This will be the first visit of the pilgrim image of Fatima to these countries that were part of the Soviet Union.

Newsroom (20/06/2022 1:31 PM, Gaudium Press) For the first time in history, the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The visit to these countries, which were once part of the Soviet Union, is scheduled for September and October 2022.

“The Catholics of the Caucasus rejoice at the news of the visit of the Image of Our Lady of Fatima to the region,” said the Apostolic Nuncio to Armenia and Georgia, Archbishop Jose Bettencourt, in an interview for Agenzia Ecclesia.

Origin of the Pilgrim MTA of Our Lady of Fatima

Made according to the indications of Sister Lucia, the first Pilgrim MTA of Our Lady of Fatima was offered by the Bishop of Leiria and solemnly crowned by the Archbishop of Evora on May 13, 1947. Since then, the image has traveled the world several times, taking with it a message of peace and love.

This route originated in 1945, shortly after the end of World War II, when a parish priest in Berlin proposed that an image of Our Lady of Fatima travel through all the capitals and episcopal cities of Europe, all the way to the Russian border.

More than half a century of pilgrimage

In April 1946 this idea was taken up by a representative from Luxembourg at the International Council of Catholic Youth, and the following year, on the very day of her coronation, the first journey began. During more than half a century of pilgrimage, the Image has visited 64 countries in the various continents, some of them several times. (EPC)

Compiled by Florence MacDonald