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In 1947, a small group of faith-filled Catholic men, lead by Frank L. Lucio, gathered together with a common desire to organize a celebration in Tulare to honor Our Lady of Fatima. The committee – which also included Joe Lucio, Manuel A. Borba, Frank Tristao, Jimmie Ferasci and a few others – was dedicated to fulfilling the dream of building a Catholic school for their children and grandchildren, and felt an annual celebration, honoring Our Lady of Fatima, would be an excellent way to support that desire.
The first Fatima celebration was held that October with more than 5000 guests in attendance. The committee met with the pastor of St. Aloysius Church, Fr. Matthew O'Brien, to donate the proceeds of the initial Fatima celebration – and dedicate the proceeds from all future celebrations – to build and sustain a new Catholic school in Tulare. The tradition has continued for more than 75 years, often spanning multiple generations of local Catholic families.
As a private school, St. Aloysius depends on fundraisers to support everything from curriculum materials to sports items, and is dedicated to maintaining affordable tuition rates through fundraisers such as the Fatima Celebration.
