About Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima · Holliston, Massachusetts
The Missionary Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts, founded in 1950 by the Xaverian Missionaries (Society of St. Francis Xavier, S.X.). Established by Italian missionary Fr. J. Henry Frassinetti, S.X. — who had built what is believed to be the world's first chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima in China in 1932 — the shrine is built around a Carrara marble statuary group depicting the six apparitions at Fátima, Portugal in 1917. Spread across roughly 20–23 acres of wooded grounds, the shrine is best known as the home of the World's Largest Rosary Beads Sculpture, a 950-foot heart-shaped rosary of 60 boulders and battleship chain blessed by Bishop Jeremiah Minihan in 1964. It is one of the leading centers of Marian devotion in New England, falls within the Archdiocese of Boston, and welcomes thousands of pilgrims each year to daily Mass, the monthly Candlelight Procession, Fatima Days, and the year-round Rosary Walk.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Rector
- Fr. Carl Chudy, S.X. (Co-Director / Superior of the Xaverian Community in Holliston, as of February 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Visit Fatima Shrine for a peaceful, fully-accessible day of prayer set in 20+ acres of New England woods — walk the record-setting 950-foot boulder Rosary, attend daily Mass in the Shrine Church or weekday Mass in the Conforti Chapel, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Saturday afternoons or Wednesday evenings, and join the beloved monthly Candlelight Procession (May–October on the 13th). With its year-round spiritual direction, retreats, memorial luncheons, the Laudato Si'-inspired Fatima Bee Project and Butterfly Garden of Remembrance, and designation as an official Archdiocese of Boston Jubilee 2025 Pilgrimage Site, the shrine welcomes Catholics, Filipino Catholics (Filipino Mass every Sunday at 1:00 PM), other Christians, and people of all faiths in the spirit of the universal message of Our Lady of Fatima: pray the Rosary, do penance, and work for peace.
Mass times at Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Shrine Church)
- Wednesday, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Shrine Church, added January 8, 2025)
Adoration times
- Thursday, 5:00 PM (Holy Hour, Conforti Chapel)
About the Shrine
The Missionary Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is one of the leading centers of Marian devotion in New England. Built and conducted by the Xaverian Missionaries, it is a creation of Fr. J. Henry Frassinetti, S.X., who came to the United States after spending 18 years as a missionary in China, where he built what is believed to be the world's first chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. He envisioned the Holliston shrine as a replica in Carrara marble statuary of the 1917 apparitions at Fátima, Portugal — a place to make known the Message of Fátima and offer a tranquil setting near the Xaverian mission center where people could come to pray and meditate.
- Founded 1950 by the Xaverian Missionaries (Society of St. Francis Xavier, S.X.)
- Located at 101 Summer Street, Holliston, MA 01746
- Within the Archdiocese of Boston
- Home of the World's Largest Rosary Beads Sculpture (World Record Academy)
- Site of the Carrara marble statue group depicting the six Fátima apparitions
History & Founding Story
The first Xaverian house was an abandoned farmhouse; its unkempt, swampy grounds were gradually transformed by the priests and seminarians into a pleasant garden of hills, ponds, winding paths, and selected shrubs and trees. Fátima Hill, with the outdoor altar for the celebration of Mass, was the original Shrine — and everything that makes up Fatima Shrine today grew outward from that hill. When Cardinal Richard J. Cushing came in 1950 to bless the property, around 5,000 people gathered; by 1960 the Boston Globe estimated that 2 million pilgrims had visited.
- 1948: Archbishop Richard J. Cushing approves the outdoor shrine on seminary grounds
- August 1950: Xaverians purchase 15-room farmhouse, barn, and 23 acres at 101 Summer Street
- September 1950: Cardinal Cushing's solemn blessing inaugurates the shrine
- 1950s: Annual Children's Day pilgrimages in September draw up to 12,000
- October 13, 1962: First candlelight vigil on the grounds (5,000+ attend)
- 1964: Bishop Jeremiah Minihan blesses the boulder rosary
- Early 1970s: Boulders excavated from Interstate 495 construction brought by pickup truck
- 1975: Permanent Shrine Church built for year-round worship
Liturgical Schedule
The shrine celebrates Mass daily — weekdays in the intimate Conforti Chapel inside the Xaverian residence, weekends at the larger Shrine Church on the grounds. Holy Hour is held on Thursday evenings in the Conforti Chapel, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered twice weekly in the Shrine Church. Sunday Masses are celebrated in English at 10:00 AM and in Filipino at 1:00 PM to serve the Boston-area Filipino Catholic community.
