told in December 2013. Actor Stan Graner commented, “I appreciate the protesters exercising their right to protest, and they seemed to be doing it in a sincere and peaceful manner. But I can’t help but think that by helping to draw attention to the controversial production they are also in fact supplying free advertising for the show. As a long-time supporter of Uptown Players, I welcome the publicity, and I hope it helps sell more tickets.”[14]

ANF also organized protests in 2017 against Out Front Theater's production of The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told in Atlanta, GA.[15]

Fatima flier distribution

America Needs Fatima claims to have distributed several million fliers about Our Lady of Fatima through mailings and street distribution campaigns.[16]

Public Square Rosary Crusade

Since 2007, America Needs Fatima has organized an annual "Public Square Rosary Crusade," consisting of ANF "Rally Captains" organizing prayer vigils in public places, such as a sidewalk or street corner, in their local town or city. The first campaign was held on October 13, 2007, the 90th anniversary of the "Miracle of the Sun."

According to its website, approximately 2,000 rallies were held in 2007, 3,500 in 2008, 4,337 in 2009, 5,963 in 2010, and 7,515 in 2011.[17] In 2012, 9,077 were held across the United States and in 36 countries.[18]

Return to Order

Along with its parent organization, America Needs Fatima is sponsoring a new book called Return to Order: From A Frenzied Economy to An Organic Christian Society – Where We’ve Been, How We Got Here, and Where We Need to Go.

See also

Notes
  1. ""Who We Are", America Needs Fatima". Archived from the original on 2013-01-17. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  2. Pollock, Colleen (23 June 2005). "Beloved statue comes to Rostraver". The Tribune-Review. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  3. Blue, Miranda. "Religious Right Abandons Brooklyn Museum Protests – Anti-Da Vinci Code Group and Pro-Censorship Artist Carry on the Fight", Right Wing Watch, November 21, 2011
  4. Munoz, Lorenza (October 23, 2002). "Catholic groups target film about clerical misdeeds". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  5. ANF. ""Dangerous Lives" Underscores Tragic Times". The American TFP. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  6. Marshall, Genevieve (13 November 1999). "Demonstrators Say Movie `Dogma' Is In The Doghouse * Catholics Protest Near Theater In Hanover Township". The Morning Call. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  7. Isbell, Gary (2005). "Catholics Rejoice - Protest Works!". Crusade Magazine. 76 (July/August): 6.
  8. Hallowel, Billy (18 April 2012). "Catholic Group Protests 'Gay Jesus' Film & Stage Show: A 'Blasphemous Homosexual Play'". The Blaze. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  9. Pat, Healy (December 12, 2002). "Christians blast 'offensive' Jesus play at Somerville Theater". Somerville Journal. Archived from the original on 2011-10-13. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  10. Brown, Tony (January 29, 2011). "'Jerry Springer: The Opera' comes to Lakewood; controversy follows". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  11. Ritchie, Robert. "Join This Urgent Rosary of Reparation". The America Needs Fatima Official Blog. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  12. Reidy, Padraig (24 June 2011). "Ireland's poisonous blasphemy debate". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  13. Lopez, Alma. "Our Lady controversy continues".
  14. Chumin, Nancy. "America Needs Fatima protests ‘Most Fabulous Story’ at Kalita in Dallas, patrons unfazed", The Dallas Morning News, December 8, 2013
  15. Deb, Sopan (2017-04-17). "An Atlanta Theater Faces Criticism for Gay Versions of Bible Stories". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  16. "What Does America Needs Fatima Do?". America Needs Fatima. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  17. Matthew, Archbold. "Town Rejects Rosary as Offensive and the Prayers that Changed Everything". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  18. "9077 Rosary Rallies in America on October 13". America Needs Fatima. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
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