The basilica radiates a soft, almost unreal clarity, as if suspended in the deep silence of the night. On this first Friday of the month, the eve of the first Saturday (these two inseparable devotions, see explanation. https://salve-corda.org/signification-des-1ers-vendredis-et-samedis-du-mois/), the Alliance is assembled to respond to the call of both the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This mass to launch the pilgrimage is celebrated by Monsignor Rey. At the end of mass, the 1st Saturday Alliance heads to the esplanade for the rosary and the torch-lit night procession. Candlelight gathers at the foot of the Chapel of Apparitions, the very spot where Our Lady of Fatima appeared to the three little shepherds.
Saturday, December 6, 2025
In the early hours of the morning, the freshness of the air invites meditation. The pilgrims make their way to the Way of the Cross, set up on the site of the apparition of August 19, in the middle of a field of olive trees whose twisted silhouettes seem to preserve the memory of the events and recall the Olive Garden. As the little visionaries were prevented from going to the usual place on August 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared to them here six days later. This detour, imposed by history, has become a must for pilgrims: it leads to the modest homes of Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia, still touching in their simplicity and humility.
Around 2pm, the sanctuary esplanade begins to vibrate with a new presence. There’s a huge gathering in front of the chapel of the apparitions, a small white shrine erected exactly where the Virgin appeared. Several movements of the Alliance des 1ers samedis du mois – Hozana, Rosario, le chapelet perpétuel, NDML – converge. Nearly two thousand people are there for the act of reparation on the1st Saturday of December. The chapel shelter can only accommodate two hundred, but the fine weather, once again, has been entrusted to the solicitude of Our Lady and allows us to be outside.
At 2pm sharp, the rosary begins, guided by the shrine’s rector and members of the Alliance. Ave at the foot of Our Lady repair one after the other. Then comes the fifteen minutes of meditation requested by Our Lady, to keep her company. The mystery chosen is that of Our Lady’s crowning in heaven. (see link https://jubile2025-fatima.org/meditations/le-couronnement-de-la-tres-sainte-vierge/)
As the meditation drew to a close, Rosario laid a magnificent floral tribute: hundreds of flowers offered to Mary, forming a colorful carpet at the foot of the chapel. The mass that follows is celebrated by Monseigneur Macaire, and the homily given by Monseigneur Rey. Forty priests then distributed the Communion of Reparation, fulfilling Our Lady’s request on the very spot where she had announced that she would return to ask for the devotion of the first Saturdays to obtain peace.
What contemplation, what faith, what reparation in this blessed place! Let us pray that the fervent commitment of the faithful, throughout this centenary year, will lead to the official recommendation of First Saturdays by the Pope – and that through this response to the Virgin’s call, peace will finally be given to the world.