- Weekday Mass: Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM, Conforti Chapel
- Saturday Mass: 10:00 AM, Shrine Church
- Sunday Mass (English): 10:00 AM, Shrine Church
- Sunday Mass (Filipino): 1:00 PM, Shrine Church
- Confession: Saturday 3:00–4:00 PM (Shrine Church); Wednesday 6:00–7:00 PM (added January 8, 2025)
- Holy Hour: Thursday 5:00 PM, Conforti Chapel
World's Largest Rosary & Rosary Walk
The centerpieces of the shrine's 20+ acre grounds are the record-setting boulder rosary and the heart-shaped Rosary Walk that winds through the New England woods around it. The installation was a happy marriage of mission and circumstance: in the early 1970s the Missionaries learned that the nearby Interstate 495 project was excavating tons of large boulders and obtained permission to haul them back to the shrine, one at a time, in a pickup truck. Forty-five years after Bishop Minihan's blessing, it remains recognized by the World Record Academy as the largest rosary sculpture on Earth.
- Length: 950 feet (some accounts ~900 ft) in a heart-shaped loop
- Beads: 60 boulders, each one a 'bead' of the monumental rosary
- Connectors: anchor chain originally from a U.S. Navy vessel; centerpiece anchor on loan from the Navy in memory of President John F. Kennedy
- Languages: each bead carries a Hail Mary plaque — English, Italian, Polish, French, German, Tamil, Bengali, Old Arabic, Inuit, and many more
- Blessing: Bishop Jeremiah Minihan, 1964
- Walking surface: paved, fully accessible paths accommodate all mobility needs
Devotions & Special Events
Beyond the standard Mass schedule, Fatima Shrine is best known for its monthly Candlelight Procession, which has run since October 13, 1962. The candlelight vigils — held on the 13th of each month from May through October at 8:00 PM — commemorate the six apparitions of 1917 and follow the same devotion traditionally held each night in Fátima, Portugal. The annual Fatima Day on May 13 features a special evening Mass and outdoor rosary procession; the 2026 theme is "Faith Moves Mountains." The shrine is also a destination for First Friday and First Saturday devotions and offers an extensive seasonal Christmas illumination display from late November through early January.
- Candlelight Procession: 13th of each month, May–October, 8:00 PM (rosary, procession, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Praises, hymns)
- Fatima Days: annual May 13 celebration (2026 — 'Faith Moves Mountains')
- First Friday and First Saturday devotions
- Christmas Illumination Display: ~Nov 30 – Jan 4, 5:00–9:00 PM
- Jubilee Year 2025: designated Archdiocese of Boston pilgrimage site ('Pilgrims of Hope')
- 75th Anniversary Week, September 2025: outdoor Mass, Peace Pillars dedication, Xaverian alumni reunion
Mission, Ecology & Laudato Si'
The Xaverian Missionaries' mission (Missio Ad Gentes) at the Shrine is to witness the welcoming heart of Jesus through dialogue and service — bridging local community and the universal Church. Inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si', the shrine treats its 20+ acres as a living sanctuary where faith and ecology meet, encouraging participation in the worldwide Laudato Si' Movement.
- Fatima Bee Project: on-site apiary supports local pollination and yields 'heavenly' honey
- Butterfly Garden of Remembrance: provides Monarch habitat and a space for those touched by loss
- Native wildflower planting and protected forest trails
- Laudato Si' Movement partnership (worldwide Catholic ecology initiative)
Spiritual Direction, Retreats & Pastoral Care
The shrine offers individual spiritual direction for those seeking to nourish their interior life — a confidential space to explore faith, discuss prayer life, and listen for God's call, with the Shrine Director available by appointment. The grounds and facilities are available for retreats, memorial luncheons, and spiritual gatherings, providing the tranquility of the Rosary Walk as a backdrop for parish, family, or ministry events.
