Monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

This monument stands at the center of the Prayer Area in front of the Chapel of Apparitions.

The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is made of bronze, author unknown. Was offered by a stranger and solemnly blessed by the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Beda Cardinale, on May 13, 1932.

This picture reminds us that the Message of Fatima also speaks in the Heart of Jesus, either in the apparitions of the Angel, whether through Our Lady, which is the path that leads to love of God.

Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

After the new revelations by Sister Lucia's appearance on July 13, 1917, in which Our Lady showed the seers your Immaculate Heart, new images were carved under this invocation, the first of which, also by the sculptor Joseph Thedim, is the Caramel of Coimbra.
On May 13, 1958, opened a large statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sculpted by Father Thomas McGlynn, OP, under indication of Sister Lucy, and placed in the niche on the façade of the Basilica on June 13, 1959. Is the height of 4.73 m and weighs 13 tons.



This image, supply of American Catholics, evokes the message content on the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady mentioned in the first three appearances of the Cova da Iria and Pontevedra apparitions: the devotion of the first five Saturdays, the consecration Russia and the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

Organ of the Basilica

Built and assembled by Firma Fratelli Rufatto of Padua in 1952. The five bodies scattered originally were gathered in 1962 in the chorus. These five bodies, Major Organ, Positive, Recitative, Solo and Echo, are driven by a console 5 keyboards and pedal.
Has 152 records and about 12,000 tubes of lead, tin and wood, the largest of which are 11 meters and the lowest with 9 mm.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima

It stands at the spot where, on May 13, 1917, the three children were playing "to make a paredit" when, suddenly saw a flash that scared them and made them join the flock to return home. The project was designed by Dutch architect Gerard Van Kriechen and continued by the architect João Antunes. On May 13, 1928 the first stone was blessed by the Archbishop of Évora, D. Manuel da Conceição Santos. The consecration was on October 7, 1953. The title of "basilica" was granted by Pope Pius XII, in brief "Supernal Luce," November 1954.


The building, which measures 70.5 meters long and 37 meters wide, was built entirely with stone from the region (instead of Moimento) and the altars of marble from Estremoz, Pero Pinheiro and Fatima.



The bell tower, erected in the center of an architectural whole, is 65 meters tall and is topped by a bronze crown of 7,000 pounds, built in foundry Bolhão, Porto, topped by a cross that lit up at night, overlooking the long distance. The carillon consists of 62 bells, cast and tempered at Fatima by José Gonçalves Coutinho, Braga. The largest bell weighs 3,000 pounds and the clapper 90. The clock is the work of Benedict Rodriguez, Braga. The angelic facade of marble, are written by Albano France.

The statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the niche of the tower is 4.73 meters and weighs 14 tons. At the entrance of the basilica, above the main door is a mosaic that represents the Holy Trinity crowning the Virgin Mary. He was executed in the workshops of the Vatican and blessed there by then Secretary of State, Cardinal Eugenio Paccelli, future Pope Pius XII, the "Pope of Fatima".

Berlin Wall in Fatima

At the entrance of the Sanctuary, south side, is a monument consisting of a concrete module of the Berlin Wall (begun building on the night of 12 to 13 August 1961 and demolished from November 9, 1989).

This block was offered through the Portuguese emigrant in Germany, Virgilio Casimiro Ferreira, and placed here as a grateful remembrance of God's intervention, promised at Fatima, in the fall of communism.

It weighs 2600 pounds, measures 3.60 m high and 1.20 meters wide. The arrangement of the monument is the architect J. Carlos Loureiro. It was inaugurated on August 13, 1994.

Chapel of the Apparitions

The pedestal where the statue of Our Lady, mark the exact location where he was a small oak (missing due to the devotion of the early pilgrims who led, the sprig sprig), a meter and a bit of time over which our Lady appeared to the shepherds on May 13, June, July, September and October 1917.
The construction of the chapel was the response to the request of Our Lady "want to do a chapel here in my honor."

