Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is a day of joyful praise and deep gratitude! One hundred, twenty years of faith, of witness, of love and service right here in Birmingham — that’s something to shout about! Like the psalmist says, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous deeds!”

We welcome Father Vernon Huguley, Father Godwin Ani, Father Ray Bomberger, Father Linus Akpan, and Father Kenneth Keke. Thank you for inviting us all to this magnificent celebration today. To one and all – from near and far – how great it is to be here! I have also brought a friend who stopped by to see me this weekend – Archbishop Sean Larkin from the United Anglican Church, who serves parishes in England, the UK, Romania, the U.S., and Canada among other places around the globe in mission. Thanks Archbishop Sean for joining us today.

When I was asked to preach the 120th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima parish, a dilemma occurred to me, which I didn’t think about before. I needed to find out the answer to this conundrum. 120 years ago brings us to 1905, if my math is correct. I’m a math major, so I should be able to do this. When did the apparitions of our Lady occur in Fatima? In 1917. Either this parish and the bishop at the time knew something that no one else knew, or there had to be another significant part of the story of this parish.  

When this parish began back in 1905, it was known as Immaculate Conception Parish. That was long before the apparitions at Fatima in 1917, but somehow, and I have to believe it’s true, the Holy Spirit already had a plan — that this community would one day carry the name of Our Lady of Fatima, the woman who called the world to prayer, conversion, and peace. What a mystery and what a blessing! In fact, it was promoted by Bishop Fulton Sheen – who helped fund the building of a church here in the South and insisted it be named “Our Lady of Fatima.” So, that’s the rest of the story!

Through it all — through times of want and times of plenty, through civil rights marches and new beginnings — this community stood firm in the faith. Your faith did not falter. You prayed, you sang, you served, and you built up the Kingdom of God right here in Birmingham.

So today, I say with all my heart, “Thank you. A thousand times, thank you!” Thank you to the parishioners of Immaculate Conception and now of Our Lady of Fatima — past and present — who made this community a home of faith. Thank you to the Josephite fathers and brothers, whose mission and sacrifice have shaped this parish for generations. And thank you to each of you who continue to walk by faith, giving witness to the hope that does not disappoint.

Our readings today remind us why we celebrate.

In the first reading, taken from the 2nd Book of Kings, Naaman, a man sick with leprosy, is healed after washing in the Jordan River. None of the doctors could heal him – he had the incurable disease! But he’s not just healed on the outside. His heart is changed. He comes to believe that there is no God but the Lord. He’s so filled with gratitude that he wants to offer something in return to God for what God has done.

That’s what gratitude does — it heals us inside and out. Gratitude helps makes us whole again.  So, thank you!

In the Gospel, Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one returns to give thanks. And that one, Jesus tells him, “Your faith has saved you.”

Faith, hope, and gratitude — that’s what makes us whole. That’s what has carried this parish for 120 years, and that’s what will carry her well into the future.

This year, in our Jubilee Year of Hope, we remember that hope is not just wishful thinking. It is an anchor that gives us stability. This hope is strength for the journey. This hope is what makes us rise each morning and say: “Lord, I still believe. I still trust. I still know You’re working in my life.”

When we look back at 120 years of this parish, we see the power of that hope. Hope that built a church when there were few resources but great faith. Hope that sustained families through struggle and sacrifice. Hope that carried children through the schools and young people into leadership. Hope that turned prayer into action and faith into witness.

My brothers and sisters, I believe that this community — Our Lady of Fatima Parish — is like that one leper who came back to thank Jesus.

You have remembered where your healing came from. You have given thanks again and again at this altar, where Christ continues to heal, strengthen, nourish, and send us forth to the ends of the earth. You have borne witness to the Lord’s mercy in this city and beyond.

And I believe the Lord is saying to you today, “Parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima, rise and go. Your faith has saved you.”

As we celebrate this 120th anniversary, we can recall three unique take-aways.

Gratitude for the past
We thank God for every priest, sister, and parishioner who built this community on faith and courage – many of whom have returned to the Lord.

Hope for the future
We stand firm in the promise that God is not finished with us yet. He is still calling us to be a light in Birmingham — a light of unity, of service, of love. And He’s calling us to be salt – to give flavor to the blandness and insipidness of our world.

Witness in the present
Each of us has a story to tell, a testimony to share. Don’t be afraid to say, “The Lord has been good to me!” That’s how faith spreads — by joyfully witnessing our faith.

So today, as we thank God for 120 years. We also recommit ourselves to the mission to be healed by God’s grace, filled with His hope, and bound together to bear witness to His abiding presence through His Word and through this Holy Eucharist.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Immaculate Mother, guide us. And may the Lord, Who has done marvelous deeds for this parish, continue to bless you abundantly for many more years to come. Amen. Hallelujah!