10/16/2026
🙏✨ **Marian Pilgrimage Update: Fatima & Santarém** ✨🙏
As the final days of Deacon Jim and Arleen Kovats' Marian pilgrimage unfolded, they carried the prayer intentions of our parish family and the Vocations Cross to some of the most powerful places of prayer in the world.
🇵🇹 **Fatima, Portugal**
Our pilgrims arrived in Fatima and were blessed to celebrate Holy Mass at one of the side chapels of this great Marian shrine on the 109th Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun. What a remarkable grace to be present where Our Lady appeared to the shepherd children and called the world to prayer, repentance, and deeper faith.
Later that evening, following the moving candlelight procession, Deacon Jim personally carried your prayer intentions along the nearly 200-meter marble pathway leading to the Chapel of the Apparitions, the very site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto and Servant of God Lucia dos Santos. (A journey which takes about sixty minutes on the knees.) There, he presented your intentions and needs and, once again, entrusted them to Our Lady's loving care.
The next morning, the pilgrimage group returned to the Chapel of the Apparitions for Holy Mass. Your prayer intentions were placed beside the sanctuary and included among the prayers offered during the celebration of the Eucharist.
🙏✝️ **Walking the Way of the Cross**
On another day, the pilgrims journeyed into the peaceful countryside, among olive trees and rocky pathways, to pray the Stations of the Cross. The prayer intention packet and the Vocations Cross were carried throughout the pilgrimage route and reverently placed at the station commemorating Our Lord's death upon the Cross.
Walking those rugged paths provided a powerful reminder of the immeasurable love of Jesus Christ, who freely laid down His life so that we might share in His eternal life. At that sacred place, your intentions were once again lifted to the Lord with confidence and trust.
🕊️ **Final Pilgrimage Stop: Santarém**
The final day of pilgrimage brought our travelers to **Santarém**, the site of the renowned 13th-century Eucharistic Miracle.
There, the pilgrims celebrated Holy Mass in the sanctuary beneath the reliquary containing the miraculous host, which remains on display as a witness to Christ's true presence in the Holy Eucharist. During Mass, the prayer intention packet and the Vocations Cross were placed at the foot of the altar and remembered in prayer by the entire pilgrimage group.
❤️ **A Heartfelt Thank You**
This pilgrimage has been a deeply moving and inspiring journey for Deacon Jim, Arleen, and the many pilgrims who traveled from across the country. With complete trust in Our Blessed Mother, your prayer intentions and the Vocations Cross were presented at holy places where God has worked through Mary's loving intercession to strengthen faith, inspire conversion, bring healing, and draw souls closer to Jesus Christ.
Every shrine was special.
Every Mass was a gift.
Every prayer offered on your behalf was a privilege.
Deacon Jim and Arleen extend their heartfelt gratitude for the trust you placed in them and for allowing them to carry your needs, concerns, hopes, and thanksgivings to these sacred sites. It has been an honor to pray for you and your loved ones throughout this pilgrimage.
As they prepare to return home, they ask that you continue to join them in thanking God for the many blessings received and for the countless prayers entrusted to Our Lady's care.
May the peace of Jesus wrap around you, your families, and your friends as we continue this pilgrimage of faith together.
**Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.**
**Our Lady of the Pillar, pray for us.**
**Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.**
**St. Bernadette, pray for us.**
**St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us.**
**Lord Jesus Christ, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, have mercy on us. Amen.** 🙏
