2027-09-20 FM1195 In the Footsteps of Our Lady of Fatima

Depart Bristol Airport on our direct flight to Lisbon. From there, we travel to Fatima, making our first stop in Santarém, home of the renowned Eucharistic Miracle. Here, the miraculous Host is preserved in a crystal reliquary within a silver monstrance above the main altar. Pilgrims have the opportunity to approach the altar and venerate the Blessed Sacrament with a kiss. We then continue our journey to Fatima, where we check in to our hotel and enjoy our evening dinner. At 9:00 pm, we join the Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions, followed by the beautiful Candlelight Procession through the Sanctuary Square.

After breakfast, our professional local guide will meet us in the hotel lobby and accompany us on foot to the Sanctuary, but first Before the guided tour, we attend the Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions, followed by the International Mass. The Chapel of the Apparitions is the physical heart of Fátima. It is built exactly on the spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to the children. The Crown of the statue of Our Lady contains the bullet that was removed from Pope Saint John Paul II after the assassination attempt on 13 May 1981. Afterwards, we have a guided tour at the Sanctuary with our guide providing us information and insights in the history of the Apparitions. We visit the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. Here we visit the tombs of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto, together with that of Sister Lucia. We also visit the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, completed in 2007 and situated at the opposite end of the Sanctuary. It is one of the largest Catholic churches in the world. Free time for the remainder of the day. In the evening we participate in the Rosary at the Chapel of Apparitions followed by a Candlelight Procession.

We walk and trace the footsteps in this peaceful and scenic area that maps out the daily life of the three shepherd children. Via Sacra - Way of the Cross, along the Via Sacra we visit Valinhos, where the Fourth Apparition of Our Lady took place on 19 August 1917. Nearby we also visit Loca do Cabeco, where the Angel of Peace appeared to the children in 1916. We trace the exact route the children took to the pastures and features 14 beautifully constructed Stations of the Cross and we stop and view the place where the fourth Apparition of Our Lady in August 1917 occurred - these mark the precise locations where the Angel of Peace appeared to the children in 1916 prior to the Marian apparitions; Aljustrel - The Shepherd Houses - walk through the completely preserved, humble stone homes of Lucia’s House and the Francisco and Jacinta’s House. They offer a unique, complimentary look into early twentieth-century rural Portuguese life. We return to the Sanctuary and free time for the remainer of the day. Evening dinner at the hotel and participate in the Rosary at the Chapel of Apparitions followed by a Candlelight Procession.

Your free day begins after the Rosary and Concelebrated Mass at the Chapel of the Apparitions. For confession, the Chapels of Reconciliation is located at the lower level opposite the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity. The information centre is just beside the Apparition Chapel where you can pick up leaflets detailing information on what’s on in the Sanctuary. For your lunch there are numerous cafés and restaurants offering reasonably priced lunches, together with many religious shops where you may purchase devotional items and souvenirs. Evening dinner at the hotel. Later, we participate in the International Rosary at the chapel followed by a candlelight procession.

Today we visit Batalha and Nazaré. Our journey takes us along the scenic route to Batalha, home to the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed Monastery of Batalha. Built by King John I of Portugal as an offering of thanks to God, it commemorates the Portuguese victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota. Afterwards, proceed to Nazare and visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Nazaré is an imposing Marian shrine that memorializes an ancient miracle that occurred under the intercession of the Virgin Mary. After visiting the shrine, we have lunch and then free time to relax on the beach or walk along the long promenade. Return to the hotel and for dinner. At 9pm, we attend the Rosary at the Chapel of Apparition followed by Candlelight procession.

Today marks the final day of our pilgrimage. After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and travel to Lisbon to visit St Anthony’s Church, built on the site traditionally recognised as his birthplace. In the crypt, we view a first-class relic of the saint: a bone from his left arm. St Anthony is the patron saint of lost objects and lost souls. He is venerated throughout the world for his compassion, spiritual wisdom, and miraculous intercessions. His holiness was so widely recognised that he was canonised just one year after his death, making his one of the fastest canonisations in history. Upon arrival at the church, subject to confirmation, we celebrate Mass at St Anthony’s Church. We then walk to Lisbon Cathedral, where St Anthony was baptised around AD 1195. Time permitting, we will enjoy a brief tour of Lisbon, taking in some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, with the opportunity to have lunch before proceeding to the airport for our flight back to Bristol. Note: This itinerary is subject to change. We are unable to guarantee the exact day to day order of visits, and it may be possible (but this is unlikely) that one or more visits may need to be amended or omitted due to circumstances beyond our control. The guide may change the order to ensure the smooth running of the pilgrimage. Masses will be arranged each day, and venues will be confirmed according to availability. Errors and Omissions Excepted (E&OE).