PROVIDENCE — Our Lady of Fatima has inspired thousands of Catholics of Portuguese descent to spread the faith worldwide, and John Silvia's family has carried on that task in Rhode Island since the 1970s.
Silvia, a parishioner of St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth and a member of the diocesan diaconate program, said his parents John and Josephine, uncle Louis Gomes and aunt Margaret Gomes built a float several years ago and made costumes to commemorate the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, which occurred in Fatima, Portugal in 1917.
The Holy Mother appeared to three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, beginning on May 13.
Silvia said the float his family built depicts the Fatima apparitions and the children on it today are the fourth generation of his family. "We are all of Portuguese descent from the Azores and within our family Our Lady of Fatima is important," said Silvia during a phone interview.
Silvia pulls the float, which carries the children, with a restored 1941 John Deere tractor at local church festivals. He displayed his family's craftsmanship during a Holy Ghost procession this past Sunday at Jesus Saviour Church in Newport.
"Originally the float was towed with a pony, but it became unruly when the pony got fed up," said Silvia.
While he drove the tractor during Sunday's procession, his four young cousins portrayed Mary and the shepherd children. Autumn Gomes was Mary, Ruby Gomes played Lúcia, Olivia Gomes depicted Jacinta and Tyler Boone portrayed Francisco. Silvia is happy that the children participate in the religious processions.
"Their parents were involved and their grandparents and their great-grandparents created the float," said Silvia.
Silvia said he and his sons John III, 27, and Jim, 24, have maintained the float and tractor and his aunt Margaret's family has always provided children for the float. John III lives in Connecticut and Jim lives in Portsmouth.
Silvia, 56, said his father and uncle, who was a welder, built the float out of an old airport trolley. "My family rebuilt the trolley as a float for processions for Jesus Saviour, St. Barnabas and St. Anthony in Portsmouth and St. Martha's in East Providence — all parishes with large Portuguese communities," said Silvia.
Silvia's family traces its roots to the Azorean islands of Faial, Sao Miguel and Sao Jorge.
He credited his aunt Margaret, who is now in her 80s, for creating the costumes, and said the portrayal of the apparitions throughout the years has been an inspiration for his family.
"My aunt Margaret is a tremendous seamstress. She has duplicated all the images, and she has depicted them as closely as possible," said Silvia. "This (float) has been a focal point for members of my family. My sons and I do it together and maintain the tractor and float and transport it. My god-daughter Angelica was the Our Lady of Fatima on the float and the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima is important," he added.
The Silvias have a trailer that transports the float and tractor. Silvia said he and his sons gather to prepare the float and tractor during feast days at 6 a.m.
Silvia said on the back of the float there is a banner honoring his parents John and Josephine and his uncle Louis.
Silvia said the float will appear next on July 19 at St. Anthony's Holy Ghost feast in Portsmouth.
He said he visited Fatima two years ago with friends on May 13, and more than 300,000 people visited the area. "The vigil was magnificent, and it was the anniversary of the apparitions," said Silvia. It was the 90th anniversary of the apparitions.
"Lots of things in my life have fallen into place since then. I've always had a strong desire for service and I had a desire to enter the diaconate program for a long time," said Silvia.
Silvia is a lector and extraordinary minister of lay Communion at St. Barnabas Church, where he has been a parishioner since 1985. He also distributes Communion to the sick and homebound.
"Proclaiming the word of the Gospels is a great joy for me," said Silvia, who entered the diocesan diaconate program last December. He will attend classes at Providence College next year.
Our Lady of Fatima has provided a foundation to share Silvia's faith and Portuguese heritage throughout his life.
