The annual Feast of the Assumption Mass will take place at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church on Thursday evening, August 14, 2025, marking a temporary change in location due to the destruction of the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine by a tornado in March 2024.
The event, co-hosted by The American Society of Ephesus, Inc. and St. Mary of the Woods Parish, has been a long-standing tradition held at the lakeside shrine overlooking Indian Lake since the 1960s—except for a few exceptions, including COVID-19 disruptions and last year’s high winds.
While the Shrine was heavily damaged, plans are already in motion for a full rebuild.
Bill Quatman, president of The American Society of Ephesus, says groundbreaking is expected in October.
“As a result of the local design competition last year, we have lots of exciting design ideas for the new shrine,” he said. “We plan to be back on the shrine property in 2026 and will host a formal dedication on August 15, 2026.”
The new shrine design includes a 20-foot-tall fiberglass statue of the Virgin Mary and three smaller bronze statues representing the children who witnessed the 1917 apparition in Fatima, Portugal.
The redesign is being handled by Freytag & Associates of Sidney, with sculptures by Mike Major of Urbana.
Originally dedicated in August 1964, the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine stood for nearly 60 years as one of the tallest Virgin Mary statues in the U.S., before the March 2024 tornado caused extensive damage to both the statue and its base.
This year’s Mass will begin at 7:00 p.m. on August 14 at St. Mary of the Woods Church, located at 464 Madison Avenue, Russells Point.
Fr. Shawn Landenwitch, parish pastor, will celebrate the Mass.
Parking is free and open to the public.
