It is our last day.
Our nuns have gone to Lisbon for the day with another tour guide. We celebrated the Silver Anniversary of two
of them last night with a delicious cake. Here we see them with Sr Lucia's niece
Our mass this morning was back at the Apparition Chapel only
this time Fr Tom was the only celebrant.
Other people joined us for the mass but I do not think many of them
spoke English.
Since mass everyone has
done their own thing; some going to adoration in the crypt of the Trinity
Church, others went back to the Stations of the Cross whilst others went for
walks, went shopping or caught up on sleep.
We are now told the official figure for the Vigil procession
was 350,000 and for the Sunday 13th May Mass was 400,000. How they counted them goodness only knows!
So what are the moments that will stay in my mind: the fervour of the hundreds of thousands of
people at the vigil procession and Sunday mass; taking part in the rosary and
procession on Monday night; walking through the stations of the cross across
the countryside; the shining candles and waving handkerchiefs; Our Lady of
Fatima Statue; the hundreds of priests taking communion and much more. It has been a truly holy experience and a
very happy pilgrimage with much camaraderie.
I leave you with the theme of Fatima for this year, the
question asked of the children by Our Lady: “Are you willing to offer
yourselves to God?
