Friday, June 19, 2009

A Pink Duck and A Visit to Fatima

I am up for another double post. I will start with Pink Saturday, which is hosted by Beverly of http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/. Don't forget to visit Beverly and then visit each and everyone of her participants and see all their lovely pinks!
I went around the house looking for anything pink. I really do not have a lot cause I am more of an orange, green, brown and turquoise kind of gal, but I spotted this pink duck in the laundry room.
She is kinda cute, isn't she?
She keeps me company when I am folding the laundry.
She is standing there watching over my little knick knacks.

Thanks Beverly, for hosting another great Pink Saturday!
Now, don't go yet cause you will like where I am taking you next.
It's Saturday! Let's go on a tour! Would you like to go on a pilgrimage? Fatima comes to my mind. But before we go on, let me remind you not to forget to visit Chandy of http://whatnowtablescapes.blogspot.com/ for she has somewhere to take us also. Let's not miss another exciting trip. If anyone wants to join us for Sightseeing Saturday for this week and next, please let me know by Friday so I can add your blog address. I will be away until the 28th so I will have to post in advance.

So, are you ready? Let's go to Portugal.


Below is where the Virgin Mary appeared to the children in a small village near Fatima called Valinos, when they were not allowed to go to the Cova, where the Lady usually appeared to them. Because the authorities did not believe them about the apparitions, they were forbidden to go to the Cova. You can read more about the Cova below. Somehow this picture uploaded in the wrong order. Let us drive through Lisbon first, on our way to Fatima. I really like this bridge, kinda reminds me of the Golden Gate.
I think this is a school.
They have a lot of monuments there.
Pretty Spanish style buildings huh?
Beautiful mountains and valleys.
Now, we are finally in Fatima. Vendors are bountiful near the Cova and they are all selling religious items and other Portuguese made items. We did not have much time to go shopping or I would have bought one of those tablecloths. You might still remember my framed hand painted tiles of Fatima. I bought it unframed in one of those stores and had it framed here in US.
Now, we are approaching the Cova and Basilica.
This is the Cova da Iria, where visions of our Lady of Fatima to 3 peasant children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta took place in 1917. A shrine was erected where our Lady appeared and a small chapel built around it. It used to be a pasture land. The town has a population of less than 8,000.

Large torch-light processions are organized in the evening
and the experience gave me goose bumps. As many as a million believers attract the shrine and visit the basilica, especially on May 13 and Oct. 13th, 2 very significant dates of Fatima apparitions. There were 6 apparitions, always on the 13th of each month from May to Oct. Here is AJ with the Basilica in the background.
Do you see the lady in a green top on her knees, on the lower right side of the picture below? She walked on her knees all the way to the basilica. You will witness a lot of people there having this kind of devotion.
This is where Jacinta is buried now. She died in 1920 at the age of 9, during the Spanish flu pandemic and was beatified in 2000. She was not originally buried here. In 1935, her body was exhumed and was found to be incorrupt. Her body was again exhumed in 1951 and again was found to be incorrupt. Francisco's has decomposed. Sister Lucia, who became a Carmelite nun and who passed away in 2005 at the age of 97, is also buried here.
In the other side of the church lies Francisco's tomb. Francisco died in 1919, also due to Spanish flu, at the age of 10 and was also beatified in 2000.
Because of many visitors, they had to build another gigantic basilica called Igreja da Santissima Trindade (Holy Trinity Church), done in a neoclassical style, on the far side of the esplanade. It is one of the largest churches of the world built in the 2000's. We were fortunate to be able to attend mass there during our visit. Below, you will see some of the doors. There are 12 side doors, one for each of Christ's Apostles and one central door, Christ's door.
This is one side of the church.
And this is inside. It has a sitting capacity for 9000 people.This is the house of Lucia. In 1993, the first time we visited Fatima, I met her brother in this same house.
This is the bedroom that Lucia shared with her sister. The house is very modest, very small with very low ceilings.
Shown in the picture is Pope John Paul II with Sister Lucia.
This is the olive grove where an angel who presented himself as the Guardian Angel of Portugal, appeared to the children 3 times before our Lady appeared to the children. The angel prepared them for the appearance of Our Lady of Fatima. She urged them to pray and offer prayers and sacrifices to the Most High. On his third visit, he gave them Communion and presented the proper way to receive it.

I hope you enjoyed our tour for today. I really enjoyed going there and I was so happy that AJ experienced it. It is such a good feeling to be in the same place where the apparitions happened. Thank you all for your visit!


27 comments:

Anonymous said...

You have a wonderful company in the laundry room :-) She's pretty in her pink dress. Is it a dress?

Hhhmmmm Portugal. it does spark some curiosity and some amzement - a little when I see people seeing people with so much devotion like that lady in green walking with her knees. Or the ones here, you remember during lent where some do this practice where they let themselves be crucified?

It must be a different feeling to visit such a place where it is so religious compared to the other placed you've visited. Is that the right word - "religious"?

Thanks again for the tour! :-)

Blondie's Journal said...

Christine,

I was in a trance reading and looking at the pictures you took. Somehow it is so much more interesting hearing it from you then in a history or theology book.

I had forgotten alot about the 3 children and their sightings of our Lady. You refreshed my memory and I can't believe you got to experience all of this~especially meeting Lucia's brother.

I hope you are having a good time wherever you are!!

xoxo
Jane

Chandy said...

