Hundreds of people are already at the Fatima shrine for the May pilgrimage ceremonies

Hundreds of pilgrims flocked to the Fatima shrine grounds from early morning, hours before the ceremonies began on May 12 and 13, presided over by the Archbishop of Barcelona, ​​Juan José Omella.

Many organized groups end their walks at Cova da Iria, and the cafes and pastry shops on the streets adjacent to the sanctuary have long queues for lunch or breakfast.

This pilgrimage follows the theme of the year at the Fatima Shrine, “Called to Meet,” which calls for a year of prayer in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, according to Marian Shrine rector Father Carlos Cabecinhas.

“This year the theme guiding the life of the sanctuary is prayer. In fact, this is the theme that Pope Francis proposes for the entire Church as preparation for the Holy Year, which we will celebrate in 2025,” explained Carlos Cabecinhas. in published statements by the Ecclesia agency.

The sanctuary said there are many volunteers working on logistical support for welcoming pilgrims in areas such as liturgy, pastoral care, accommodation, supervision, operations management, maintenance or information systems.

“The tasks are many and would not be possible to complete without the approximately 200 volunteers, servites and scouts who regularly collaborate with the Fatima Sanctuary,” the sanctuary says.

The official ceremonies of the pilgrimage begin at 21:30 with the recitation of the rosary and procession of candles, followed by the celebration of the Word at the altar of the site, presided over by Cardinal Juan José Omella.

This ceremony is followed by an overnight prayer vigil, which precedes the Eucharistic procession at 7am on Monday, followed by the recitation of the rosary and an international mass, which begins at 10am and ends with the traditional farewell procession.

According to the Fatima Shrine, in addition to the Spanish cardinal and apostolic nuncio to Portugal Ivo Scapolo, the ceremonies will be attended by 17 bishops of the Portuguese dioceses and the Bishop of Tete (Mozambique).