The Fatima Center

The Fatima Center, also known as the International Fatima Rosary Crusade, is an apostolate devoted to promoting its reading of the 1917 Fatima apparitions. It was founded in 1978 by the Canadian priest Fr. Nicholas Gruner, who led it until his death in Fort Erie, Ontario, on 29 April 2015 (The Fatima Center; Catholic World News). Its Canadian charity is registered as The National Committee for the National Pilgrim Virgin of Canada (CanadaHelps), and it lists a US branch, The Fatima Center USA Inc., with a Buffalo, New York, mailing address (The Fatima Center). Traditionalist blogs have reported that the Canadian organisation severed ties with a former sister corporation in Constable, New York, and set up the new American branch (Catholic Truth).

Gruner's canonical standing was disputed for decades. Church-side accounts state that he was ordered back to his diocese of incardination in Italy, was suspended in 1996, and that the suspension was upheld by the Holy See in 2001; Catholic World News described him at his death as a suspended priest (Catholic World News; Catholic Culture). The Center rejects this, and its writer Christopher Ferrara has argued that Gruner was never validly suspended (The Fatima Center).

The Center publishes The Fatima Crusader magazine, whose issue 136 appeared in summer 2026 (Fatima Center shop), runs conferences and a YouTube channel. Its central campaign concerns the consecration of Russia: its 2025 petition argues that earlier papal acts, including John Paul II's of 1982, did not fulfil what it says Our Lady requested (The Fatima Center). LifeSiteNews reported that Ferrara endorsed petitioning Leo XIV to consecrate Russia specifically and called the 2022 consecration performed by Pope Francis insufficient (LifeSiteNews). Francis's March 2022 act consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (National Catholic Register).

Writers for the Center include Ferrara and Matt Gaspers (The Fatima Center). When Catholic Family News closed with its December 2025 issue, its farewell notice said The Fatima Center USA would preserve CFN's legacy by featuring articles and videos by John Vennari and other former contributors (Catholic Family News). See apparitions and prophecy culture and papal-critique and resistance media.

After Francis's 2022 act, the Center described the ceremony as solemn but concluded that it was not the consecration Our Lady had requested (The Fatima Center). Its "Fatima Today" video series has hosted Fr. Charles Murr on alleged Masonic infiltration of the Vatican (The Fatima Center). The Southern Poverty Law Center lists "The Fatima Crusader / International Fatima Rosary Crusade" among groups it designates as radical traditionalist Catholic hate groups (SPLC). See also Freemasonry and conspiracy claims and Judaism and antisemitism.