Candlelight Procession Now Held Every Day at the Shrine of Fatima

Candlelight Procession Now Held Every Day at the Shrine of Fatima

Due to the regular presence of groups of pilgrims at the 9.30pm Rosary, the Shrine is now organising this emblematic celebratory moment of Fatima every day.

Since the beginning of February, the Candlelight Procession, organised after the 9.30pm Rosary held in the Chapel of the Apparitions, has taken place every day of the year and not only between Easter and Advent, as was the case in the past.

This change stems from the Sanctuary management's realization that pilgrim groups are increasingly present on a regular basis during all months of the year, and not just during the busiest months.

This is confirmed by statistics on pilgrim presence at the shrine in 2024, which show an increase in the number of organised pilgrim groups and a gradual reduction in the seasonality of pilgrimages to Cova da Iria, with a trend towards increased pilgrim presence between November and April, outside the period of major international pilgrimages.

As always, the Candlelight Procession depends on weather conditions.

With this change, groups of pilgrims will be able to sign up to carry the Paso throughout the year by contacting the Shrine of Fatima or [email protected].

The Candlelight Procession is one of the most emblematic rites of Fatima. During the main pilgrimages, which take place between May and October, this procession brings the image of Our Lady to the altar of the Prayer Area on the evening of the 12th.

On other days, the procession follows a route through the Prayer Area and returns to the Chapel of the Apparitions. The Candlelight Procession, which began in Cova da Iria in the second half of the 1920s, has its origins and inspiration in the tradition of the Sanctuary of Lourdes in France. In Fatima, it reminds pilgrims of the symbolism of light, which is an expression of the divine in the Fatima apparitions.