Archive News 2013-2025

The World Youth Day Lisbon 2023, whose theme revolves around the biblical quote«Mary arose and went with haste» (Lk 1:39) will be marked by several Marian references and symbols, some of them visibly connected with the Apparitions of Fatima. The presence of the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the closing Mass with Pope Francis, in Lisbon, just confirms this.  

At the request of the local organizing Committee of WYD Lisbon 2023, the statue of Our Lady venerated in the Chapel of the Apparitions, in the Shrine of Fatima, will be on the altar of the farewell Mass, presided over by the Holy Father, on Sunday morning, August 6^th, in Lisbon. This is the 13^th time the Statue of Our Lady makes a pilgrimage outside her chapel in Fatima. The day before, Pope Francis will pray to Our Lady of Fatima, in her Shrine, with the

«His mercy is from age to age» (Lk. 1:50) is the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the III World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which shall take place on Sunday, July 23, in proximity to the liturgical memory of Saints Joachim and Anne, grandparents of Jesus and just days before the start of World Youth Day in Lisbon.

Joining Pope Francis’s call, the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life has invited the World Apostolate of Fatima to celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, possibly with a solemn Eucharistic celebration, together with grandparents and the elderly. At the same time, young people are also encouraged to visit the lonely elderly in their communities.

To assist in preparing for this, the

On June 22, 2023, the World Apostolate of Fatima attended the annual meeting of moderators of international associations, ecclesial movements, new communities, and other entities, promoted by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, in Rome. The theme was: On mission with Peter: Apostolicity, the heart of the movements’ identity.

Prof. Michael Ogunu, the International President of the World Apostolate of Fatima and Mr. Nuno Prazeres, the Director of the International Secretariat participated in the annual meeting of the Vatican’s Dicastery, with some other 150 people from 85 movements, from all continents.

The meeting recalled the 25th anniversary of the first International Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New

Sister Lucia de Jesus, the seer who, together with her cousins Saint Francisco and Saint Jacinta Marto, witnessed the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, has been declared Venerable on Thursday, June 22, 2023.

After 15 years and after the detailed analysis of a process which contains more than 15,000 pages, the decree which recognizes the heroic virtues of this religious Carmelite Sister was promulgated by Pope Francis. This is a central step in the process that leads to the beatification and the penultimate step towards the declaration of holiness. For the beatification, the recognition of a miracle attributed to the intercession of the now venerable Lucia of Jesus is required.

After the death of her cousins, who died shortly after the

Pope Francis will be in Portugal from August 2 to 6 for the World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon 2023, in what will be the longest visit of a Pope to Portugal. On August 5 he will visit the Shrine of Fatima for a moment of prayer to Our Lady.

The World Apostolate of Fatima rejoices with the presence of the Holy Father, for the second time, in Fatima. This visit will take place at the express wish of the Holy Father. His first trip to the Shrine was in 2017, to preside over the ceremonies of the Centennial of the Apparitions of Our Lady and the canonization of the two little shepherds Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

The Portuguese Bishops’ Conference, upon the announcement of the Pope’s visit, declared: “We wish that Pope Francis' presence among us,