The celebrations, 109 years after the events at Cova da Iria, begin at 9:30 pm on 12 May with the recitation of the rosary in the Chapel of the Apparitions, followed by a candlelit procession and a Celebration of the Word in the sanctuary.

On 13 May, after the recitation of the rosary at 9 am in the Chapel of the Apparitions, Mass will begin an hour later, with the blessing of the sick and the farewell procession in the sanctuary.

“This will be the first time that the Patriarch of Lisbon has presided over an anniversary pilgrimage in Cova da Iria since his appointment to the Patriarchal See in 2023,” according to information from the sanctuary.

Speaking to the newspaper Voz da Fátima, owned by the sanctuary, Rui Valério, 61, a native of the municipality of Ourém, stated that the pilgrimage carries an urgent plea for global peace and an appeal to Christians to reach out to others, especially those living in sadness or abandonment.

The pilgrims

By 11 May afternoon, 170 groups, totalling 7,550 pilgrims, had been registered for this pilgrimage, according to the institution's data.

Of the 170 groups, 67 come from Portugal and 103 from abroad, from 30 countries.

“The ‘top 5’ foreign countries from which the most pilgrims come remain: Poland, Italy, France, Brazil and Mexico,” revealed the sanctuary.

For this pilgrimage, the first major celebration of the year at the Sanctuary of Fatima, Civil Protection has around 300 personnel, 170 of whom are from 29 fire departments in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, to assist and rescue pilgrims.

The National Republican Guard's deployment consists of approximately 200 officers each day.