That pink duck is just adorable! Christine your travels are so delightful to see. I feel like I'm traveling with you or at least you effectively manage to make me wish I'm somewhere beautiful and different every week!

Great pictures of Fatima!

Mine's ready...

Allidink said...

What a cute little pink duck lol. Those pictures are great I have never been there but I have always wanted to go!

All the best,
Allison

Keetha Broyles said...

I LOVE that sassy little duck in your laundry room!

You ALWAYS take us to the most exciting places!!!

Tara said...

what a fascinating post! My Grandmother was always interested in this when she was alive. She was a devout catholic. In fact, I'm not so sure she didn't visit here once, I'll have to ask my Aunt about that.
What a great thing for your Granddaughter to see, the history and the faith.

Four Paws and Co said...

Miss Pinky the duck is the perfect laundry companion!

Wonderful travelogue Christine. Thank you for including all the information. The pictures are wonderful.

Happy PINK Saturday! ♥ Diane

My name is Riet said...

HI. Love your pink ducky and your Portugal pictures and photo's. I might join the Saturday adventure as we have just been on holidays in Spain and France for almost 3 months. I must come back on this.

Simply Debbie said...

Happy Pink Saturday
what a darling little duck to keep you company while doing your laundry
I love the white shelves...they are very unique
I have never traveled so I can't imagine the different cultures...it would be awesome
thank you for taking us on your adventures
hugs
debbie

♥Mimi♥ said...

Lovely pink blog post! Another Saturday, where I am taking in all of the pink and visiting some of the most lovely blogs in cyberspace. I need the pink this morning, it's all dark and raining outside. So thanks for the uplift☺

Wishing you and those you l♥ve a weekend filled with sunshine, good food and many, tender memories.

Mary Bergfeld said...

What an interesting post. I've never been to Fatima, but your photos have captured the spot for those of us who have not yet made the visit. Thanks for shring. Blessings...Mary

Lynn said...

Thank you for the tour AND the duck in the pink dress. She could be the AFLACK duck's girlfriend!

SmilingSally said...

I like your pink duck. She's whimsical. Happy PS.

Room Service ~ Decorating 101 said...

This was a very interesting post C/x, thanks for sharing and the little duck was cute too.

Beverly said...

Happy Pink Saturday, Christine.

Your duck looks quite lovely in her pretty pink dress.

Thank you for the informational tour. I really enjoyed it.

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Hi Christine!

I love your little pink duck! She's a happy little gal, isn't she??

What a great tour of Portugal. I don't suppose I'll ever make it there, so I appreciate the tour!

Blessings,
Spencer

caren said...

Thank you for sharing all your beautiful pictures and adventures - even the duck in the laundry room! Happy Pink Saturday to you!

Anonymous said...

Happy Pink Saturday on Sunday. What a very sweet post that was! Hope your day is full of love and happiness.

xJ
MaidenShade.wordpress.com

Wendy said...

Great tour! You should join us for Small Town Snapshot Sunday one of these weeks! :)

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Christine, you post better and more when you are away from home than I do when I am at home! As always, this was a fabulous trip. The photos are beautiful, and the commentary was so interesting and informative.
Your little duck with the pink tutu is so cute! laurie

Nancy said...

Your cute duck made me smile, too. Thanks for sharing your travel pictures. I caught up on previous posts, too.

Still on the PS rounds and wanted to wish you a wonderful week.

The blog of MBW said...

Hello, thank you for visiting my page and I am sorry that it took me a long time to post your comment I was having problems with my page opening and I was having trouble viewing other sites too. This is what I get “Internet explorer cannot open the internet site. Operation aborted”. I got frustrated that I stopped checking my own page. I got DH to fix the problem and I hope that that I am back blogging again. ;-)

The pink duck is cute and thank your for sharing your Portugal tour.

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Christine, that is fascinating. Two nuns who are friends of ours (they live in the convent in St. Augustine) went to the Fatima shrine on a pilgrimage and also to some other shrines. They are the sweetest people ever and were given the trip in honor of one of the sisters retirements as the headmistress of a parochial school. They are sisters in real life as well as through their order. Anyhow, this was one of the places they went, so I'm glad to get to see all of this. Thanks for sharing...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Delaine Gabriel said...

Christine..Hi,I was just over at Dots @Pickets place, and I just Love,Love Love the blue and white napkin rings you sent her!! My whole kitchen is blue an white, and my dishes also. Did you get them recently? I'm hoping you did so I can get some for myself. Let me know!! Thank you!! Delaine

Anonymous said...

Christine,
Lady Katherine told me about you are one of us...Mississippi Southern Belle. I live in Laurel...Nice to meet you...maybe one day we all will meet in person. Love your blog...Great and beautiful photos of Pink...Happy Pink ..I didn't do it last week...had a busy weekends...Katherinllen

Lorna ~ Lace and Ivy Cottage said...

Hi Christine, I so enjoyed your pictures of Fatima. I was actually there in 2000 with some relatives and a priest friend. We toured Spain as well. I didn't have a digital camera then, and my camera was stolen while in Madrid so I lost all my pictures! Fr. Englebert celebrated Mass with us everyday, even in the chapel you have pictured. It was a pilgrimage I will never forget. Thanks for bringing back all the memories!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh Christine, as usual you have taken us on another wonderful trip. I love your narrative and your history of all the places you visit. So fortunate for AJ that she is able to go with you. This was such a wonderful and moving trip. Thanks for taking us. Hugs, Marty

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