- Individual spiritual direction (by appointment with Shrine Director)
- Group retreats and day-of-reflection bookings
- Memorial luncheons and bereavement gatherings (Shrine Hall)
- Lectio Divina groups led by Fr. Rocco Puopolo, S.X.
- Pax Christi work led by Fr. Rocco Puopolo, S.X.
- Mission Education and Vocation Ministry (Xaverian)
Pilgrim Experience & Visitor Guide
Pilgrims are welcomed into a Sanctuary of Silence designed to help visitors leave the noise of the world behind. The Rosary Walk is fully accessible with paved paths, and the shrine's accessibility is a point of pride. Whether for a morning of prayerful solitude or a quiet afternoon stroll through the boulders, the grounds are open every day of the year, with the Gift Shop welcoming visitors Thursday through Sunday.
- Grounds hours: daily 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Gift Shop hours: Thursday–Sunday, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Free on-site parking with accessible spaces
- Fully accessible paths for all mobility levels
- Paved loop of the boulder rosary (~one acre)
- Self-guided pilgrimage or guided group pilgrimages by arrangement
Grottoes, Stations of the Cross & Outdoor Art
Beyond the boulder rosary and Fátima Hill, the shrine's grounds include outdoor sites of devotion spread through the woods. The Hill of Calvary (Crucifix Hill) features a grotto housing a Pietà and is ascended by stairs to a large crucifix that looks out over the boulder rosary. The illuminated outdoor Way of the Cross connects several wayside chapels, while the Carrara marble apparitional statues on Fátima Hill form an outdoor sculptural Stations of Fátima that mirrors the sequence at the original site in Portugal.
- Hill of Calvary with Pietà Grotto
- Stairway to the summit crucifix
- Illuminated outdoor Way of the Cross / Stations
- Fátima Hill outdoor Mass altar (original Shrine site)
- Carrara marble apparitional statues (the six 1917 apparitions)
Shrine Staff — Xaverian Missionaries in Holliston
Since February 1, 2025 the shrine has been co-directed by Fr. Carl Chudy, S.X. and Br. Kornelius Glossanto, S.X., who also serves as Facilities Manager; Fr. Chudy additionally serves as superior of the Holliston Xaverian community. They succeeded Fr. Rocco Puopolo, S.X., who led the shrine as Director and superior for more than 12 years and remains on the shrine team. The shrine team is supported by senior missionaries Fr. Frank Grappoli, S.X. and Fr. Adolph Menendez, S.X. (formerly of the Japan and Mexico missions).
- Fr. Carl Chudy, S.X. — Co-Director / superior; Mission Media Office; Interfaith Outreach ([email protected])
- Br. Kornelius Glossanto, S.X. — Co-Director; Facilities Manager ([email protected])
- Fr. Rocco Puopolo, S.X. — Shrine team; Spiritual Direction; Vocation Director; Lectio Divina; Pax Christi
- Fr. Vivinio (Joeven) Matugas, S.X. — Shrine team; Laudato Si' Project
- Fr. Frank Grappoli, S.X. — Senior Missionary
- Fr. Adolph Menendez, S.X. — Senior Missionary
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. J. Henry (Joseph) Frassinetti, S.X.1949–1950 (founding)
Italian Xaverian missionary; conceived and founded the shrine after 18 years in China where he built what is believed to be the first Fatima chapel (1932). Purchased the Holliston farmhouse in August 1950; received Cardinal Cushing's blessing in September 1950.
- Fr. Rocco Puopolo, S.X.c. 2012 – January 31, 2025
Superior of the Holliston Xaverian community and Director of the Shrine for over 12 years; transitioned out of the Director role January 31, 2025; continues on the shrine team and with Pax Christi.
- Fr. Carl Chudy, S.X. & Br. Kornelius Glossanto, S.X.February 1, 2025 – present
Appointed Co-Directors of Fatima Shrine effective February 1, 2025; Fr. Chudy also serves as superior of the Xaverian community in Holliston.
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