Built on the site of the apparitions in 1919, from April 28 to June 15. The first Mass was celebrated there on 13 October 1921.


Having been blown up in March 6, 1922, was rebuilt later that same year.
In 1982 we built a wide porch, and was inaugurated during the visit of Pope John Paul II on May 12 this year.
In 1988, the Marian Year, was lined with pine wood from Russia, northern Siberia. This wood was chosen for its durability and lightness.
The original chapel, although subject to minor repairs over the years, has traces of a popular shrine

Great holm

The Directorate General of Forest Resources of Portugal called the January 2, 2007, the "public interest" the oak tree that sits next to the Chapel of the Apparitions in the Sanctuary of Fatima.

The Identity Card of the tree, issued by the Directorate-General stresses the historical and landscape of oak as follows: "Copy of great symbolism and devotion. It is traditionally associated with the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. Is cited in many documents relating to early appearances with the name 'Great Holm. " The seers and the pilgrims sought shelter in its shade to the recitation of the rosary, before the apparitions. "

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This tree has more than one hundred years and was the largest existing in the Cova da Iria in 1917.

It was not on this oak tree that Our Lady appeared, but by being concerned with appearances, was the only one who missed the whole there was.

It was exactly as they passed along the "great oak," as told to Lucy, who saw the second time the lightning that preceded the appearance May 13.

In the following months was the shadow of the "great oak" that the three shepherd children prayed the rosary with the people who accompanied them, preparing to receive the visit of Our Lady.

History of Apparitions

The May 13, 1917, three children were pasturing their little flock in the Cova da Iria, parish of Fatima, town of Vila Nova de Ourém today the diocese of Leiria-Fatima. They were called: Lucia de Jesus, 10, and Francisco and Jacinta Marto, cousins, 9 and 7 years.


Around midday, after praying the Rosary, as was their custom, they were amusing themselves building a little house of stones scattered around the site where today stands the Basilica. Suddenly, they saw a bright light, judging it as a lightning, they decided to go away, but just below, another flash lit the room, and on top of a small oak (where now stands the Chapel of the Apparitions), a "Lady more brilliant than the sun", from whose hands hung a white rosary.


The Lady told the three shepherd children who had to pray a lot and invited them to return to the Cova da Iria for five consecutive months, on 13 and hour. The children did so, and the 13th day of June, July, September and October, the Lady again appeared to them and talk to them in the Cova da Iria. The August 19, the appearance took place at Valinhos, about 500 meters from the place of Aljustrel, because on the 13th, the children had been taken by the County Administrator to Vila Nova de Ourém.


At the last apparition, on October 13, being attended by around 70,000 people, the Lady told them that was the "Lady of the Rosary" and that there did a chapel in her honor. After the apparition all present witnessed the miracle promised to the three children in July and September: the sun, resembling a silver disc, could be gazed at without difficulty and was turning on itself like a wheel of fire, appearing to precipitate on the ground.

Afterwards, when Lucia religious of Saint Dorothy, Our Lady appeared to her again in Spain (December 10, 1925 and February 15, 1926 at the Convent of Pontevedra, and on the night of 13/14 June 1929, at the Convent Tuy), asking the devotion of the five first Saturdays (to pray the Rosary, meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary, confess and receive Holy Communion, in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary) and the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart even . This application has already announced in the Our Lady July 13, 1917.

Years later, Sr. Lucia that, between April and October 1916, an Angel had appeared to the three seers, three times, twice in the Cabeço and another at the well in the backyard of Lucia, inviting to prayer and penance.


Since 1917, it ceased to come to the Cova da Iria thousands and thousands of pilgrims from around the world, in the first 13 days of each month, after the months of summer vacation and winter, and now increasingly on weekends and day-to-day, an annual amount of five million.

The Five First Saturdays

The December 10, 1925 Seer of Fatima appeared to the Blessed Virgin, and next to the infant Jesus on a luminous cloud. The Virgin showed his heart surrounded by thorns and Jesus, pointing to it, urged the Seer "a pity that continually tortured heart of human ingratitude, there is no one relief with acts of reparation."

