Thousands gather at Fatima Shrine for final pilgrimage of the year

The International Anniversary Pilgrimage, held on 12 and 13 October, was the final major pilgrimage to Fatima of 2025 and drew worshippers from across the country and abroad.

The candlelight procession, one of the most anticipated moments of the annual celebration, illuminated the esplanade of the shrine as devotees carried candles and prayed in honour of Our Lady of Fatima. The farewell procession, held the following morning, brought the two-day event to a close, as clergy and pilgrims bid farewell to the statue of the Virgin Mary before it was returned to the Chapel of Apparitions.

Each October pilgrimage to the Shrine of Fatima commemorates the apparitions of Our Lady to the three shepherd children between May and October 1917. The event remains one of the most significant religious gatherings in Portugal, symbolising faith, devotion and the enduring message of peace associated with the Marian apparitions.