The Perfect Gift Awards 2025 | 11 䉥獴 剥汩杩潵猠T潵r 䕸灥物敮捥′〲5ₖ⁐潲瑵g慬 There are places in the world where time seems to pause, and the soul finds space to breathe. Nestled in the heart of Portugal, the town of Fátima is one such sanctuary – a place where faith, wonder, and history converge. Known globally for the 1917 Apparitions of Our Lady, Fátima has become a beacon for pilgrims seeking a deeper connection with their beliefs. And when it comes to experiencing this sacred destination with intention and insight, Raízes de Fátima provides not just a tour, but a heartfelt pilgrimage. We heard more from Eliana Oliveria below, Founder and General Coordinator. Raízes de Fátima is a religious tourism project offering transformative experiences in the Sanctuary of Fátima and its surroundings. Founded by Eliana Oliveria – a direct descendant of the Little Shepherds Francisco and Jacinta – the project was born from a deep familial and spiritual connection to the apparitions that visited Saint Francisco Marto, Saint Jacinta Marto, and Sister Lúcia de Jesus. Today, the organisation provides pilgrims with an authentic encounter with the Message of Fátima, offering guided visits, personalised itineraries, retreats, walking pilgrimages, and spiritual immersions that unite history, faith, and culture. Translating to Roots of Fátima, the project is guided by faith, authenticity, hospitality, and a deep commitment to historical and spiritual truth. These values have steered it since the very beginning, upholding the excellence of its services, the respectful transmission of religious content, and its attentive care for each visitor it serves. They also influence the organisation’s dedication to ongoing study, with its guides and team members undertaking educational programmes from the Sanctuary of Fátima, throughout the year. The project has never once strayed from its essence: to help each pilgrim experience Fátima in the most profound and meaningful way. “Raízes de Fátima is not just a tour project – it is a bridge between past and present, between faith and culture,” Eliana told us. “Our guided experience has been designed with dedication, research, and care. We’ve developed our own exclusive tour model over the course of 12 months, with guidance from renowned Fátima scholars. Our aim is for every visitor to leave not only with memories, but with a genuine inner experience.” The project provides guided tours each day, overseeing pilgrims on their journey to the Sanctuary of Fátima, exploring the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, the Chapel of the Apparitions, and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. These sacred sites are closely tied to the events that began on May 13th, 1917, when three young shepherds – Francisco, Jacinta, and Lúcia – reported seeing a vision of a Lady "brighter than the sun" who would appear to them monthly until October of that same year. This is a two-hour guided tour that allows pilgrims from around the world to truly connect with the message of love shared in Fátima, offering them a deeply immersive experience rooted in the history of the Apparitions and the lives of the three Little Shepherds of Fátima. Alongside this, Raízes de Fátima offers additional tours for visitors seeking to further immerse themselves in the pilgrimage. One tour takes pilgrims to explore Aljustrel, wherein they can visit the Angel’s apparition sites, the homes of the Little Shepherds, and also the site where Our Lady appeared to them on August 19th, 1917. The second tour takes pilgrims to Lisbon, where Saint Jacinta Marto had been taken to be treated for the pneumonic plague. As part of the experience, visitors explore the orphanage where the Little Shepherd Jacinta was interned before her transfer to the hospital where she passed away, guided by Carla Barbosa Rocha, a wellknown figure and leading expert on the life of Saint Jacinta Marto. In addition to offering the guided visits in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, Raízes de Fátima has recently added Italian to its AIM-May25104 language offerings. But that’s not all – this month saw Raízes de Fátima expanding its educational content; alongside the existing Apparitions of Our Lady, the team will be releasing a new eBook focused on the Apparitions of the Angel. Furthermore, the team will be introducing exclusive post-visit content for those wishing to deepen their knowledge. These developments directly respond to the growing interest in religious tourism, in alignment with Raízes de Fátima’s mission to share the story of the Three Shepherds with the world. “Religious tourism is one of the deepest expressions of cultural and spiritual travel,” Eliana shared. “In Fátima, it takes on even greater meaning, as it unites faith, history, and a universal call for peace. Over the years, we have seen growth not only in the number of pilgrims, but in their thirst for meaning. People no longer merely seek monuments – they want to understand the Message, connect with the history, and be touched on a deeper level. Contact: Eliana Oliveria Company: Raízes De Fatima Web Address: www.raizesdefatima.pt
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