“The Blessed Virgin Mary, the first of the redeemed, the first to have been closely associated with the work of Redemption, will always be our guide and model.” – Rome Audience
Jay Ledesma
It’s every Catholic’s dream to join a pilgrimage…my family and I included. We did our Holyland pilgrimage some 12 years ago, when it was more peaceful in Israel. We made at least two attempts to join a locally organized Marian Pilgrimage before the pandemic but for some reasons, we failed to do so. That’s why I feel so excited and grateful that on my 59th birthday last Oct 11, my husband and I were part of the 90 Marian Pilgrims from all parts of the Philippines and of the USA. This 15-day pilgrimage by Pilgrim Center took us to different miraculous sites across Portugal, France, Spain and Italy. As a bonus, our Pilgrimage chaplain, was no other than the well-loved and lovable healing priest, Fr Joey Faller of Kamay ni Hesus Healing Church in Lucban, Quezon. He was ably assisted by Fr Ryan Martinez, Bro Adrian Panganiban and Sis Lea Ungson, who all made our accommodations, land transfers, meals and site tours enjoyable and hassle-free, and our whole pilgrimage meaningful and personal.
Sharing with you the first of the 3 parts of our Marian Pilgrimage.
Entry point is Lisbon, Portugal. Upon arrival in the city, we made a brief stop at St Jerome Cathedral before proceeding to St Anthony de Padua church, where we celebrated our first mass. It’s the place where St Anthony (patron saint for the recovery of lost items) was born and grew up. Blessed that Fr Joey offered a special birthday intention for me during our mass.
Church of St Anthony de Padua
Chapel of Apparitions, the actual spot where Mama Mary appeared to the 3 shepherd children
The ground of the Sanctuary of Fatima
The beautiful altar of the Basilica of the Holy Spirit
The tombs of Jacinta and Lucia
The tomb of Francisco
Fatima, is a town in Portugal, that is home to the Sanctuary of Fatima, one of the greatest Marian pilgrimage shrines in the world. It marks the spots and places where the apparitions of Mama Mary to the 3 shepherd children, siblings Francisco and Jacinta and their cousin Lucia, took place. The sanctuary consists of a group of Catholic religious structures with Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary as the main building. Inside the Basilica are the tombs where the 3 seers are buried. On the other hand, The Chapel of Apparitions, was the exact location where Mama Mary first appeared to the 3 children on May 13, 1917. The Sanctuary also contains the Chapel of the Lausperene, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus monument. Across the main sanctuary is the much bigger and beautiful Basilica of the Holy Trinity, intended for large-scale religious services and activities. One full day is not enough to explore and experience this shrine.
The world famous International Pilgrim Virgin Statue
The home where Francisco and Jacinta lived and died
Near the home of Lucia is the well where the 2nd apparition took place
We also visited Aljustrel, the hometown of the 3 children. We saw the home of Francisco and Jacinta, where they both lived and died, as well as Lucia’s house with the well where the 2nd apparition happened. From the looks of it, the 3 children came from a decent, good-to-do and landed family. It’s a blessed coincidence that our last day in Fatima, Oct 13, was the commemoration of the miracle of the dancing sun, the last apparition in Fatima. No wonder, during the procession the night before, the Sanctuary was teeming with pilgrims from all over the world. Never mind that we had to stand up and wait for hours before the procession can even start. It was all worth it!
Part of the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain
The grand Basilica of St Ignatius de Loyola
The Basilica of Immaculate Concepcion (upper level) and the Crypt (bottom) at the Lourdes
With Fr Joey Faller, in front of Lourdes Grotto, where Mama Mary appeared to St Bernadette
Going to Lourdes, France, we passed by the Spanish towns of Salamanca, Burgos and Loyola. The Plaza Mayor is a large plaza located in the center of Salamanca, and is a popular gathering area. Regarded as one of the most beautiful plazas in Spain, it was built in the traditional Spanish baroque style and is lined by restaurants, coffee joints, souvenir shops, and jewelry stores. Most of us were excited to taste the original paella for our lunch, but unfortunately, it was a big disappointment. The paellas in the Philippines, even the ones we have in Davao, are several times better and tastier. The ambience just compensated for the lackluster paellas.
The Rosary Basilica inside the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
The kneeling statue of St Bernadette
After our mass in the Burgos Cathedral, we had a surprised stopover (it wasn’t part of our original itinerary) at the Basilica of St Ignatius and at the castle where he lived. St Ignatius of Loyola, was a soldier before becoming a priest and co-founded the religious order of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Shout out to all the Ateneans!
It was a long bus ride to Lourdes but we didn’t notice the time and distance, as we had blessing rites by Fr Joey, personal sharing by the pilgrims, and jokes by Bro Adrian, with lots of naptime in between.
The yellow group Pilgrims, led by Fr Joey and Bro Adrian, on the Fatima Sanctuary
Lourdes, is another popular destination among the Marian pilgrims. It was on February 11, 1858, when the Virgin Mary appeared to then 14 years old, Bernadette Soubirous. The Massabielle Grotto, which is the exact place where the apparition occurred, and within it is the spring Bernadette discovered, can be found within the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Since then, thousands of miraculous healings have been reported. The 52-hectare sanctuary is also home to the three superimposed churches built over the Grotto of Apparition: the Basilica of the Immaculate Concepcion (Upper Basilica), the Crypt, and the Rosary Basilica. There is always a long queue to the Grotto. However, I discovered that it is better to go there after lunch, as there were fewer people. At both sides of the Grotto are the Taps where you can drink Lourdes water, which is believed to be miraculous. Most of the pilgrims, like me, bought containers to bring Lourdes water back home. Outside the sanctuary are rows of stores selling all kinds of religious items. You cannot leave the place without buying any. We also went to the Sanctuary Baths to perform the water gestures: washing of hands and face and drinking of water. I learned that before the pandemic, one can actually take a dip and bathe in the pool/tub of Lourdes water. Now, there are volunteers who pour the water while you do the gestures.
We joined the evening rosary procession at the sanctuary grounds, where thousands of devotees from different countries participated. It’s a different feeling to see the Philippine flag being waved and to hear two Hail Mary recited in Filipino amongst the different nationalities present. It gave me goosebumps all over!
Experiencing all these in person and being in the presence of our fellow pilgrims and devotees to Mama Mary is indescribable. Undoubtedly it is a spiritual nourishment that strengthens one’s faith in God and devotion to the blessed Virgin Mary.
Part 2 with Padre Pio and St Francis of Assisi on my next Wanderlust issue…(Jay Ledesma)