02/20/2025
Fr John Starczewski invites you to join St John Neumann Parish on on a transformative pilgrimage to the most revered and beloved Marian Shrines in the world: Fatima and Lourdes, and Paris, the "City of Lights."
The Shrine in Fatima, Portugal commemorates the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children: Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, in 1917. According to the children, the Virgin Mary appeared to them on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting from May until October. The messages conveyed during these apparitions included calls for prayer, penance, and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Sanctuary includes the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Chapel of the Apparitions, and the vast open square where pilgrims join in a nightly, candlelit Rosary procession.
Lourdes, in the Hautes-Pyrénées area of southwestern France, is the site of the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes to a young peasant girl named Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Bernadette reported 18 apparitions of a "Lady" who asked for a chapel to be built at the grotto of Massabielle. During one of the apparitions, a spring emerged, and the water is known its for miraculous healing power. The Sanctuary includes the Grotto of Massabielle, where the apparitions took place, and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Pilgrims participate in the Blessing of the Sick, processions, and the bathing pools where they pray for healing in the spring water.
Paris is renowned for its art, culture, architecture, food, historic landmarks and incredible Catholic history. We will visit wonderful sites such as as the newly rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur) in the Montmartre District, Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, and the Basilica of St Denis. No visit to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower and a scenic Seine River Tour.
Pilgrims from around the world visit Fatima and Lourdes seeking spiritual renewal and physical healing. Jesus promises a wealth of blessings and profound spiritual experiences, and we hope you will join us!
Fr John Starczewski invites you on a transformative pilgrimage to the most revered and beloved Marian Shrines in the world: Fatima and Lourdes, and Paris, the "City of Lights."
