Who started the all-night vigils?

The first all-night vigils were made by Our Lord Himself, for the Gospels say that He frequently went off “to a private place” and prayed all night. And Our Lord kept vigil the very night He was betrayed into the hands of his enemies.

St. Matthew records a scene in Our Lord’s Passion which has become familiar to all of us. The Agony in the Garden, the first sorrowful mystery of the Rosary, accounts for much of this familiarity. We visualize the Apostles Peter, James, and John. Notice how before entering into His agony, Jesus made this plea to these chosen three: “My heart is nearly broken with sorrow. Remain here and stay awake with me.” Returning to His Apostles, He found them asleep. One can feel the sadness in Our Lord’s words to Peter: “So you could not stay awake with me for even an hour?”

Why are all-night vigils important?

For many centuries the Church encouraged the practice of all-night vigils before the celebration of great feasts such as the Nativity, Pentecost, the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul and especially – the queen of all vigils – the Resurrection. The penitential character of these vigils becomes evident from the fact that when the practice of the all-night vigils gradually disappeared, they were replaced by fast and abstinence on the day preceding the feast.

It is not surprising then that when Our Lady, in appearing to the children of Fatima, pleaded for prayer and penance for the conversion of sinners, the practice of all-night vigils became a part of the response to her plea. In her final appearance to the children, Mary, with profound seriousness and a sad expression on her face, said, “Do not offend God Our Lord anymore, for He is already deeply offended.” This recalls Our Lord’s words from Gethsemane, “My heart is nearly broken with sorrow and distress. Remain here and stay awake with me.”

Did Mary ask for this special form of sacrifice?

Performing acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary was central to the Fatima message. Fr. Robert Fox in his book Fatima Today quotes Bishop John Venancio, the former bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima, who, when asked to summarize the Fatima message, said: “Fatima is reparation, reparation, reparation, and especially Eucharistic reparation.”

Reparation is atonement to God for sins committed against Him by ourselves and others. When the angel of the second apparition told the children, “Offer up prayers and sacrifices to the Most High,” Lucia asked the angel, “How are we to make sacrifices?” The angel answered, “Make everything you do a sacrifice and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and in supplication for the conversion of sinners.”
 

How do I get an all-night vigil at my parish?

To get an all-night vigil scheduled at your parish, call Claude Medina at      651-457-6609 and he can provide you with a brochure and answers to any questions you may have.
 

Where can I find the schedule for upcoming vigils?

To find where the upcoming all-night vigils are scheduled, click here.

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