At noon, the Cardinal joined the other bishops, priests and seminarians to take part in the Blessing of the pilgrims’ Hats and farewell to the Pilgrims, which took place in the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows. During the ceremony, prayers of blessings were sung and recited and there were manifestations of deep faith and popular devotions. According to the registrations made at the Information Centre of Romeiro at Juazeiro do Norte, which tracks the number of people who visited the town, pilgrims arrived in Juazeiro from São Paulo, Rondônia and Minas Gerais, as well as from all the north-eastern states. A total of 69,295 pilgrims were registered. 9,635 from the States of Rio Grande do Norte, 10,971 from Paraíba, 22,048 from Pernambuco and 24,069 from Alagoas.
At 5pm, crowds of pilgrims began to fill the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. After the solemn Mass, people joined in procession through the main streets of the city, blessing and singing the praises of the Blessed Mother with Candles. Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime also participated in the procession, along with other members of the clergy.
On arrival at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, the benediction was imparted with the Blessed Sacrament. Speaking to the pilgrims, Cardinal Ángel said he would speak to Pope Francis about his pilgrimage experience. "I want to share my profound experience that I have lived here with you, when I arrive at Rome. I want to confirm once again, that when I have the opportunity to speak with the Holy Father, Pope Francis, who knows you, has heard about our meetings and others events you have held. He knows about this beautiful pilgrimage, the faith of this Christian community and the process of Father Cícero's beatification," declared the Cardinal.
