May 2026: Fatima Report

Honoring the Mother of All Mothers at Fatima

As pilgrims have done for over a hundred years, thousands of pilgrims converged on Fatima, Portugal, to commemorate Our Lady’s first apparition there on May 13, 1917. Already on the eve of the feast, the roads swelled with pilgrims walking to the shrine from long distances. Large crucifixes will often be seen at the head of many groups as they pray the rosary and sing Marian hymns.

In the large esplanade known as the Cova da Iria, one can hear the sounds of a multitude of languages from every continent. At the candlelight procession that begins at 9:30 pm, pilgrims took turns praying the Hail Mary in many languages. The sight of over 300,000 people praying the Holy Rosary together, with lighted tapers in their hands, is a testament to the enduring impact of the Fatima message.

Among the pilgrims were several representatives of the American TFP’s America Needs Fatima campaign as well as the representatives of sister organizations from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland. The United States and Canada were represented at the candlelight rosary procession with one banner, while Ireland had their own banner. Both banners displayed an image of Our Lady of Fatima flanked by numerous names of their members and benefactors who requested that they be represented in the rosary procession.

May, Mary and Roses

It was fitting that Our Lady chose to first appear in May, since this month has been dedicated to her from time immemorial. To honor the Mother of All Mothers and to honor its members’ own mothers, ANF presented 3,000 roses on May 13, just a few days after Mother’s Day is celebrated in the United States. After presenting them at the entrance to the Cova da Iria, the roses were delivered to the shrine to be displayed at the Chapel of the Apparitions.

On May 13, ANF also presented a wreath made of over 9,000 silk roses and a large red candle molded from thousands of small candles. A large bouquet of roses was presented in honor of the “Child of Mary” and “Our Lady’s Companions” programs. A large, double-sided scroll with many thousands of ANF member names and fifty pounds of prayer petitions from ANF members were also presented at the very spot where Our Lady appeared.

Besides ANF’s numerous tokens of love to Our Lady, sister organizations presented their own gifts. Among them, special mention should be made of Ireland Needs Fatima’s presentation of 586 red roses, representing the rosary rallies they organized in the month of May.

A Mother's Love

A mother’s love can never be truly repaid. However, it is the duty of children to honor their mothers. Even though Our Blessed Mother’s love can never be fully repaid, ANF members do their best to honor her and show their love for her, who personally came to us from Heaven a century ago to do as all good mothers do: to warn, to admonish and to encourage us to hope against all hope.