How a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fatima became a journey of faith, healing, and gratitude
At 5 a.m. that spring day, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal was embraced by the glow of soft yellow lights coming from the basilica and the chapels around the square. The faint, almost calculated footsteps of the faithful sliced through the holy ground as they headed for Mass at the Chapel of the Apparitions.
The sanctuary in Fatima is one of the most important landmarks in Marian devotion. The Chapel of the Apparitions is said to be the exact spot where the Blessed Mother appeared six times (the first one on May 13, 1917) to three children—Lucia de Jesus, 10; and her cousins, siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto, aged nine and seven, respectively.
“It is the joy of the Father to give us what we want,” Fr. Dave Concepcion, chaplain of the pilgrimage organized by the Catholic Travel Inc., of which he is also the president, told the group of 80 pilgrims.
The other day at the Church of St. Anthony of Lisbon in Portugal’s capital city, he said: “Huwag mahihiyang humingi sa Diyos.”
I prayed for a Marian pilgrimage after my quadruple bypass in September. By January this year, Catholic Travel Inc. invited me to join this trip. All the more I became resolute in my belief that God hears a fervent prayer.
“Prayers are real. I also prayed to join this pilgrimage. Fatima all the more increased my faith,” said Edna de Ramos, a jolly Filipino nurse based in the US.
“This is my third visit to Our Lady of Fatima. Each time, my faith is increased. Mama Mary always makes my visit to Fatima possible,” said Cita Maddicks, a retired teacher based in Australia.
“My visit to Our Lady of Fatima was a solemn and meaningful experience that reminded me of her unwavering love and guidance, and how she continues to intercede for us and lead us closer to our Lord,” said Keri Zamora, founder of the Caring Keri Foundation.
For her part, Filipino entrepreneur Tricia Cruz said, “Our visit to Fatima made me pause and reflect on how blessed I am. It reminded me to thank God more sincerely for the people, guidance, and grace in my life.”
Indeed, to be in Fatima is to be more grateful about life. It is the same gratitude that the faithful use in discerning further the messages of the apparitions in Fatima, “including the firm belief in God and the conviction that there is really hell,” said Filipa Narciso, our Portuguese tour guide.
“And part of our prayer, our request from God should be for our growth,” Fr. Dave said. “And the No. 1 enemy of growth is comfort.”
In the silence of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, faces glistened and listened to Fr. Dave as he added in his homily: “If you want to be free, if you want to grow more, you have to let go of some things that you carry. What are the things that you don’t need?”
“Don’t be afraid to grow. Pruning is part of growing. Many of us failed to grow because we thought we had already reached the pinnacle of success,” he said.
Fr. Dave’s words guided the pilgrims in their whole day discovery of the holy ground of Fatima.
Inside the basilica can be found the stark tombs of Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta.
At night, we joined the procession on the basilica’s grounds. It was a cathartic experience. Faith, indeed, is about believing in the unseen. Faith is food for the soul, lovingly prepared by God.
We also visited the houses of the three children in the village of Aljustrel, and were once again reminded that growth in faith—theirs and the faithful’s—is something we will never be afraid to ask from God.
The road to growth is not always easy. But as Fr. Dave said in his homily: “We should be able to look at growth not as a sign of a problem but as a way of God saying: ‘I love you’.”
In Fatima, I was never coy about asking for grace from God. A big part of my prayer is to be able to visit the sanctuary again. My devotion to Mama Mary tells me it will be done.
There is a God—a loving God.
For Marian pilgrimages, call the Catholic Travel Inc. at 85232523 / 0918-9110748.
