"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1, 5

The World Apostolate of Fatima wishes our dear members, friends and benefactors, a Joyful Christmas and a Blessed New Year 2025, under the protection of Our Lady of Fatima. 

May the light of Christ shine out during this Christmas season and always, to bring about everlasting peace and love on earth. 

Let us walk in the light of Jesus, as pilgrims of Hope!

The World Apostolate of Fatima in the Philippines is holding a National Fatima Convention on December 10, 2024, in Quezon City, in preparation for next year’s centenary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to Sister Lucia de Jesus in Pontevedra, Spain where She requested the devotion of the Five First Saturdays.

Sr. Angela de Fatima Coelho, the Vice Postulator of the Cause of Canonization for Sister Lucia and also the Superior General of the Aliança de Santa Maria, from Portugal, will be the guest of honor and speaker in the convention with the theme “The Story Continues: Know, Live, and Spread the Fatima Message”. She will explain the topics “The Immaculate Heart of Mary: A Light for Today’s World” and “The Children of Fatima: Models of Holiness”.

The activity is expected to gather around 1,500 to 2,000 attendees and aims to make known to the Filipinos the authentic Message of Fatima as approved by the Church especially the Communion of Reparation on the Five First Saturdays of the month and the need for consecration of the country and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In addition, it envisions to implement all over the country the Five First Saturdays Devotion as recommended by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The culmination of the event will be the celebration of the Holy Eucharist to be presided by Bishop Severo C. Caermare, Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on the Laity of the CBCP and the Bishop of Dipolog. During the Mass, the visitation program with the Statue of Our Lady of the First Saturdays Devotion will be launched in the country.

Interested individuals who wish to attend the activity and know more about the program may send an email to wafphilippines.nco@gmail.com.

The International Board of Trustees of the World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF) met in Domus Pacis, Fatima, from November 5 to 8, 2024 for its annual meeting, with the purpose to evaluate the ongoing mission of the Apostolate and to plan new pastoral initiatives, based on the main areas of the WAF Strategic Plan.

Prof. Michael Ogunu, the President, with the other members (Reynald Andales, Vice-President; David Kelly, Treasurer and the councillors Deacon Walter Karger, Oksana Bodak, Father Damian Maria, Father MV Sunni and JR Pereira), travelled to attend the meeting. Only Edith Koch, Secretary, could not make it this time.

The program of this year’s meeting included many hours sitting around the table to report on the WAF activities and discuss the other topics in the Agenda. Among these we highlight the evaluation of the execution of the WAF Strategic Plan, the WAF Finances, the Jubilee 2025, the Centennial of the Apparitions in Pontevedra, the First Saturdays worldwide campaign, the edition of Fatima materials and also the expansion of the Apostolate worldwide.    

Apart from this, we also met the WAF Episcopal Moderator, Msgr. José Ornelas, bishop of Leiria-Fátima and the Rector of the Shrine of Fatima, Father Carlos Cabecinhas. Both offered messages of encouragement to our Board and shared with us some important ideas that can enhance the mission of the World Apostolate of Fatima.

Also, we had the joy to welcome in the Byzantine chapel of Domus Pacis, during the Board meeting, a delegation of bishops and priests from Ukraine and present our WAF mission to them.  

The days spent in Fatima were also grace filled with special moments of prayer, including the daily Mass and the Rosary. There was also a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Ortiga, near Fatima, where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a little shepherdess, many years before the apparitions at Cova da Iria.

The highest moment of our celebrations was however the day we had the Holy Mass at the Chapel of the Apparitions, to pray for the Apostolate and particularly for those who have taken the WAF Pledge recently. Their names were placed at the feet of Our Lady together with our prayer intentions.  At the end of Mass, a new beautiful statue of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart with the Child Jesus (Apparition of Pontevedra, Spain) was blessed for the WAF Philippines. The Statue will initiate a two-year visitation around the dioceses of the country as part of the centennial celebrations of the First Five Saturdays request.

Although the Board of Trustees holds regular online meetings throughout the year, a physical meeting is always a unique occasion, because it strengthens the bonds among all and permits to combine effective work with moments of prayer and fellowship.

The month of October is a special month of devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was on October 13, 1917 that Our Lady in her final apparition in Fatima, Portugal declared herself: "I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day… Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended.”

On October 7, Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary, the World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF) also celebrates the anniversary of its elevation to the status of an international public association of the faithful, decreed by the Holy See, in 2005. This joyful date is commemorated worldwide, through acts of prayer and other initiatives, giving thanks to the good Lord and to Our Lady of the Rosary for this achievement. At the same time, the day is also an occasion to pray to the Holy Spirit to continue guiding the World Apostolate of Fatima, in fidelity to its long and rich history and charisma.

Members and friends of the Fatima Apostolate are also asked on this day to support the international mission of the Apostolate, by collecting funds in the parishes and in the various WAF groups. The funds collected are then transferred to the International Secretariat as a donation. You can also donate by using the Donation button on this webpage.  

Also on this day, October 7, from Fatima, the Secretariat of the Apostolate will conduct the online recitation of the Rosary for peace in the world. This is an event open to all people around the world, with access through Zoom platform. You can register here to receive your access link prior to the event.

Youths and children are encouraged to participate actively in the Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament during the 23^rd Annual Worldwide Children’s Eucharistic Holy Hour, both on the First Friday and Saturday of October and, on October 11^th which will be broadcast by EWTN network. More information here.