Catholics in the Western Division ended their five-month long pilgrimage of the Lady of Fatima on Tuesday.

The celebrations included a procession through the streets of Lautoka City followed by a mass led by the Father Iowane Manasa and the Western ministry.

Vatukoula Immaculate Heart of Mary parish administrator Father Nimilote Petero said the pilgrimage began on June 21 and continued throughout the western region.

“This month-long walk spanned across villages under my care and included villages in the province of Naitasiri, Navosa and the tikina Savatu,” he said.

“The pilgrimage then continued on to Ba at Christ the King parish visiting villages in the vicinity of the parish like Votua and Navala before moving on to  Nadi, at St. Michael the Archangel and Mt. Saint Mary’s parish before ending her five  month long journey in Lautoka at our Lady of Perpetual Help parish.”

Father Petero said the main message was for Catholics in the Western Division to take to heart and heed the message of Fatima – to repent and turn back to God.

“The message of Fatima is more relevant in our world today than it was ever before and it was the obligation of all the people of God, not only Christians, to spread and live out the message of Fatima,” he said.

He said the gathering was an inaugural one for the Western parishes and provided them the opportunity to renew their call as Christians.

“The call is mainly to  love God with all our heart, all our mind, and with all our strength and that there is no better person to lead us to that state than the Mother of the Lord as her life is a living testament to that very call.”

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