BISON—As Easter is upon us, many in Northwest Oklahoma will pause and reflect on the meaning of this sacred religious holiday recognizing the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Some will visit the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in the tiny rural community of Bison, located 15 miles south of Enid on the west side of U.S. 81.
Our Lady of Fatima is a title for the Blessed Virgin Mary based on her six appearances to three shepherd children—siblings Jacinta and Francisco and their cousin Lúcia—in Fatima, Portugal, between May and October 1917.
She urged them to say the Rosary prayer, show repentance, and be devoted to her Immaculate Heart to bring world peace and end World War I.
For those unfamiliar with the Bible, a virgin named Mary gave birth to God’s son Jesus over 2,000 years ago, and her love as the blessed mother of Christ is written about Luke 2, including verse 19 after the shepherds marveled at His birth: “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” and verse 35 after His baby dedication and blessing by Simeon: “… the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Furthermore, a daily Rosary is a Catholic devotion consisting of vocal prayers and meditative reflection on the lives of Jesus and his mother Mary. It is used to intercede for needs, seek Mary’s guidance, and grow in closeness to Christ.
The Immaculate Heart of Mary also is a Catholic devotion symbolizing the Virgin Mary’s joys, sorrows, and compassionate maternal love and is often depicted in artwork as a heart pierced by a sword and wrapped in roses.
Brighter than the sun
Mary the Mother of God first appeared to the three children on May 13, 1917. At the time, Lúcia was the eldest at 10 years old, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta were 9 and 7, respectively. The siblings let Lúcia do the speaking and she later became a Carmelite nun, living a long life dedicated to God; both brother and sister died young as foretold by Our Lady of Fatima.
The trio reported seeing a “Lady brighter than the sun” above an oak tree in Cova da Iria who warned that a worse war (believed now to be World War II) would come if people did not stop offending God.
These monthly appearances on the 13th of each month for a total of six months are now called the 1917 Marian apparitions by the Catholic Church, which officially approved the apparitions as worthy of belief in 1930; the Fatima visit is one of only 12 appearances by Mary out of hundreds alleged to date that have received ecclesiastical approval.
Mary’s final appearance in Fatima on Oct. 13, 1917, was witnessed by thousands in Portugal on what started as a rainy day. Everyone was sopping wet when the Lady appeared to them, said Fr. John Herrera of St. Joseph Catholic Church in both Hennessey and Bison.
All of the sudden, the sun began to spin, dancing or zigzagging, changing colors, and appearing to fall toward earth that day. Recognized by the Catholic Church as “The Miracle of the Sun,” Herrera said many watching “thought it was the end of the world and began confessing their sins.”
Newspapers published testimony about the extraordinary solar activity, and according to these reports, the entire event lasted approximately 10 minutes. Then as quickly as it started, it stopped and everyone present were miraculously dry.
As word spread across the globe about Our Lady of Fatima, what was told to the trio of children during the 1917 Marian apparitions, and the Miracle of the Sun, Catholics in the United States adopted the devotions spoken in Portugal, including those in Garfield County worshipping in the Czech immigrant town of Bison, which had a population over 200 around World War II.
Shrine of gratitude and reflection
To express gratitude for what Our Lady of Fatima told to the Portuguese children and to thus honor the area’s military veterans who had served in World War II, the Catholic community decided to build the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima next to the Bison parish of St. Joseph in 1951.
Under the guidance of Frs. Andrew Thomas and John O’Brien, men from the parish hauled in limestone from eastern Oklahoma and erected the shrine that fall. Statues of Our Lady of Fatima, the three children, and two sheep were placed in an alcove that was encased with plate glass that was over and behind the altar. A marble top communion rail ran the entire length of the edifice. In an arc over the shrine in blue neon light read “Blessed art thou amongst women” that could be seen from U.S. 81.
Bishop Eugene McGuiness dedicated the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on the Solemnity of Immaculate Conception which was Dec. 8, 1951. A perpetual novena (a Catholic devotional practice consisting of prayers, petitions, or meditations repeated on a fixed, recurring day indefinitely) was held every Wednesday night at the shrine back then.
Unfortunately, 40 years later, the original shrine was destroyed by a fire with only a stone shell and fire-blackened statues remaining on Nov. 24, 1992. That following November, men from the parish began restoration work, including sandblasting the limestone, building a new roof, adding a glass front, installing new tile flooring, assembling new candle holders, and cleaning then repainting the statues. Places to sit and/or kneel were also added.
Once the shrine was restored and now fully enclosed with new painted glass windows depicting the Miracle of the Sun, it was rededicated by Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran on Oct. 30, 1994.
Keeping the peace
Local parish members care for its daily upkeep, namely those who live in or around Bison.
Frank Vaverka said he and his wife, Ada, who live down the street from the shrine, have been overseeing the shrine for the past 20 years.
He typically pops into the shrine before daylight and again after dark to ensure the prayer notebook is ready for visitors to jot down their joys, sorrows, and prayer requests and to check on the candles. Because the candles are symbolic of someone’s prayer and a sign of devotion, he leaves them burning until the wick snuffs itself out.
“We buy at least 1,800 candles a year,” Vaverka said. The parish used to allow visitors to bring their own votives, but due to liability insurance and safety reasons about four years ago, he said, visitors are prohibited from doing that anymore. They can only light the ones the parish provides and may make financial donations into the lock box on site.
Vaverka allows the candles to burn all the way down before he replaces them with new ones. His wife cleans the shrine regularly, and others in the parish handle the landscaping and flowers in and around the shrine.
Visitors to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima don’t have to be Catholic to come, Vaverka said. Herrera concurred.
“Anyone can come contemplate, light a candle, write in the notebook, pray, or just sit awhile,” he said. “This is a Marian shrine (meaning a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary), so there is a sense of peace and comfort in her presence, just like you would get in Mexico City.”
Both said there is an average of 2,000 visitors a year to the unincorporated community of less than 50 people.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the year. Located on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church on the south side of Bison, visitors can exit U.S. 81 at the Bison co-op, make a left, and drive one block to reach the shrine. Again, votive candles are available on site; outside candles are strictly forbidden for safety reasons. For those wishing to worship, St. Joe’s next door holds Mass on Sundays at 7:30 a.m.