SW News: The Marian Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal is all prepared to welcome thousands of young pilgrims who will attend World Youth Day from August 1 to 6. Among the amenities being arranged for the visitors is a Youth Village in the pilgrim town for believers who do not have a place to stay at night.
Speaking to Fides News Agency, Sr Sandra Bartolomeu of the Servants of Our Lady of Fatima Congregation said, "We have organized a kind of 'youth village' where there will be a covered area in order to accomodate all those who have no place to stay in Fatima and have a sleeping bag to spend the night. There will also be an area where they can set up tents."
She said that they are receiving plenty of requests from youth contingents across the world expressing interest in visiting the shrine where Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children in 1917.
The Village will comprise a refreshment area, toilets, and shower facilities. According to Sr Sandra, accommodation will be provided on a first-come-first-serve basis. There are also six different pilgrim routes to the shrines which can be undertaken by pilgrims on foot and their distance varies from 12 to 15 kilometers. They all originate from different churches in the suburbs of Fatima and can be chosen by each group.
"Young people in Portugal have been preparing for this meeting for two or three years, they are very enthusiastic. My community and I are praying a lot for the young people who will come, as well as for those who are in their countries and have not been able to come," said the nun. She said it is worth preparing the heart for God will come to this event in a special manner. "It is worth preparing our hearts!", concluded the missionary of the Servants of Our Lady of Fatima. "God will come to this event in a very special way".