National Catholic Register
November 20, 2011
Light Display Captures the True Meaning of Christmas
It was several weeks before Christmas and my family decided to visit one of our favorite local holiday light displays. However, at this display you won’t find the usual smiling snowmen, jolly Santas and frolicking elves, that you find at most holiday exhibits. No, this showcase of holiday lights has the courage to boldly depict the true meaning of the season–the birth of Jesus Christ– by featuring the Holy Family, St. Nicholas, angels, and other religious-themed displays.
This place is The National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima in Lewiston, NY, about seven miles north of Niagara Falls, a 15-acre sanctuary dedicated to the Gospel message urged by Our Blessed Mother in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The shrine was built by the Barnabite Fathers, an Italian order, in 1954. From the Saturday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after Epiphany, the shrine is transformed into a wonderland of lighted displays.
The centerpiece of the shrine is the dome-shaped Basilica which depicts the northern hemisphere of the globe. On top of the dome, which is actually one of the best places to view the lights, is a 13-foot granite statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Also on the grounds are 130 life size marble and bronze statues of saints.
Father Julio M. Ciavaglia, rector of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, who is the mastermind behind the Festival of Lights at the shrine, exclaimed that Christmas is his favorite season. “It’s the season that brought me into the light of Christ.”
As a young boy, Father Julio looked forward to helping his mother set up the nativity set at Christmastime and was intrigued by all the different figures that were part of the set. Fast forward to early 1990; as a priest, Father Julio began to feel disappointment and frustration about the secularization of Christmas and how it seemed to be becoming a big commercial moment, rather than a religious occasion. He noted that the then-popular Festival of Lights event in nearby Niagara Falls featured many secular displays; however, he observed that the nativity set was often set up in an obscure spot of the festival.
He thought it would be nice to have a display to get people in the mood for Christmas while at the same time reminding them that Christ is the reason for the season. In 1991, he decided to start the religious-themed Festival of Lights at the shrine. “It could almost be considered a rebellion against the commercialism of Christmas,” exclaimed Father Julio.
What makes the displays at the Fatima Shrine unique is that almost all the items on display have been designed by Father Julio and built by the shrine’s maintenance staff, including Brian Brant, who Father Julio describes as “A wonderful employee sent to me by God.” According to Father Julio, Brant is very talented in making the designs, welding the metal together, cutting out wood, and stringing the lights onto the frames. “I design it and he makes it,” said Father Julio.
For example, the year that they created a camel for the light display, Father Julio had a huge sheet of paper pinned to the cafeteria wall and he would spend weeks designing and drawing it. When it was done, Brian took the sketch into the studio that they have at the shrine and turned it into a 3-D work of art.
In 2007, when they added the landmark star, entitled “Come Follow Me,” located at the corner of Swann and Creek Roads, Brian did all the ironwork and welding, as well as the electrical work. “He’s my elf!” chuckled Father Julio.
They started working on this year’s display in July. He wouldn’t reveal to me the exact design, as it is always kept under wraps until the switch is flipped the first night of the festival. However, he did give me a hint that “people can come and have their photo taken with the three kings.” The display will be worked on every day for several weeks prior to the beginning of the festival.
To date there are close to 90 different displays on the grounds, encompassing about half of the shrine’s 15 acres. “I try to make the displays educational and include explanations as to what the lights are about,” said Father Julio.
There are many Christian symbols incorporated into the displays. For example, the cross, the anchor, and the heart with crosses are symbols of the three theological virtues Faith, Hope and Charity and a triangle with an eye is a symbol of the omnipresence of God.
Another display, The Tree of Jesse, illustrates the genealogy of Jesus. Other displays include twenty eight-foot panels honoring the mysteries of the rosary, a September 11th Fatima Madonna, and a lighted image of a guardian angel. One of the first displays created was a giant lighted nativity scene with a nine-foot angle hovering over the Holy Family.
A steady stream of visitors from both the United States and Canada visit the shrine each holiday season. “There are a lot of people who make an annual visit to the shrine a family custom. It gets them into the holiday spirit and it prepares them to celebrate Christmas in a faithful way.”
One of the special events that takes place during the Festival of Lights is the annual Fatima Shrine Baker’s Guild Bake-Off, which takes place on December 11th this year. Well-known area chefs participate as judges, there is musical entertainment and the winning baked goods are auctioned off.
National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston 716-754-7489, www.fatimashrine.com The Festival of Lights takes place each night from 5:00-9:00 pm November 19, 2011 to January 8, 2012.
