09 june, 2012
 In tune with the theme the Shrine of Fatima has chosen for pastoral year 2011-2012, which is the second year of the celebration of the Centennial of the Apparitions, the Children’s Pilgrimage will focus on the first apparition of Our Lady in 1917.
This pilgrimage will bring out to light the believer’s attitude of the Little Shepherds, which was manifested in their unconditional commitment and willingness in regard to the call of Our Lady. It was that active attitude of prompt willingness that led Little Shepherd Lucia to ask Our Lady: “What do you want of me?”
This question hides in it a response, just like that of Samuel, when, upon being called, he responded: “Speak, Lord; your servant is listening!”
In that universal question asked by Little Shepherd Lucia all mankind was represented. That is the question we chose for theme of the Children’s Pilgrimage of 2012: “What do you want of me?”
Everything has its own moment. However, today’s man feels more and more difficulty in managing his time.
It is the paradox of modern times: a society which has available to it all sorts of machines working to save us time seems, after all, to use them only to feed the voracious appetite with which we consume everything, time itself included.
We propose that we commit ourselves to give God more time. To that end, we propose to the children, as an example to follow, the way walked by the Little Shepherds, which materializes in the interior attitude of discerning the will of God, so that we may take on some sort of commitment and stay engaged in it until the end.
The Organizing Committee of this pilgrimage has prepared a campaign to be carried out by the children during the month of May, whose goal is to lead people to be entirely available to God. Therefore, throughout four weeks, each child will be discovering its own way along the different commitments it is making.
The attitude of offering oneself totally to God, on the part of the Little Shepherds, is like a lantern illuminating the ways of today’s adults and children and helping them to develop, in light of their example, this so generous attitude of being open to God’s will.
Organizing Committee of the Pilgrimage
Bishop Virgílio Antunes presides over Children’s Pilgrimage of 2012
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