RUSSELLS POINT – After two years of cancellations due to COVID-19 concerns, The American Society of Ephesus Inc. and St. Mary of the Wood Parish announce that the Feast of the Assumption Mass will return to the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine overlooking Indian Lake. The Catholic Mass is normally planned around Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption for the Catholic Church. This year, the Mass will be held on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, at the Shrine. The Mass will begin at 6 p.m., with prelude music starting at 5:15 p.m. The Rev. Shawn Landenwitch, pastor of St. Mary of the Woods, will be the celebrant for the Mass. Parking is available at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church, 464 Madison Ave., Russells Point. Shuttles will start at 4:30 p.m. from St. Mary of the Woods to the Shrine. Seating is available for 300. Others may bring their own lawn chairs.
“We are very happy to host this even in person once again, after a two-year absence,” said Bill Quatman, president of The American Society of Ephesus, which owns the shrine property. The annual mass has been held each year since 1964, except for 2020 and 2021, Quatman believes. It always draws a large crowd from the region.
“The shrine was repainted in 2021 and we added new landscaping. It was originally dedicated in August 1964, and it will turn 60-years old in 2024. We are already planning for that event,” Quatman added.
For more information, visit www.ase-gbqfoundation.org or www.saintmaryofthewoods.com
The American Society of Ephesus, Inc. (George B. Quatman Foundation) is a non-profit private foundation formed in 1955 and based in Lima, Ohio, whose mission is to promote a greater realization and appreciation of the teachings and wonders of God; to preserve and erect religious shrines; and to restore and preserve the burial grounds of outstanding religious leaders. To find out more, visit www.ase-gbqfoundation.org.
St. Mary of the Wood Parish began in 1927, and promotes the ideals of Christian community through the recognition that each person is given the manifestation of the Spirit of the common good. The parish believes in fostering spiritual growth through scripture, the sacraments and through the use of each person’s gifts in our family.
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine at Russells Point, Ohio is one of the tallest statues of the Virgin Mary in the United States. Dedicated in August 1964, the 43-feet tall monument includes a 19-feet, 6-inch fiberglass statue of Our Lady of Fatima on a concrete pedestal. It is located at St. Mary’s Point, 261 Chase Ave., Russells Point.
