Welcome!
The World Apostolate of Fatima is an International Catholic Association of Pontifical Right. 

The President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Gianfranco Cardinal Ravasi, presided over the celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Fatima, on occasion of the 95^th anniversary of the first apparition of Mary in Fatima, on May 12/13. The theme of the celebrations was “Behold the handmaid of the Lord”.

On his arrival, speaking to journalists, Cardinal Ravasi said that “Fatima ought to be considered a place not only of faith but also of culture. (…) Culture is not only the artistic experience, but also the experience of a people”.

And he stressed that “our culture has as its polar star, on one hand, in the Bible, on the other, in Christian tradition”.

Bishop António Marto, of Leiria-Fatima, was also present and spoke of Fatima as “a place for the encounter, communion, not only of people but also of cultures, all united by the beauty of the celebration of that same faith”.

The weather conditions and the fact that the celebrations felt on a week-end favored a massive presence of pilgrims compared to previous years. In the evening of May 12, the Rosary and candlelight procession was again a beautiful moment of faith and love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Sanctuary’s square was too small to welcome all pilgrims who joined together to pray and sing at one same voice.

After this, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi presided over the vigil Mass and asked pilgrims to help those who live in pain, overcoming “distances and differences”. He challenged them to light “the little candle of love” instead of “cursing the night of evil and hate that penetrates the world”.

On May 13th, Cardinal Ravasi in his homily invited all “not to be afraid of dirtying our hands, helping the miserables of our land: what is the purpose to have our hands clean if we keep them in our pockets? The Cardinal also affirmed that our contemporary culture is “often fluid, inconsistent, like a nebulous thing that doesn’t know moral steady points and lights of truth.” He added that “many of you came here with the eyes full of tears” and declared that “God will pass in front of all men and women and, when he sees the tears running down their eyes, He himself will dry them up.”

The holy Mass was concelebrated by 22 bishops and 265 priests. There were groups of pilgrims from more than 30 different countries. As it happened in 2011, many of the pilgrims showed their emotion at the end of the celebration when again they saw a shinning circle around the sun.

According to official entities, 300.000 pilgrims were in Fatima for the celebrations making it to be one of the largest crowds in Fatima in the past years.

The catholic world prepares to celebrate the 95^th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady in Fatima, this May 13^th. Pilgrims from all over the world are flocking to the Shrine of Fatima to join the Portuguese crowd that every year assembles to venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Italian Gianfranco Cardinal Ravasi, is going to preside over the International Anniversary Pilgrimage of May 12/13, 2012, in Fatima, which this year has as theme: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord”.

According to Bishop Antonio Marto, of Leiria-Fatima, the reason for having invited Cardinal Ravasi is “to show the importance of the cultural aspect of the announcement, expression of faith and Christian spirituality of Fatima”.

The World Apostolate of Fatima, present in the five continents, will be celebrating with enthusiasm and great joy the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. To all, we wish happy feast full of God’s graces!

Last March, Fr. David Mark Gere, SMC, a young parish priest in Nemesvámos, Hungary, where a new church dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima is being built, was once again in Fatima on pilgrimage with a group of young people, their catechists and Fr. Dr Adolf Fugel from the WAF in Switzerland. The idea behind this is to offer the youth a unique spiritual experience in Fatima, through prayer and visits to the places of the apparitions.

The group was accommodated at the WAF international guest house, Domus Pacis and had a meeting with the International Secretariat of the Apostolate.

An important moment of this pilgrimage was when this Hugarian delegation was received by Fr. Carlos Cabecinhas, the Rector of the Sanctuary of Fatima, who offered for the new Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Nemesvámos, Archdiocese of Veszprém, a portion of earth from Fatima and a little holmoak  tree.  After the construction of the church is finished, the earth will be placed next to the altar and the holmoak tree will be planted in the front garden of the edifice. These two symbolic elements will hopefully create a direct link between Fatima and this new church, helping the faithful to grow their Marian devotion, namely the devotion to the Rosary and of the First Five Saturdays.

On February 20, the 92nd anniversary of the death of Blessed Jacinta Marto, Bishop António Marto, from Leiria-Fatima, granted the Imprimatur to the official Litany of the Little Shepherds of Fatima, Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

The sources used to compose the Litany, besides several liturgical texts, were the homily of John Paul II during the ceremony of the Beatification of Venerables Francisco and Jacinta, the Pastoral Note of the Bishops Conference of Portugal on the Beatification of the Little Shepherds of Fatima, Francisco and Jacinta Marto and the Memoirs of Sister Lucia.

"God of infinite goodness, You love the innocent and exalt the humble; please grant, through the intercession of the Immaculate Mother of Your Son, that, in imitation of Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta, we may serve You in simplicity of heart and thus may enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who is God with You in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen!”, as mentioned in the concluding prayer of the Litany.

The first public presentation of the Litany took place when it was recited on the evening of February 19, during the Vigil Mass celebrated in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, at which time an official leaflet with the Litany was distributed to all those present.

