A taste of Heaven on Earth

– Pilgrims’ journey to three Marian shrines in Europe

By Joanne Joseph, Pilgrim

Deeply devoted to Our Lady, a group of 32 pilgrims, led by Msgr Esau Joseph, departed Trinidad and Tobago on May 10 for a 14-day journey, traversing the borders of four countries—Portugal, Spain, France, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sandra Chandler and Lennox Lalsingh, both deeply devoted to Our Lady, were inspired once again to organise a pilgrimage to three Marian shrines across Europe.

Our group experienced the first taste of Heaven at Fatima in Portugal.  Surrounded by images of Our Lady, we prayed by candlelight through the chilly nights outside the Chapel of Apparitions, the site where apparitions of Our Lady first occurred to the children of Fatima.

At the Shrine of Fatima, we explored its museum, where we saw the bullet that had been removed from Pope St John Paul II’s body after his assassination attempt in 1981, perfectly fitted into the Precious Crown of Our Lady of Fatima.

Several sacred spaces were visited in Fatima, such as the monument dedicated to Pope St John Paul II, the Berlin Wall Monument, the modern Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, the outdoor altar, and the ancient Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The Way of the Cross at Fatima, also known as ‘The Sacred Way’, covers a vast area resembling a village. Pilgrims prayed and walked through the 15 stations, including the Resurrection, depicted by Hungarian-designed sculptures.

We also visited Aljustrel, the humble birthplace of the three shepherd children—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—who had seen apparitions of Our Lady in 1917. At night, we joined in the Marian hymns and candlelight rosary at 9.30 p.m. Out of the thousands present, one of our very own T&T pilgrims had the privilege of leading the huge congregation with five Hail Marys in English, during one of the decades of the rosary.

On May 13, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima, the 107th anniversary of the apparitions, Mass was attended by tens of thousands of pilgrims from around the world.

The large crowd sang lustily during a procession of the Marian statue through the square. At the end of Mass, one of the priests referenced Pope Francis as stating that Fatima is the image of what the Church should be—a representation of all nations, united in love and prayer.

Our next stop was to St Stephen’s Church in Santarem, Portugal, home to a monstrance with a consecrated host that miraculously dripped blood in the 13th century. This blood is still visible on the host today, serving as one of the many pieces of evidence worldwide that the Eucharist, or consecrated host, truly is the real body and blood of Jesus Christ. As voiced by one of the pilgrims, “seeing this alone made our trip worthwhile”.

Spain

We headed on to Salamanca, Spain, a historical town renowned for its Spanish art and architecture. The highlight of our walking tour was the two adjacent Salamanca cathedrals—the older, built in the 12th-century Romanesque style, and the newer, constructed in the 16th-century Gothic style.

After Salamanca, the pilgrimage continued to Alba de Tormes, where the Monastery of St Teresa of Avila is situated. The museum at the Monastery showcases her incorrupt heart and left arm. We explored the city of Avila, St Teresa’s birthplace, surrounded by castle walls from Medieval times.

We then set out for Loyola, a region in Spain, to explore the birthplace of St Ignatius, a Spanish priest, theologian, and the founder of the Jesuit Order, renowned for its role in Catholic higher education.

The museum at his former home is filled with his relics and personal writings, chronicling his extraordinary spiritual journey and missionary efforts.

As we left Loyola, we were amazed at the stunning view of the Pyrenees Mountains, when we crossed the border between Spain and France to reach the town of Lourdes.

Lourdes 

Upon entering Lourdes, a profound sense of holiness and tranquility came over us, and the following two days were packed with spiritual activities and exploration of the sacred places.

The pilgrim priest who gave the sermon during the morning Mass at the Grotto reminded us of Our Lady’s requests for a chapel to be constructed at the grotto site and for people to come in procession there. This message served as a reminder to us, as pilgrims, that our sacrifices were made in honour of Our Lady. At the location of Massabielle, where the grotto is situated, Our Lady directed a 14-year-old peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, to dig up the earth, uncovering a water spring that miraculously healed pilgrims who were paralysed and sick in 1858.

Due to the large number of visitors, we found ourselves waiting in lengthy queues to touch the healing water that flows along the walls of the Grotto. This water is also supplied through pipes and pilgrims line up to fill their containers.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is home to three basilicas and numerous chapels and churches, all near each other. The Lourdes Mobile App provides information on Mass and Confession times in various languages.

Every evening at 5 p.m., persons with disabilities and those who were ill were positioned at the front of the Blessed Sacrament procession, with volunteers assisting them. The procession was followed by Eucharistic Adoration and the Blessing of the Sick.

