On Pilgrimage with Our Lady
The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima traveled to Fatima Portugal once again, to where it all began - at the very spot where the Blessed Mother appeared at the Cova da Iria to the three children in 1917. The Pilgrim Virgin Statue was accompanied on May 22 to 29, 2014, by a group of pilgrims from across the United States. The truly meaningful pilgrimage and retreat had as the chaplain Rev. Fr. Carl Gismondi, FSSP who celebrated Holy Mass daily and led the group in prayers and spiritual meditations. Mr. Thomas McKenna, Director of the IPVS Foundation who organized the program and Mr. Patrick Sabat, custodian of the statue, shared many stories and experiences of their years of traveling the world over with the Pilgrim Virgin
A highlight of the trip was Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Gismondi at the Capelinha in the presence of the two historic statues: the Shrine Statu
The trip was organized by the IPVS Foundation in collaboration with Canterbury Tours as preparation for the upcoming Centennial Celebration of Our Lady’s apparitions that will be commemorated in 2017.
The pilgrims rendezvoused in Charlotte, North Carolina to take the inaugural flight of US Airways direct to Lisbon. Upon arrival at the airport in Lisbon the passengers were surprised when the airplane received a warm welcome by a line of Portuguese fire engines that sprayed the plane with a shower from their truck mounted fire hoses celebrating the arrival.
Upon arrival in Lisbon the group visited the birthplace of St. Anthony and Santarem to visit the church of St. Stephen and venerate the Eucharistic miracle that occurred there, all while on the way to Fatima. In Fatima over the days the group visited the Basilica where the three children are buried, the site where the angel appeared, the church where the children were baptized and received their First Holy Communion, the villages and homes of the seers among other places. Each night they were blessed to participate in the international rosary at the site of the apparitions and march in the candle light procession with the statue of Our Blessed Mother. Several men of the group had the special honor to vest in the traditional garb and carry the litter holding Our Lady. Other places visited included the miracle of Our Lady in the city of Nazare, the medieval town of Batalha and the magnificent church and the Abbey of Alcobaca. At all of the sites prayers were prayed for reparation and that Our Lady’s prophecies will be fulfilled.
The return flight to the US proved to be a very moving and inspiring experience for the pilgrims and passengers as they had the opportunity witness firsthand how Our Lady’s statue touches hearts. Upon boarding the plane and seeing the statue in a seat next to the custodian, the flight crew became overwhelmed with enthusiasm. They all wanted to see the statue and learn about the history. One crew member said that in her 42 years as a flight attendant she has never had such an important opportunity as this. Throughout the entire flight the custodians and pilgrims were busy sharing pictures and the story of the statue while many passengers and flight crew approached to have their pictures taken with Our Lady. One pilot even came back from the cockpit before takeoff to snap a photo of the memorable event. The custodians were very touched by the service and accommodations provided by the entire crew of the US Airways flight.
With a renewed sense of pilgrimage, and an invigorated love of Our Lady of Fatima, the pilgrims understood that this week long retreat pilgrimage would influence their lives forever.
