Portugal - 64th Pilgrimage of the Salesian Family and of the SYM to Fatima
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30 May 2016

(ANS - Cova da Iria) - One of the best experiences of the Salesian Family in Portugal is the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fatima, in the month that the whole Church dedicates to Mary, and the Salesians in particular to Mary Help of Christians. Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, SDB, presided at the closing Mass of the pilgrimage. He urged the pilgrims to live mercy as a fundamental and inherent dimension of the identity of every Christian.

Joy, happiness and anticipation were the feelings in the hearts of thousands of pilgrims from the Salesian Family and young people from the Salesian Youth Movement (SYM), that Saturday, 21 May, close to the Feast of Mary Help of Christians, as they joined in the 64th pilgrimage of the Salesian Family to Fatima.

This year’s pilgrimage was led by Salesian Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga and attended by a huge group of young people from various Salesian centres and by the whole Salesian Family. On arrival at the Holy Door in the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, the pilgrims had a moment of prayer and personal intimate encounter with God.

The greeting of Our Lady of Fatima and Virgin of the Rosary was a beautiful celebration. It included a performance of "Art and Faith" in the main hall of the Paul VI Centre, with the theme "Have mercy and Show us the ways of love."  During the show the young people from different Salesian houses presented in a typical, youthful artistic way - with theatre music and dance - the various forms of love contained in the works of mercy.

At the end of the day, after the Rosary and the procession with candles, the pilgrims gathered for a prayer vigil in the Chapel of the Resurrection of the Lord, in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima.

The meeting ended on Sunday 22 May with the Salesian Family gathered around the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga. In his homily he urged the pilgrims to live the Holy Year of Mercy in a concrete practical way.

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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