Proposed Pilgrimage Itinerary *

Friday, 10TH October
This morning, we will depart from Dublin to Lisbon. Awaiting us in the arrival's hall will be our Marian Pilgrimages guide who will take us to Fatima. After free time for lunch, we will check into our rooms and have time to relax before celebrating the opening Mass of our pilgrimage. We will enjoy a tour of the sanctuary which will include visits to the following:
- Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
- It was barely a decade after the apparitions that construction began on this church with its stirring Neo-Baroque architecture. It is now home to the tombs of the shepherd children.
- Chapel of the Apparitions
- considered as "the heart" of the Marian Shrine and where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1917
- Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity
- built to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims arriving in Fatima. The basilica can accommodate more than 8,000 pilgrims and boasts some magnificent works of liturgical art. Each year, between the months of May and October, especially on the 12th and 13th of each month, thousands of pilgrims come to F�tima guided by their faith. Today we will join fellow pilgrims in the celebrations marking the Anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady in Fatima. After dinner we will attend the Candlelight Procession which takes place each evening at 9 pm in the sanctuary.

Saturday, 11th October Hungarian Way of the Cross, Valinhos & Aljustrel
Winding a way through the olive and cork trees of the Fatima countryside the Way of the Cross is the path taken each day by the three shepherd children as they went to graze their herds. This morning we will visit the sites associated with the apparitions and three shepherd children.
Loca do Cabe�o
As the site of the first and third apparitions of the Angel of Peace to the children of Fatima, Loca do Cabe�o is a true place of reflection and prayer.
Valinhos
Between the 8th and 9th station of the Way of the Cross in the Path of the little Shepherds, there is the place where the fourth apparition of Our Lady took place, on August 19th, 1917.
Aljustrel
Here we will see the late 19th century family houses of the children. In the backyard of Lucia's house, we will see the famous well associated with the second apparition of the Angel, in the summer of 1916.
Church of St. Stephen
Our morning will end at the Hungarian Calvary where we will celebrate Mass in the church dedicated St. Stephen, King of Hungary. Celebrations marking the Anniversary �Miracle of the Sun� in Fatima

Sunday, 12th October
Each year, between the months of May and October, especially on the 12th and 13th of each month, thousands of pilgrims come to F�tima guided by their faith. This weekend we will join fellow pilgrims and remember the events of the 13th of October 1917 which marked the last Marian apparition in Fatima, and the day in which thousands of people bore witness of the miracle of the dancing sun; a miracle that not only proved the validity of the Fatima Marian apparitions, but also shattered the prevalent belief at the time that God was no longer relevant. To prove that the apparitions were true, Mary promised the children that during the last of her six appearances she would provide a �sign� so people would believe in the apparitions and in her message. What happened on that day - Oct. 13, 1917 - has come to be known as the �Miracle of the Sun,� or �the day the sun danced.� According to various accounts, a crowd of some 70,000 people - believers and sceptics alike - gathered to see the miracle that Mary had promised: The rainy sky cleared up, the clouds dispersed and the ground, which had been wet and muddy from the rain, was dried. A transparent veil came over the sun, making it easy to look at, and multi-coloured lights were strewn across the landscape. The sun then began to spin, twirling in the sky, and at one point appeared to veer toward earth before jumping back to its place in the sky. The Miracle of the Sun, was understood by the people to be �the seal, the guarantee that in fact those three children were telling the truth.� The celebrations will culminate in the Candle Procession, when the light from the thousands of candles held by the faithful lends a magic atmosphere of communion and religious devotion in this very special sacred place.

Monday, 13th October
Spend the day in Fatima celebrating the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun.

Tuesday, 14th October Church of the Holy Miracle, Santarem & Relic of St. Brigid
This morning, we will have time to return to the sanctuary for private prayer and afterwards, drive to the historical town of Santar�m and Church of the Holy Miracle where we will celebrate the closing Mass of our pilgrimage. The Eucharistic Miracle of Santar�m which dates to 1247, is considered amongst one the most important Eucharistic Miracles. Today we will have the opportunity to venerate the relics of this Eucharistic Miracle which have been carefully preserved for centuries in the church dedicated to St. Stephen. We will have time for private prayer in this special place. After free time for lunch, we will drive to the airport for our return flight home. We will continue onto the town of Lumiar, located just six miles from Lisbon. We will visit the Church of St. John the Baptist and hear of the arrival of the skull of St. Brigid, before venerating this precious relic. After time for private prayer, we will drive to Lisbon airport for our return flight.