After his participation at last year’s congress “Fatima, more Important Now than Ever”, organized by the World Apostolate of Fatima, Mr. Anastácio Juras, from Brazil, made some good efforts to start a radio program on the Message of Fatima.

Since January 29^th, such program is being broadcasted at Radio Maria in Brazil, following the thematic itinerary proposed by the Fatima sanctuary in order to prepare the centenary of the Apparitions of Our Lady in 2017.

The program entitled “Echoes of Fatima” is broadcasted live every Sunday at 4.00 pm (time of Brasilia) and can be followed all over the world at the website: www.radiomaria.net.br

The program included moments of prayers, reading and explanation of the Message of Fatima, interchanged with songs, some news from Fatima and also the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

On the Feast of the Little Shepherds Jacinta and Francisco Marto, February 20^th, a special celebration was held at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima in Yucatan, Mexico. It was made special because it was performed in the presence of the relics of the Blessed that were brought from Fatima, Portugal.

The reliquary containing fragments of wood from the coffins of the shepherds, who died as children and obeying the will of God through Our Lady of Fatima to whom she appeared from May till October 1917.

The second-class relics, which are accompanied by a document certifying their authenticity, will stay in the Sanctuary permanently. They shall be deposited at the foot of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the sanctuary.

The members of the WAF, which are distinguished by wearing white clothing and a blue stripe with a WAF pin on the shoulders, were seated in the front rows in the Eucharist.  In his homily, Father Federico Santos Sanchez said that as part of this Feast, he remarked how much these children loved Jesus through Mary and how much they struggle and strive to make Christ known and accepted.

Before the Eucharist, people prayed a special Rosary which recalled the virtues of the Little Shepherd, whose image was reflected in a large frame next to the altar. Below the portrait, relics were placed for veneration, after the Mass.

Jorge Gutierrez Guerrero, International Treasurer of the World Apostolate of Fatima, brought the relics and delivered them to the church. Last November, the relics were requested to Sister Angela de Fatima Coelho, Postulator of the Cause of Canonization of Blessed Children Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

An international meeting of pro-life advocates from sixteen countries was held in January 28-30, 2012 in the Polish city of Czestochowa, where the miraculous icon of the Black Madonna - an ancient icon of the Virgin Mary—is currently housed. This icon is highly revered both by Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

During the meeting, the participants discussed the plans for a pilgrimage of a replica of the Icon of Czestochowa throughout Europe and Asia with the intention of promoting the defense of human life and entrusting it into the hands of Mother Mary.

The meeting gathered mainly pro-life representatives from Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, UK, and the U.S. Fátima, in Portugal, was represented by Nuno Prazeres, director of the International Secretariat of the World Apostolate of Fatima, who addressed the participants about Our Lady’s message and welcomed the  initiative of having the Icon travelling on pilgrimage from Russia through Central/Eastern Europe and ending in Fatima.

It is interesting to note that at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Czestochowa, precisely next to the famous and miraculous icon, there is a special gift from Pope John Paul II: the stole he was wearing around his waist when he was shot in St. Peter’s square, in 1981. On it we can see the sprinkled blood spots. In Fatima, placed in Our Lady’s crown, we have the bullet that almost killed him, also a gift from the Pope. These two elements help us to make a close connection between Czestochowa and Fatima.

On January 28^th, all participants made an "Act of Trust and Consecration" to the Black Madonna icon of Jasna Gora, in her sanctuary. This solemn celebration was led by Czestochowa Archbishop Stanislaw Nowak along with two other bishops and numerous Polish and foreign priests. Also present were Orthodox priests from Ukraine and Belarus and the pro-life leaders from these countries. During the ceremony, Archbishop Nowak blessed a copy of the icon of Czestochowa. According to an ancient tradition of the Pauline Fathers, the copy was touched to the original which the Orthodox Church also recognizes as a significant gesture. Archbishop Nowak called it the “kiss of love.”

The Vatican webpage of the Pontifical Council for the Laity (PCL) has recently updated the Associations and Movements section of their official website www.laici.va . Four new organizations were added, initially in their language of origin, to their Directory of International Associations of the Faithful. One of these is the World Apostolate of Fatima by presenting its new foundation and defining its new ecclesial role, mission and charisma.

According to the Pontifical Council for the Laity, “these updates to the PCL directory help to make the international associations of the faithful better known to the wider world. It is also an instrument for these organizations to learn about each other. The fact that they are all presented in one directory can also be seen as a demonstration of their ecclesial communion, with all the diversity and complementarity of the charisms they have received from the Holy Spirit”.

Prof. Américo Lopez Ortiz, International President of the WAF, expressed his joy for this and wrote a message to all leaders of the WAF encouraging them to make use of the website and in a special way of this presentation: “This will be a great tool for our own apostolates at the national level to spread the good news of the NEW ECCLESIAL ROLE OF THE WAF, considered by the Church as a NEW FOUNDATION, and containing NEW INFORMATION and NEW DEVELOPMENTS of the Apostolate. After seen the recognition of the Vatican to our Apostolate, the highest possible recognition given by the Universal Church to any apostolate, we as leaders are called to see the significance of this NEW ERA in the Apostolate, opening new roads and ways to spread the Message of Fatima, in a more effective way. LET US MEDITATE ON THE NEW ESSENCE OR SUBSTANCE OF THE WAF AS DEFINED BY THE VATICAN.”

