23 january, 2012
 A statue of Our Lady of Fatima was rescued intact, on January 21, from cruise ship Costa Concordia, which shipwrecked near the island of Giglio, Italy. It is a replica of the statue enthroned in the Little Chapel of Apparitions, at the Shrine of Fatima, Portugal.
The statue now rescued was enthroned in the chapel of the ship on the day of its baptism and inauguration, on July 7, 2006, in the presence of Stephen Fumio Cardinal Hamao, then president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Ministry to Migrants and Wanderers. Representing the Shrine of Fatima in the ceremony of enthroning was Fr. Clemente Dotti, Italian priest then working at the Shrine.
The official newspaper of the Shrine of Fatima in Portuguese “Voz da Fátima” (Voice of Fatima), published at that time a short news piece in the issue of September 13, 2006.
According to information given, at the time of the rescue, to Fr. Dotti, the rescued statue was taken to the parish church of the island of Giglio.
On Sunday January 22, in Fatima, during the 10h00 Rosary in the Little Chapel of Apparitions, Chaplain of the Shrine Fr. Luciano Cristino joyfully announced the recovery of the statue. Before the final three Hail Mary’s, Fr. Cristino greeted the survivors and prayed for the dead. He showed his solidarity specially with those most suffering from this tragedy, namely the family members of the dead passengers and of those still missing.
LeopolDina Simões
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