From 2 to 6 February, the Province of Venice organised in Fatima (Portugal) a brief yet intense Marian formation session, intended primarily for novices and students, in response to the invitation of the Father General to deepen the Marian dimension of our charism.
Led by our Provincial, Fr Giuseppe Pozzobon, the programme alternated between formation sessions led by the Father General and Sr Angela Coelho (Vice-Postulator of the cause for the canonisation of Sr Lucia), and visits to the apparition sites: the Capelinha at Cova da Iria, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, the modern Basilica of the Holy Trinity, the Immaculate Heart exhibition, and the village of Aljustrel.
Accommodated at Domus Carmeli, just a short walk from the apparition sites, the twenty pilgrims were able to spend several days in reflection. They also had the opportunity to meet the Carmelite nuns of Fátima and Coimbra, whose testimony about Sister Lucia was particularly enlightening.
The essence of the entire experience can be summed up in the rediscovery of the radically evangelical nature of the message of Fátima: a maternal call to conversion that transcends affective devotion and seeks to be expressed through an intense sacramental life and persevering prayer. This prayer has the power to provide a solid foundation for the life of every baptised person.
