Day 13 - Day in Fatima

I had a wonderful day in Fatima! It is so beautiful! It is a religious town/place famous for the apparitions of the Virgin Mary near Fatima (and so she is named “Our lady of Fatima”) in 1917 to 3 young children Lucia (10), and her cousins, siblings Francisco (9), and Jacinta (7). She first appeared to them on May 15th, and she told the them that she would appear on the 15th of every month for six months, October being the final time. “She asked for prayers, sacrifices, and reparation for the sins of humanity, urging them to pray the Rosary daily to bring peace to the world. The message was particularly connected to bringing an end to World War I and achieving world peace.”
In 1930 the Catholic Church confirmed the apparitions to be legitimate, and so it is celebrated.
Fransico died of the Spanish flu at age 10, and Jacinta also of Spanish flu at age 9. Lucia became a Carmelite Nun and lived until 2005, dying of old age at 97.
The place is absolutely wonderful! There is the gorgeous main cathedral with beautiful church bells ringing every hour. Can often hear singing and preaching around the clock.
There is also The Chapel of the Apparitions, the site where the apparitions took place 100+ yrs ago. That is where the rosary and one of the masses I attended took place. The other mass was at the sanctuary (courtyard) outside the main chapel. It was all in Portuguese so I understood none if it. But at least I went.

After one mass there was a “procession” which I took part in, well…just because. It involved the main priest and other priests carrying circling the sanctuary and many people following.
One thing I didn’t have time for was the Stations of the Cross. But that can be done anywhere.
There are a couple of practices that happen. People will buy candles representing a prayer for someone or something and then throw it into the fire. Once a week there is a candlelight procession where hundreds of people have lit candles, follow the priests around the sanctuary and then throw them into the fire. The other practice is people following the path surrounding The Chapel of Apparitions on their knees. I’m sure it’s very difficult! It’s done as a form of sacrifice for prayers, and many of them are weeping.Leggi altro