The Sanctuary of Fatima, in Portugal, was filled with faithful on the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, celebrated this May 13, who came to participate in the recitation of the Rosary and in the traditional candlelight procession.

The light of thousands of lit candles illuminated the night of May 12 in the same place where, 109 years ago, the Virgin of Fatima appeared to the three shepherd children.

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Pilgrims from various parts of Portugal, as well as from abroad, arrived at this enclave, with worshippers coming from Europe, Asia and America.

“We come as pilgrims and we depart as missionary disciples”

The Mass on May 13 in honor of Our Lady of Fatima was presided over by Archbishop Rui Manuel Sousa Valério, Patriarch of Lisbon. In his homily, the prelate emphasized that the pilgrimage “does not end here,” but rather that Fatima is “a point of departure.” 

“We come as pilgrims and we leave as missionary disciples; everything we experience here—prayer, silence, reconciliation, and communion—cannot remain confined to Cova da Iria,” he said.

Along these lines, he invited everyone to let the experience of Fatima descend into their lives “and enter our hearts,” as well as into all areas of life: our homes, families, work, schools, and also “in the wounds and joys of daily life.”

He also emphasized that the message of Fatima is truly embraced "when it is transformed into a mission and what we receive becomes a light for others."

He also recalled that, in her apparitions, the Virgin called for conversion and the responsibility of love: “True devotion to Mary never closes the heart, it opens it, it never isolates, it sends, it never sleeps, it awakens.”

This celebration commemorates the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to the three shepherd children in 1917 and, each year, brings together thousands of pilgrims at the Cova da Iria. The pilgrimage on May 13, which marks the first apparition of the Virgin to the three children, is the most popular, having welcomed more than 450,000 pilgrims last year.

According to the Sanctuary, 2026 also marks the 45th anniversary of the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. Therefore, the Mass at Fatima was celebrated with the chalice that the Polish pontiff donated during one of his visits to the site.