On to Fatima and Tomar

Our next stop was at the pilgrimage center of Fatima, on our way to Tomar – the place we would be staying at that night.

We saw this amusing advertisement beside the highway as we were approaching the town of Fatima.We were told that the city of Fatima, in its current state of development, did not exist until only recently. The city seems to have built up around the center for pilgrimage. Perhaps the above is a sign that the town has finally arrived. (I think I also saw a Burger King on the map!)

We were told the story of the name of the town of Fatima on our way in.

My first impression of the Sanctuary of Fatima was about how massive the open space is. It is said to be much bigger than St. Peters Square in Vatican City.There are three edifices that anchor this space – two basilicas and and a chapel. The Chapel of the Apparitions is at the location of the original church where the apparitions took place. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary is the older church, from the 1950s, that dominates the entire space with its size and its sweeping colonnades. The newer Basilica of the Holy Trinity was built as recently as 2004.

The other impression that one gets is that this space appears to be quite “modern” and does not reflect the kind of medieval Portugal that we have been traveling through thus far. You then remember that the events at Fatima took place in the early 20th century. You realize that you are dealing with events that happened recently – relatively speaking. Some of the events of those days are still under scrutiny and there are still developments in this regard today. One may even be able to recognize and understand the mood, the culture, the politics, etc.., of those times – similar to today’s in certain ways. Canonization (sainthood) for two of the children who encountered the miracles happened only in 2017, and is still ongoing at this time for Sr. Lucia, their cousin. Sr. Lucia only died in 2005 at the age of 97.

This is a closer picture of the chapel.

These are pictures of the Basilica of the Rosary.

This is a picture of the newest church in the sanctuary, the Basilica of the Holy Trinity.The church looks rather cold, and perhaps even forbidding, from the distance, but as more of the details reveal themselves to you as you approach it, it becomes more approachable and inviting. I really liked the inside of the church. In spite of the size, it was felt very peaceful and looked simple, a space that could be used for contemplation and prayer. The space can accommodate about 8000 pilgrims. it is humongous.

The presence of the devotees over the entire space of the sanctuary is notable. You will find them walking from one end of the space to the other in prayer.

Catching one’s attention was the pilgrimage on the knees undertaken by some devotees in the open space of the sanctuary:

The first of the two pictures above is the sign for the PRAYER BEFORE THE PILGRIMAGE ON KNEES, at the location where this devotion begins.
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(From the Google Translate app…)
Holy Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly.

My heart exults for the many benefits you have bestowed upon me. Help me to repair the evil of my sins with good. Accept this pilgrimage on your knees to the blessed place where Mary communicated to us the certainty of Your Love.

For this sacrifice I implore the blessing of forgiveness on poor sinners so that all, open to the message of the Gospel, may enjoy peace in the present time and one day reach eternal joys. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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By then it was time to depart Fatima to head out to Tomar, a town that was quite close by. We got a distant view of the Convent of Christ as we approached the town.We were going to visit the convent the next day. We were staying at the Hotel of The Knights Templar for the night. The view from our hotel was of the park and the Nabao river. It looked nice in the evening light.

After checking in, we settled down for a drink at the bar. We then headed out to the dining room of the hotel for dinner. Dinner was a little disorganized as they kept running out of different items on the buffet tables at different times.

After dinner, we went for a walk in the park. It was quite chilly outside by then!

The Convent of Jesus, the place that we were going to visit the next day, was visible from the park, and even from our hotel room.