It was a pleasant ride to Fatima from Porto and we arrived about 2 pm. Since Portugal and Spain don’t have supper before 8 or 9 pm, we have been trying to have a big lunch and a light snack for dinner. With that in mind our first stop was a restaurant right outside the Fatima sanctuary (religious buildings). Well, we really lucked out. We had one of the best meals that we have had in Europe and that is saying something. If you are heading to Fatima, you should eat at ORecinto Restaurnte.

At the Tourist Information Center was we learned all about Fatima. On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin appeared to 3 shepherd children. Between then and October, she appeared a total of 6 times. She referred to herself as the “Lady of the Rosary”, and urged the people to pray and build a chapel at the site where she appeared.

Four million pilgrims travel to Fatima each year and the shrine has grown significantly. The original small Chapel of Apparitions has been significantly enlarged. It is mostly an open roofed area with an altar and benches for seating where various services are held each day. There is a marble pillar and statue of Our Lady at the exact spot where she appeared.

The Basilica was built next and it is a beautiful Church.  It has 15 altars, one for each mystery of the Rosary. Building started in 1928, and it was consecrated in October 1953. In the Sanctuary, there are several chapels on either side as you approach the Basilica. In the center of the Sanctuary is a marble walkway (about 200 meters long) where we saw several pilgrims walking on their knees to the Basilica. In front of the Basilica, is a beautiful colonnade with statues of saints and an Esplanade with flights of steps, colonnades and Stations of the cross. At the entrance to the Sanctuary is the Paul VI Pastoral Centre. It was “inaugurated on May 3, 1982”. It is a “centre for study and reflection on the Message of Fatima, and of other problems of the world, in the light of the Gospel.”

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We also toured the “Fatima Light and Peace” Exhibit. It starts with an interesting film about the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to the 3 shepherd children in the context of WWI and the messages of the Virgin. There are display cases with donations of jewelry, crosses, vestments from Bishops and Pope’s and other items. The most interesting item was the crown for the statue of Our Lady. It was first displayed in 1942, and it is adorned with jewels donated by Portuguese women. It was pointed out that when it was made there was a small opening between the rays of the crown. This opening is a perfect fit for the bullet from the assassination attempt of John Paul II. It gave Peggy an eerie feeling to realize that bullet fits in the crown made almost 40 years before the assassination attempt on the 64th anniversary of the first apparition!!

Visiting Fatima was most interesting and we were glad we were able to add it to our itinerary.

Tchau,
Wayne and Peggy