It was standing room only at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral during the vigil Mass and procession for the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on 16 May, which saw laity and clergy come together to commemorate the 109th anniversary of the first apparition.
Appearing to three children in Fatima in Portugal six times in 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary asked them to pray the rosary every day to end the Great War, with the apparitions becoming so well-known that up to 100,000 people were present to witness the famous Miracle of the Sun.
Sydney’s procession drew 3,500 people to honour Our Lady and to come together to pray the rosary in various languages of the archdiocese, beginning with Arabic, the language from which the name “Fatima” originates, and ending with the visionaries’ native Portuguese.
Believers packed together tightly, some holding rosary beads, candles, handkerchiefs, and even statues of Our Lady of Fatima.
Celebrant Bishop Richard Umbers in his homily said the Virgin Mary “teaches us to pray because heaven is real, she teaches us to repent because souls matter.”
“She teaches us to hold to Christ, who has cured and carried our humanity beyond the grave and into glory,” he said.
The reverence at the procession, which travelled up and down College Street in front of the cathedral was palpable, with one parishioner “shocked at the turnout.”
“This is bigger than Good Friday,” she told The Catholic Weekly. “There’s a very vibrant atmosphere here at the cathedral.”
Parishioner Olivia Ryan, who attends Mass in Lewisham, said the procession was “really beautiful” and speaks to highlighting the importance of children and their witness.
“To see so many people turn out for it, it was such a beautiful experience,” she said.
Sr Maliya Suen RSM said the procession was a “very strong witness for Sydney” and showed locals were unafraid to profess their faith and love for the Virgin Mary.
“I think Our Lady of Fatima has grown in popularity, and it draws people together,” she said.
“They see the importance of the intercessory prayer for world peace, for our pontiff, and for the faith.”
Br Stephen Tran OFM Cap said the message of Fatima was “ever more relevant” in the modern day.
“We should continue to call others to convert, to pray the rosary, to consecrate ourselves for her, for the peace of the world,” he said.
Sr Mary Immanuel Blenkinsopp IC echoed the sentiment of Our Lady’s necessity, saying the only way past the violence, war, and trauma in the world and into peace is through prayer.
“At the end of the day, Jesus is the prince of peace and he’s the only one that’s going to bring true eternal peace to our world.”
