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Hundreds of thousands of worshippers gather at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal May 12, 2025, to pray for newly elected Pope Leo XIV and global peace. The pilgrims came to the shrine to attend events marking the 108th anniversary of the first apparition of Mary to three shepherd children May 13, 1917. (OSV News photo/Pedro Nunes, Reuters)

Catholic Review sponsoring pilgrimage to Marian sites in Europe


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Catholic Review Filed Under: Feature, Local News, Marian Devotion, News

Catholic Review Media will coordinate a pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and Barcelona Oct. 25-Nov. 4 to see apparition sites in Portugal and France, as well as Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona.

Crowds of pilgrims pray in front of the Basilica of the Rosary in Lourdes, France, during the Oct. 2-4, 2025, “Rosary Pilgrimage,” organized by the Dominican order since 1908. (OSV News photo/courtesy Lourdes shrine)

Father Gerard Francik, pastor of Sacred Heart, Glyndon, will celebrate Masses and provide spiritual leadership. Christopher Gunty, associate publisher/editor of the Catholic Review, will also lead the group.

Paul Julia, regional business development director for Collette, the travel company coordinating the pilgrimage, will present an information night Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m., at Sacred Heart, 65 Sacred Heart Lane, Reisterstown. The meeting will also be livestreamed via Zoom and recorded. Those in person and attending the webinar live will have the opportunity to ask questions. Registration is requiredfor the livestream, but not for in-person attendees.

In Portugal, pilgrims will visit the basilicas at Fatima, including participating in a candlelight vigil procession at the shrine. They will also visit Aljustrel, the small village where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in 1917.

The trip will spend two nights in Burgos, Spain, where sites include the Gothic Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO heritage site, and a monastery.

In Lourdes, pilgrims can participate in another candlelight vigil and will visit sites connected to the life of St. Bernadette Soubirous, to whom Mary appeared 18 times in 1858.

In Barcelona, the group will visit the cathedral, another gothic architectural marvel, and have an option to visit the mountain village of Montserrat. The following day, a local expert will guide pilgrims through the awe-inspiring La Sagrada Familia, another UNESCO site. Work on the massive basilica began in 1882 and is expected to be completed this year, the 100th anniversary of the death of the architect, Antoni Gaudí.

“When we first discussed this itinerary with the folks at Collette, the plan did not include a visit inside La Sagrada Familia,” Gunty said. “I insisted that we could not visit Barcelona in this significant year for the basilica without going inside to pray and experience this Spanish Gothic masterpiece, a great testament to our faith and the Holy Family.”

Rates start at $4,444 for double occupancy, with a $50 discount for those who book before April 19. The package includes hotel accommodations, airfare and some meals. It is considered an activity level 2 tour (moderate) that will include walking two to three miles per day or more on a variety of terrains, from cobblestone streets to moderate hills.

Booking information for the pilgrimage is at https://groups.gocollette.com/en-US/link/1381745. The group is limited to 35 passengers.

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