News

August’s International Pilgrimage

August’s International Pilgrimage will be presided over by the Most Rev. Alessandro Carmelo Ruffinoni, Auxiliary Bishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil, who is in charge of the Pastoral Ministry for Brazilians living abroad.Regarding his second visit to Portugal and Fatima, Bishop Riffinoni speaks to the Shrine of Fatima about the invitation to preside over this pilgrimage and announces the special prayer intentions he brings with him as pilgrim to this shrine.

18-19 July

Pilgrimage of the Movement of Message of Fátima Prayer, Pilgrims and the Sick are areas of pastoral ministry that the Movement takes on, while seeking to understand the requests of Our Lady at Fatima and the manifestations of the first pilgrims venturing into Cova da Iria.

July 26: Day of Grandparents celebrated at Fatima

In order to celebrate the liturgical feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, parents of Our Lady and grandparents of Jesus, on July 26, the Shrine of Fatima, with the collaboration of the Movement of Fatima, is preparing an encounter-pilgrimage at the Shrine, on the 25/26 weekend. The program is open to grandparents and grandkids. The admission is free. It is right now being prepared: it includes times for reflection and times for liturgical celebrations.

‘Prayer of the Rosary, Way to Peace’

The samples are particularly symbolic. This is more than an exhibition. It is a catechesis. It is an exhibition of 90 rosaries from a Portuguese private collection, belonging to a lady who owns more than eight hundred of them, with origin in various countries and made of various materials and in various colors and sizes. Open to the public at the entrance hall of the Convivium of St. Agustine, in the Complex of Most Holy Trinity Church, until October, the month of the Rosary, the admission to it is free of charge and the exhibition can be visited daily between 9h00 and 19h00.

On July 10, at 21h30, at the Paul VI Pastoral Center: Orquestra Clássica do Centro (Classical Orchestra of the Center) holds concert in Fatima

Following a request by the Orquestra Clássica do Centro, welcomed by the Shrine of Fatima, Paul VI Pastoral Center will be the stage for the performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In stage will be found the Aeminium Choir, directed by Cristina Faria, the Landesjugendorchester Orchestra of NRW, Germany, and the Orquestra Clássica do Centro, directed by Maestro Virgílio Caseiro. Free admission

July 27 thru 31 XXXV National Encounter of Liturgical Pastoral Ministry

Paul VI Pastoral Center welcomes, on July 27 thru 31, the XXXV National Encounter of Liturgical Pastoral Ministry, which is being planned by the National Secretariat of the Liturgy. The Encounter begins at 17h00 on the 27th, with a short prayer and the first conference, and ends up on the morning of the 31st, with the celebration of Holy Mass followed by lunch. This year’s Encounter intends to reflect and educate on the topic of ‘Music in the Liturgy’.

Anniversary Pilgrimage of July A Prayer for the families of the entire world

Archbishop Rino Passigato, Apostolic Nuncio in Portugal, presided, on July 12/13, over the International Pilgrimage on the anniversary of the third apparition of Our Lady at Fatima. On the vigil of the 12th, he called for the mobilization of Christians to announce the Gospel: “We need to mobilize at all times for the mission around us: in the family, at work, in the public square, that is, in all places where we live our daily life”. During the Mass on the morning of the 13th, he repeated that he had a special intention for his coming to Fatima: to pray for the family.

Te Deum – Hymn of praise to God

The cultural evening of the second day of the Congress ‘To Grow into the Gift’ (June 18-20) will have a music concert written by Paul Lameiro for a children’s choir, which will be performed by the Children’s Choir of the Shrine of Fatima plus some soloists and a small instrumental group. The Te Deum will be held in the Salão do Bom Pastor (Good Shepherd Hall), in the Paul VI Pastoral Center, starting at 21h30. Admission is free, even for those not attending the congress.

International Anniversary Pilgrimage of June

The International Anniversary Pilgrimage of June 12/13, 2009, will be presided over by the Most Rev. João Lavrador, Auxiliary Bishop of Porto, and the theme will be: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s lead” Gal 5, 25).

June 14: First National Encounter of Children’s Choirs at the Shrine of Fatima

In order to incentivate the development of children in what pertains to musical animation of the liturgy and to look for a musical practice with more quality in the celebrations involving children, the Shrine of Fatima is going to hold, on June 14, its First National Encounter of Children’s Choirs. The concert begins at 15h00 and it will be held in Most Holy Trinity Church. Admission free.

Upon its return to Fatima, Statue of Our Lady welcomed by hundreds of people

Relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in Portugal

In their travels through the Portuguese dioceses, the Relics of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, from the Monastery of Paray le Monial, France, will visit the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima. At the Shrine of Fatima, they will be exposed to the veneration of the faithful in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, on May 21/22. The name of this French Saint – Margaret Mary Alacoque – is intimately linked to the fervorous devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

International Anniversary Pilgrimage of May

The International Anniversary Pilgrimage of the month of May will be presided over by His Eminence Óscar Cardinal Maradiaga, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and President of Caritas International. The Most Rev. António Marto, Bishop of Leiria-Fatima, notes that Cardinal Maradiaga “owes his coming to Fatima to the fact that he will be in Portugal (at that time) in order to take part in a congress organized by Caritas. Being aware of that, I took the opportunity to invite him to preside over the pilgrimage, hoping to get from him, as President of Caritas International, a global view of the consequences of the current socio-economic crisis”.

