PORTUGAL, Daniel Simões/mda/Cássio Leal. “The Schoenstatt Family pilgrimage is an unforgettable experience. It was the first time I had been on a pilgrimage with so many people at the same time who were filled with a spirit of family and closeness, where there was time to pray, talk, sing or just walk. We left Lisbon for a few days, from the busyness of everyday life and through the incredible sights, Masses, testimonies and prayers, we were with Jesus and Mary and were better able to understand how we can be living shrines. Thank you to the organizers, the leaders and all the pilgrims,” wrote 24-year old Teresa. Once again this year as we look towards Jubilee 2014, the Annual Family Pilgrimage to Fatima will take place on 25-27 April.
In the spirit of 2014, the spirit of internationality and interconnectedness, we hope that pilgrims from other countries will join us and feel the importance of this pilgrimage. The MAGNIFICAT TOURS travel agency – where all the employees have sealed their Covenant of Love – have opened it to everyone and will cater for foreign participants, both before and after the pilgrimage. If they want, they can also go on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and will provide all of the logistical support for the pilgrimage.
For all those who live abroad, transfers from the airport in Lisbon will be provided on April 24th and 28th as well as accommodation in the homes of Schoenstatt Families in Lisbon. For more information contact info@magnificat-tours.pt.
“Do everything He tells you”
You can already sign up. The theme of this year’s pilgrimage is: “Do everything he tells you.” Like last year, the pilgrimage will go through Praia dos Salgados – Alcobaça – Porto dos Mós – Fatima.
The pilgrimage to Fatima takes place within the context of the 2014 Jubilee and the Year of Faith.
The Schoenstatt Family in Portugal is inviting everyone to continue the journey started last year. In this Year of Faith, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI left us with precious hints that can help us on our pilgrimage. With the 14th Scheonstatt Family Pilgrimage, the idea is that hearts will be converted so that they can be put at the service of the Church, which is facing so many challenges.
Therefore, the main idea of the pilgrimage is: “Are our hearts ready to welcome what He has to say to us?”
“We have already had the joy of participating in four or five Family Pilgrimages. During those three days, we give all our time to the Blessed Mother: time to walk, rest, eat and sleep; time to pray, time for silence; time to laugh and cry; time to be Church; time for our feet to hurt and discover muscles we never thought we had; time to speak and time to listen; time to help and be helped; feel the Holy Spirit; think about ourselves, our children and others. It is a time of encounter. Three days to give God one of the most precious things we have: our time! (Mizinha and Manel, 48 and 51 years).
Pilgrim Solidarity Initiative
Like last year, we invite those who want to and are able to contribute 95 euro for the Pilgrim Solidarity Initiative which will give financial support to large families or pilgrims who are struggling financially but who would like to join the pilgrimage.
A special moment of encounter with God
“It is a moment of special encounter with God, where he surprises us and captivates us in moments of deep prayer, in unexpected conversations with people we may hardly have known, in the reinvigorating and inspiring beauty of nature, or even the blisters that remind us of our human frailty. It is a real family experience where grandparents, parents and children show what is best in each of them and surprise one another, and where everyone, on the way to Our Lady’s shrine, increases their love for Jesus.” (Marcos, 36 years, and Raquel, 32 years).
Don’t wait any longer and for this great pilgrimage! Sign up; it closes on April 8th.
For more informbation visit: www.peregrinacaodafamilia.org.
English translation: Sarah-Leah Pimentel, Johannesburg, South Africa