Then the Immaculate Virgin added: "Look, my daughter, my Heart encircled the thorns which ungrateful men at all times pierce it with blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least tries to console me, from me and says that those who the first Saturday of five consecutive months if they confess and receive Holy Communion, pray do me a third and fifteen minutes of pondering the mysteries of the company with the Rosary to me reparation, I promise to assist them in the hour of death with all the graces necessary for the salvation of their souls. "

Two months later, on February 15, 1926, a new apparition of the Infant Jesus, who gave life to spreading devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, despite the difficulties indicated by the Confessor, for with all his grace if they could win, the seer asked whether "if someone can not make the confession on the first Saturday of the month, could suffice him the''confession''made during the week and got an affirmative answer, provided that the Communion is received in a state of grace and has indicated the intention of reparation.

Advice for Pilgrimages

For anyone wishing to begin a pilgrimage to Fatima then presents advice to the pilgrimage is a time of encounter with God while preserving the security of pilgrims.

These councils should be taken as advice only and not as mandatory rules.

For pilgrims bound for Santiago de Compostela is advisable to consult the specific sites in the paragraph LINKS.

1.1 Guide and group
Choose an experienced guide, understanding and good human contact. Contact your parish priest about the guides of his parish.

Integrate a group not too large (maximum 20 people) as homogeneous as possible in physical terms and, where possible, you already know in advance.

You should always take into account the possibility that the group is fragmented, if any health or other difficulties involving reduction of march rhythms among participants.



1.2 Preparation Spiritual

Seek reconciliation with God and with others in the sacrament of confession, before departure.

Talk with your pastor, exposing the intentions and asking for advice for daily prayer.

In their promises have in mind that God does not want more than one can give.


1.3 Physical Preparation

Ask your doctor and follow their guidelines.

Make gait training for at least two months (an average of five miles of walking per day).

Walk with a stride and decided to tend the body leaning forward.

Cut your nails beforehand and if necessary go to the chiropodist.

Soak your feet in warm water and salt for several minutes in eight days prior to departure.

1.4 Shoes

Use comfortable shoes, a model that is used, preferably sports.

The shoe should be a higher number than commonly pants.

Must take more than one pair of shoes.

Cotton socks with no seams or elastic, preferably white.

Stockings with seams must be chocked the back.

Bring enough socks in order to change twice a day.



1.5 Luggage


The luggage carried shall be divided, which carries the pilgrim along the way, and that is carried in the support car.

Prepare things to carry with you while walking, reducing everything to the minimum.

- Slippers

- Raincoat

- Safety vest

- Sunglasses

- Rod

- Water bottle pint

- Dried fruit and / or sugar

- Lipstick cieiro

- Cream sunscreen

- Hat

- Small backpack for transport.



In the bag that is carried in the car for support should things go heavier and normally are not required throughout the day:

- Seedlings of clothes (at least one change per day)

§ Machine broad, clear and with sleeves

§ Not using fiber fabrics

§ Underwear wide (not elastic leggings)

§ fresh linen, warm clothes

§ Waterproof if possible

- Socks

- Shoes

- Warm Clothing for the night

- Medicines

§ lipstick cieiro

§ Nivea

§ Analgesics (Dolviran, Aspirin, Paracetamol, etc.).

§ Anti-inflammatories

§ Ointments (for pain and varicose veins)

§ Do not forget the medications you take daily

§ 2 elastic bandages (10 cm)

- Bag bed and / or blanket

- Good personal hygiene

- Towel

- Umbrella

- Flashlight (walking at night)



It's advisable to identify with name, address and telephone their bags and wallets.

Take enough money but not too much and never in one place.

Sister Lucia

Our Lady of Fatima on Fox News

IN FOX TV

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima IX and X

Part IX



Part X

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima VII and VIII

Part VII




Part VIII

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima V and VI

Part V



Part VI

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima III and IV

Part III


Part IV

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima I and II

Part I



Part II