‘Pilgrim Virgin’ statue arrives in Pune

Catholics in the city on Sunday witnessed the arrival of the world-famous international Pilgrim Virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
The 2-foot tall statue, which arrived on a 22-day trip to the diocese, was welcomed by the congregation of St Teresa Church of Panch Howd. Thomas Dabre, Bishop of Pune, was there to welcome it.

The large gathering offered songs of glory and praise to the Virgin Mary, who brings blessing with her to the city. Our Lady of Fatima is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, as she appeared in the apparitions reported by the three shepherd children at Fatima, in Portugal.

These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13. At Cova de Iria, the place of her apparition, a little chapel was built. Since the Roman Catholic Holy See has officially approved the Fatima apparitions and the messages given to the three shepherd children, the place has become an important centre of pilgrimage.

On May 13, 1947, at a youth congress at Fatima, a resolution was passed to have a statue like the original at the chapel of Cova de Iria, visiting Europe and Russia, which is called the ‘Pilgrim Virgin’. Since then, the Fatima sanctuary commissioned many international ‘Pilgrim Virgin’ statues.

The Indian World Apostolate of Fatima National Centre was gifted two statues of Our Lady of Fatima by the then Bishop of Fatima.
The cathedral was open till midnight on Sunday and will open on Monday at 5 am. The statue will be taken in a procession to the Fatima Convent at 10 am on Monday and will remain there till Tuesday morning.