The pilgrimage was divided into groups: each national or provincial team organized its own itinerary, but the basic ingredients were the same for all: prayers and recitation of the Rosary during the journey, celebration of the Eucharist and visit to the most significant places of the shrine once they had reached their destination.
There were no shortage of moments of profound expression of devotion and spirituality manifested by the young people. “It was really moving to see the young people so deeply immersed in prayer. The same young people who had filled the streets of Lisbon with shouts and songs of joy, devoutly took part in the beautiful celebrations in the Masses officiated in the various languages, and many of them even walked the penitential path on their knees”, testified one of the Salesians who took part in the pilgrimage.
The Father and Centre of Unity of the Salesian Family could not miss the pilgrimage to Fatima, who had already taken part throughout the week, pilgrim among pilgrims, in all the most significant moments of the WYD. This time too, the Rector Major shared every moment of the day with the boys and girls from all over the world, giving them his unceasing encouragement, his paternal blessing and witnessing at first-hand what it means to live "the Salesian sacrament of presence", which he constantly recalls.
Also worthy of note, alongside the Rector Major, was the presence of Regional Councillors Fr Juan Carlos Pérez Godoy, for the Mediterranean Region, and Fr Alphonse Owoudou, for the Africa-Madagascar Region - both of whom had also fully participated in the WYD events planned for the previous days.
The pilgrimage to Fatima symbolically represented the closing of the special events of the Salesian Youth Movement around the WYD in Lisbon. While the various groups of pilgrims are getting ready to leave, the young people are full of energy and enthusiasm to reach their destinations, while the Rector Major will stay a little longer, on Tuesday 8 August, to preside over the installation ceremony of the new Provincial of Portugal, Fr Tarcízio Morais.