St. Nuno of St. Mary, pray for us

The Shrine of Fatima associates itself to the national celebration of the canonization of Saint Nuno of Saint Mary. To mark the canonization of this new Portuguese Saint, in a ceremony being held at the Vatican on April 26, the Shrine honors, in a special way, one of statues o the Colonnade of the Prayer Area, that of St. Nuno of St. Mary. A ribbon, 6.20 high and 1.65 wide, was placed vertically next to the statue. On it is written this prayer: ‘S. Nuno de Santa Maria, rogai por nós) (St. Nuno of St. Mary, pray for us). On the same ribbon are printed the ‘Cruz de Avis’ (Cross of Avis) and the date of canonization ‘Canonização –Roma, 26 de April de 2009’.

Centennial of the Birth of Francisco Marto

On Saturday, April 4, anniversary of death of Blessed Francisco Marto, there will be inaugurated, at the Shrine of Fatima, the exhibition ‘Francisco Marto: God’s candlelight’. The Shrine of Fatima started celebrating on June 10, 2008, the second day of the Children´s Pilgrimage to Fatima (always held on June 9/10), the Centennial of the Birth of Francisco Marto, the Little Shepherd of Fatima, born on June 11, 1908; and intends to conclude these celebrations on June 2009, also at the time of the next Children´s Pilgrimage.

XXV Anniversary of Consecration of World to Immaculate Heart of Mary - To Your protection we fly, O Holy Mother of God!

At the Shrine of Fatima, this anniver-sary will be celebrated with pomp and cir-cumstance and with a program identical to that of the pilgrimages of the 13th in the months of Winter. The Bishop of the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima, Most Rev. António Marto, will preside over the celebrations

18-20 June: Congress ‘Francisco Marto – To Grow into the Gift’

The program of celebrations commemorating the birth of Blessed Francisco Marto will conclude with a congress to be held at the Shrine of Fatima, Portugal, between the 18th and the 20th of June. Its purpose is to study the figure and the testimony of this child, as well as some aspects related to the spirituality of children. Besides the personality of Francisco Marto and the message of Fatima, several questions related to infancy will be dealt with: music, literature, spirituality, catechesis, juridical protection, theology, pastoral ministry.

HOLY WEEK

Program:

Concert of of Easter Sunday

It is already a tradition at the Shrine of Fatima to offer to the public, on the afternoon of Easter Sunday, a musical show; thus, the amphitheater of Paul VI Pastoral Center will be the venue for a concert by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Beiras, with the Regina Coeli Choir. The concert will start at 15h00 and admission to it is free.

March 29: Diocese of Leiria-Fatima pilgrimages to Fatima

Under the motto ‘Go to the heart of the faith. Stay firm and solid in your faith’, the Diocese of Leiria-Fatima is making its 78th pilgrimage to the Shrine of Fatima on Sunday, March 29. The program has in mind the spirit of the Pauline Year and of the Centennial of the Birth of Blessed Francisco Marto. The Youth Pastoral Ministry of the Diocese elaborated a program for the day preceding the Diocesan Pilgrimage (the 28th), specifically tailored for the youth, under the motto: ‘Be always glad in the Lord!’

Conference on St. Paul - April 19, 2009

The Shrine of Fatima is organizing a set of Conferences on St. Paul to be held in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary starting this November and ending in April 2009. Several experts have been invited to speak. Each monthly session –always on a Sunday – will be enriched with an organ concert. Last conference: April 19, 2009, at 16h00 By Fr. José Jacinto Ferreira de Farias: “The great discoveries of St. Paul: Christ, Church and Grace”

February 20 Blessing of Children at Shrine of Fatima on Feast Day of Blessed Little Shepherds of Fatima

The Church celebrates the liturgical Feast of Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto on February 20, birth anniversary of Blessed Jacinta. The special program prepared by the Shrine of Fatima for this year’s celebration has in mind specially the children. The Rosary will be said at 10h15, in the Little Chapel of Apparitions, followed by a procession from the Little Chapel to Most Holy Trinity Church, where, at 11h00, Holy Mass will be celebrated and the children blessed. Fr. Virgílio Antunes, Rector of the Shrine of Fatima, will preside over.

June 9/10 Children’s Pilgrimage to Fatima

One of the most singular pilgrimages to the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal, the Children’s Pilgrimage, which is always held on June 9/10, since 1978, has proposed for this year of 2009 the example of life of the little seer of Fatima Francisco Marto to the children of the whole world. Based on the topic proposed this year by the Shrine of Fatima to its pilgrims ‘The pure of heart shall see God’, taken from the Sermon of the Mount on the Beatitudes and solidly founded on the 9th Commandment of the Law of God, was chosen the motto for this Pilgrimage: ‘I WANT TO POSSESS A BEAUTIFUL HEART’. This motto intends to combine the longing for a pure heart urged in that Beatitude and the life of Blessed Francisco Marto.

February Monthly Pilgrimage: Shrine receives exhibition on John Paul II

Two initiatives mark the 13th of February at the Shrine of Fatima, on the fourth anniversary of death of seer Sister Lucia: - The Monthly Pilgrimage itself, presided over by the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima; - The inauguration of an exhibition of photographs of John Paul II.