The first and second episodes of the series “Fátima and the World” are already available on DVD and subtitled in five languages: English, Germany, Polish, Italian and Spanish.

The first DVD “Fátima, a Miracle in Europe – The History” was released last May and it describes with rhythm, drama, mystery and with fascinating testimonies, the extraordinary link of Fatima to the great events of the XX century: the Second War World; the Cold War, the assassination attempt to Pope John Paul II, followed by the fall of the Berlin Wall. It also includes extra features such as the “The story of the bullet in the Crown of Our Lady of Fatima”, “An account of how school life was under Communism”, “The Fatima hymn sung in various languages” and also a small “Archive of Fatima photos”.

The second DVD “Fatima: A miracle in Europe – Sanctuaries and Testimonies” was released last October 13. In approximately 50 minutes, it presents beautifully the origin of many and different sanctuaries of Our Lady of Fatima in Europe, such as in Spain, where for instances in the Canarian Islands, by invocation of Our Lady of Fatima, the lava of a volcano deviated from a chapel and village, or in Petersburg in Russia where an Icon of Our Lady of Fatima survived from a devastating fire.  This DVD also tells us fascinating stories of miracles, especially that of Saint Padre Pio on the occasion of the visitation of the Pilgrim Virgin Statue to Italy.

Both documentaries are a must for anyone in love with Fatima! You can purchase them  at our online shop: http://www.worldfatima.com/onlineshop/product.php?id_product=221

Prof. Américo López-Ortiz, presidente do Apostolado Mundial de Fátima falou à revista FAMÍLIA CRISTÃ sobre o trabalho do Apostolado em todo o mundo, que junta cerca de 20 milhões de fiéis em 110 países. Desde os países que mais vivem a mensagem de Fátima até aos desvios que insistem em deturpar a importância, tudo foi abordado nesta conversa, até a conversão da Rússia e a certeza de que os males deste mundo são resultado dos seus pecados. Por isso, foi preciso uma longa conversa onde se falou da história do movimento, da aprovação pela Santa Sé, dos desvios à mensagem «autêntica» de Fátima... e de Maria, a força que faz estes apóstolos levarem o nome de Deus aos quatro cantos do mundo.

The Pontifical Council for the Laity confirmed the World Apostolate of Fatima (W.A.F.) as an International Public Association of the Faithful, with a juridical personality and with its Statutes definitively approved by Decree dated October 7, 2010, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.    

Mons. Josef Clemens, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, in a letter to the International President of the Association, Prof. Américo Lopez-Ortiz, pointed out that "this definitive approbation of the Statutes marks a new moment for the World Apostolate of Fatima and it is our hope that it brings a new evangelization enthusiasm in your endeavors." 

The World Apostolate of Fatima believes that this is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our commitment to spreading the Message of Fatima all over the world, bringing this beam of hope and peace to the hearts of humankind.

The Decree of approval does highlight that "the members of the World Apostolate of Fatima commit themselves to become faithful witnesses of the Catholic faith in their families, at work, in the parishes and communities, participating in this way in the "New Evangelization". The Association has been carrying out for the past years a series of initiatives to better meet this commitment. These include the organization of regional congresses in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America on the New Evangelization and the Message of Fatima, the formation of prayer groups, the launching of Eucharistic adoration programs for children, the coordination of programs for the visitation of the Pilgrim Virgin Statue to dioceses and parishes, publication of books, magazines, videos and websites, etc. All this to make the calls of Fatima and the Gospel reach further.  We will continue this mission for the greater glory of God!

The International Secretariat of the World Apostolate of Fatima has assumed the recitation of the Holy Rosary, on each first Thursday of the month, in the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima, at 18.30 pm. The Rosary is offered for the intentions of our members and, in a particular way, for the respect of human life from conception to natural death.  

The International Secretaries of the World Apostolate of Fatima, together with the Portuguese pro-life movement “Corrente de Oração pela Vida”, have decided to start praying the Rosary, once a month, in the Chapel of the Apparitions, at the Fatima Shrine, for life and peace. This initiative was born as a concrete way to show solidarity and involvement with the pro-life work that is carried out around the world and to link it to the Fatima Message, a message of peace, hope and love, so much needed for today’s world. This is a symbolic initiative that should help people to engage more often in praying the rosary for this intention and to bring the Fatima message to the prolife work. The daily Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions, at 18:30pm is broadcasted by the Portuguese national radio as well as by two Catholic TV channels. Those who wish to be united more closely with us can also follow the live recitation of the Rosary by internet, at the Fatima Shrine’s website: www.santuario-fatima.pt Pray with us and for us!