Pilgrimage Itinerary

DAY 1 - Introductory tour of the sanctuary

Meet our guide at Dublin airport for our flight to Lisbon. Awaiting us in the arrivals hall will be our Marian Pilgrimages guide who will accompany us to the Hotel Santo Amaro where we will stay for 5 nights. Upon arrival at our hotel, we will check into our rooms and have lunch.

This afternoon we will enjoy a full tour of the sanctuary which will include visits to the Chapel of the Apparitions (considered as "the heart" of the Marian Shrine and where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1917); the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary (where we will see the tombs of the three little shepherds: Lucia dos Santos, St. Francisco and St. Jacinta Marto); and the modern Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, built to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims arriving in Fatima. We will celebrate evening Mass and after dinner there will be Rosary in the sanctuary, followed by the Candlelight Procession.


DAY 2 - Valinhos, Aljustrel, Hungarian Way of the Cross

This morning we will walk the Hungarian Way of the Cross - The “Sacred Way” marks the path taken by the three shepherd children when they came from Aljustrel to Cova da Iria to graze their herds. We will celebrate Mass this morning in St. Stephen’s Chapel. Afterwards, our guide will take us to Valinhos, the site of the 4th apparition of Our Lady on August 19th, 1917. After time for prayer, we will walk to Loca do Cabeço where the first and the third apparition of the Guardian Angel of Portugal (also knowns as the Angel of Peace) took place. Afterwards, in Aljustrel, we will see the late 19th century family houses of the children. Our morning tour will conclude with a visit to the Parish Church of Fatima where the three shepherd children were baptized.

We will return to our hotel for lunch and have the afternoon at leisure for private sightseeing. After dinner there will be Rosary in the sanctuary, followed by the Candlelight Procession.


DAY 3 – Optional excursion to Santarem

This morning we will drive to the town of Santarem (payable locally). We will celebrate Mass in the Church of St. Stephen – current Sanctuary of the Most Holy Miracle and afterwards venerate the relics of the Eucharistic Miracle which took place in 1247. We will return to our hotel for lunch there will be time at leisure for private sightseeing and after dinner there will be Rosary in the sanctuary, followed by the Candlelight Procession.


DAY 4 – Optional excursion to Nazare

This morning we will celebrate Mass at the sanctuary and after lunch there will be an optional trip to the seaside town of Nazare (payable locally). Here we will first stop at Sitio on the cliff s and visit the church of Our Lady of Nazare where we can see the ancient statue of Our Lady which dates to the early days of Christianity that legend tells us may have been carved by St. Joseph. Afterwards we will drive down to the promenade where there will be some time to browse in the shops or sit and have coffee or some fresh sardines for which Nazare is famous. We will return to our hotel for dinner and afterwards there will be Rosary in the sanctuary, followed by the Candlelight Procession.


DAY 5 – Relic of St. Brigid

This morning we will depart Fatima and drive to the village of Lumiar, situated on the outskirts of Lisbon. We will celebrate Mass in the Church of St. John the Baptist, home to a relic of St. Brigid which has been carefully preserved for centuries. We will venerate the precious relic and afterwards drive to Lisbon airport for our return flight to Dublin.