November 20, 2011
Light Display Captures the True Meaning of Christmas
It was several weeks before Christmas and my family decided to visit one of our favorite local holiday light displays. However, at this display you won’t find the usual smiling snowmen, jolly Santas and frolicking elves, that you find at most holiday exhibits. No, this showcase of holiday lights has the courage to boldly depict the true meaning of the season–the birth of Jesus Christ– by featuring the Holy Family, St. Nicholas, angels, and other religious-themed displays.
This place is The National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima in Lewiston, NY, about seven miles north of Niagara Falls, a 15-acre sanctuary dedicated to the Gospel message urged by Our Blessed Mother in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The shrine was built by the Barnabite Fathers, an Italian order, in 1954. From the Saturday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after Epiphany, the shrine is transformed into a wonderland of lighted displays.
The centerpiece of the shrine is the dome-shaped Basilica which depicts the northern hemisphere of the globe. On top of the dome, which is actually one of the best places to view the lights, is a 13-foot granite statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Also on the grounds are 130 life size marble and bronze statues of saints.
Father Julio M. Ciavaglia, rector of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, who is the mastermind behind the Festival of Lights at the shrine, exclaimed that Christmas is his favorite season. “It’s the season that brought me into the light of Christ.”
As a young boy, Father Julio looked forward to helping his mother set up the nativity set at Christmastime and was intrigued by all the different figures that were part of the set. Fast forward to early 1990; as a priest, Father Julio began to feel disappointment and frustration about the secularization of Christmas and how it seemed to be becoming a big commercial moment, rather than a religious occasion. He noted that the then-popular Festival of Lights event in nearby Niagara Falls featured many secular displays; however, he observed that the nativity set was often set up in an obscure spot of the festival.
He thought it would be nice to have a display to get people in the mood for Christmas while at the same time reminding them that Christ is the reason for the season. In 1991, he decided to start the religious-themed Festival of Lights at the shrine. “It could almost be considered a rebellion against the commercialism of Christmas,” exclaimed Father Julio.
What makes the displays at the Fatima Shrine unique is that almost all the items on display have been designed by Father Julio and built by the shrine’s maintenance staff, including Brian Brant, who Father Julio describes as “A wonderful employee sent to me by God.” According to Father Julio, Brant is very talented in making the designs, welding the metal together, cutting out wood, and stringing the lights onto the frames. “I design it and he makes it,” said Father Julio.
For example, the year that they created a camel for the light display, Father Julio had a huge sheet of paper pinned to the cafeteria wall and he would spend weeks designing and drawing it. When it was done, Brian took the sketch into the studio that they have at the shrine and turned it into a 3-D work of art.
In 2007, when they added the landmark star, entitled “Come Follow Me,” located at the corner of Swann and Creek Roads, Brian did all the ironwork and welding, as well as the electrical work. “He’s my elf!” chuckled Father Julio.
They started working on this year’s display in July. He wouldn’t reveal to me the exact design, as it is always kept under wraps until the switch is flipped the first night of the festival. However, he did give me a hint that “people can come and have their photo taken with the three kings.” The display will be worked on every day for several weeks prior to the beginning of the festival.
To date there are close to 90 different displays on the grounds, encompassing about half of the shrine’s 15 acres. “I try to make the displays educational and include explanations as to what the lights are about,” said Father Julio.
There are many Christian symbols incorporated into the displays. For example, the cross, the anchor, and the heart with crosses are symbols of the three theological virtues Faith, Hope and Charity and a triangle with an eye is a symbol of the omnipresence of God.
Another display, The Tree of Jesse, illustrates the genealogy of Jesus. Other displays include twenty eight-foot panels honoring the mysteries of the rosary, a September 11th Fatima Madonna, and a lighted image of a guardian angel. One of the first displays created was a giant lighted nativity scene with a nine-foot angle hovering over the Holy Family.
A steady stream of visitors from both the United States and Canada visit the shrine each holiday season. “There are a lot of people who make an annual visit to the shrine a family custom. It gets them into the holiday spirit and it prepares them to celebrate Christmas in a faithful way.”
One of the special events that takes place during the Festival of Lights is the annual Fatima Shrine Baker’s Guild Bake-Off, which takes place on December 11th this year. Well-known area chefs participate as judges, there is musical entertainment and the winning baked goods are auctioned off.
National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima, 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston 716-754-7489, www.fatimashrine.com The Festival of Lights takes place each night from 5:00-9:00 pm November 19, 2011 to January 8, 2012.