Nighttime in Lourdes was a mystical experience, with the square lit by candles and filled with pilgrims. At 9 p.m., there was a candlelight rosary and procession with a statue of Our Lady.

Lourdes features two sets of Stations of the Cross, depicting the Passion of Christ: the ‘low stations’ located on the flat beside the river, accessible to pilgrims with reduced mobility, and the ‘high stations’ situated on the hill behind the grotto.

The hillside Stations follow the path St Bernadette took when gathering firewood on the Hill of Espélugues. We prayed at each Station gazing at the life-sized sculptures crafted from cast iron and painted in gold. The walk was challenging due to the rocky paths and steep slopes in some areas.

Medjugorje

After we left Lourdes, our journey continued to Medjugorje, a place remarkably like the two previous Marian shrines, characterised by a peaceful and prayerful atmosphere and a large movement of pilgrims.

Medjugorje is often described as ‘Heaven on Earth’ and the ‘Confessional of the World’, with numerous pilgrims sharing their personal stories of conversion.  Confessions are available to pilgrims from visiting priests, both indoors and outdoors around St James Church.

It is believed that Our Lady appeared to six children in 1981, and three of them continue to experience daily apparitions, sharing messages of conversion with the world.

Our Lady of Medjugorje, also known as the Queen of Peace, encourages daily prayers of the rosary, fasting on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays, attending Holy Mass, reading the Bible daily, and going to Confession once every month. These practices are collectively known as the five stones of Medjugorje.

We made our way to the Statue of the Risen Savior, situated behind the exterior altar. This bronze statue is an image of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pilgrims lined up to venerate this statue, as it is believed to have a mysterious water seepage on its right knee. Surrounding the statue are sculptures representing each of the 14 Stations of the Cross.

We hiked up Apparition Hill, the site where Our Lady first appeared to the young visionaries. This hill, comprised of large rocks and stones, is steep and without any marked paths.

Along the way, we paused at sculptures representing the five Joyful Mysteries to pray a decade of the Holy Rosary. At the top of the hill, there are two monuments portraying Our Lady and the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Some pilgrims were seen climbing this rocky mountain barefooted, as a form of penance.

Another highlight of our visit was the castle home of Patrick and Nancy Latta. Patrick frequently shares his personal conversion story with visitors. After receiving a message from Our Lady through a relative, he left his home in Canada and relocated to Medjugorje.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Cenacolo community, a facility which houses young men and women recovering from addiction. Here, residents lead a simple life, free from mobile phones and worldly distractions, focusing on work and prayer to support each other in their journey towards a better life.

We were moved by a conversion testimony from a resident who relocated from the USA. We did observe a few Cenacolo residents carrying sick pilgrims up Apparition Hill on stretchers, as a selfless act of service.

In more light-hearted moments, we attended a musical concert featuring local talent in Medjugorje and celebrated a 60th birthday with one of our pilgrims over dinner.

As we left Medjugorje, we journeyed through Dubrovnik in Croatia, taking in the stunning views of the sea and coastline.

After completing our memorable two-week pilgrimage, we now share with others all that we experienced – comfort, hope, peace, and the joy of the Risen Christ!

The following comments summarise how our pilgrims felt at the end of our journey:

“We began this pilgrimage as individuals but left as a family united in purpose.”

“Thanks to all for the friendship and camaraderie that contributed to its success.”

“It was really an enhancing spiritual journey. We have made new friends, and we are also looking forward to the next pilgrimage in Greece.”

Our Spiritual Director, Msgr Esau Joseph summed up his experience:

Some highlights of the pilgrimage for me:

• Celebrating Mass at the Fatima Shrine with hundreds of priests from all the continents. The estimated crowd was over half a million pilgrims. Visiting the tombs of the three visionaries was a special privilege. I was happy to witness that after a century, pilgrims were still heeding the call of our Blessed Mother to “pray for the conversion of sinners”.
• I heard about the Eucharistic miracle in Santarem. To see the miracle after hundreds of years renewed my faith in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
• As seminarians, we studied the lives of St Teresa of Avila and St Ignatius of Loyola. To celebrate Mass in the convent of St Teresa and in the birthplace of St Ignatius was a sacred honour.
• In Lourdes, I had the privilege to celebrate Mass at the Grotto of Massabielle. To witness the candlelight procession, with care and attention to the hundreds of sick patients reminded me of the words of Jesus: “when I was sick you visited me”. I collected some water from the grotto for my friends in Trinidad. This pilgrimage was very special and very well organised.