I remember the first time I brought a group to Fatima for the May 13 pilgrimage. We came up over the rise toward the sanctuary in the evening, and the plaza below us was a sea of candlelight, hundreds of thousands of people moving together as the rosary was prayed in a dozen languages at once. One of the pastors in my group, a man not given to displays of emotion, simply stopped walking and stood there. He told me later he had read about Fatima his whole life and never understood it until that moment.
That is what the 13th-of-the-month pilgrimages are. And if you are planning a group trip to Portugal, the decision of whether to be there on those dates is one of the biggest you will make. So let me explain what they are and how to plan around them.
Why the 13th of the Month
To understand the pilgrimages, you have to understand the apparitions. In 1917, three shepherd children near the village of Fatima reported visions of the Virgin Mary on the 13th of each month from May through October. Six apparitions, six months, always on the 13th.
That is the calendar the whole devotion is built on. Pilgrims gather on the 13th of each month from May to October to mark the anniversaries of the apparitions. The two anchor dates are May 13, the date of the first apparition, and October 13, the date of the last and most dramatic.
The final apparition on October 13, 1917 was witnessed by an estimated 70,000 people who had gathered in heavy rain, drawn by the children’s prediction that a sign would be given. What they reported, the sun appearing to spin and plunge toward the earth, is recorded by believers and skeptical journalists alike, and remains one of the most widely witnessed events in the history of the faith. The Church investigated for thirteen years before formally recognizing the apparitions as worthy of belief in 1930.
So when your group stands in the plaza on October 13, they are standing on the anniversary of that day, with the largest crowds of the entire year around them.
What the Major Pilgrimages Actually Look Like
The two great pilgrimages, May 13 and October 13, draw the enormous crowds. Hundreds of thousands of people fill the sanctuary. The rhythm of each is similar and unfolds over two days.
On the evening of the 12th, the candlelight procession carries the statue of Our Lady of Fatima across the plaza while the rosary is prayed and the crowd holds candles. This is, for many pilgrims, the most moving moment of the whole experience. The sea of small flames in the dark, the singing, the sheer number of people united in one prayer, it reaches people in a way that is hard to describe to anyone who has not stood in it.
On the morning of the 13th, the main international Mass is celebrated in the plaza, often by a cardinal or a visiting bishop. At the end, the statue is processed again, and pilgrims wave white handkerchiefs in farewell, a tradition that fills the plaza with white.
Throughout both days you will see pilgrims crossing the plaza on their knees, sometimes the full length of the stone, as an act of penance and devotion. It is physically intense to watch and more so to do, and it tells you something about what this place means to the people who come.
How Groups Plan Around the Dates
Here is the honest tradeoff, and I lay it out for every group leader.
Being at Fatima on the 13th, especially in May or October, gives your group an experience of scale and devotion they cannot get on any other day. The crowds are not a nuisance to be tolerated. The crowds are the experience. Hundreds of thousands of believers gathered in one act of faith is itself the witness your group came to encounter.
But it does require planning that an ordinary visit does not.
Book Early and Book Close
Accommodation in and around Fatima fills far in advance for the May and October pilgrimages. I tell groups to confirm twelve months out, and for October 13 specifically, earlier is better. The closer your hotel is to the sanctuary, the easier the two days are, because you will be walking back and forth and you do not want a long transfer through pilgrimage traffic at night.
Arrange Group Mass and Access Ahead
If you want your group to celebrate Mass together, or to have any kind of reserved area, that must be coordinated well in advance with the sanctuary, which is managing an extraordinary number of people across the two days. We handle this coordination so your group’s place is confirmed before you arrive.
Set Expectations With Your People
I always prepare a group before we go. Tell them it will be crowded. Tell them there will be a lot of walking and standing. Tell them to bring a candle for the procession, comfortable shoes, water, and patience. A group that arrives expecting a quiet contemplative morning and meets a crowd of half a million will be frustrated. A group that arrives understanding what they are walking into will be moved.
Decide on a Meeting Plan
In a crowd that size, groups get separated. We set a clear meeting point and time, and I make sure everyone has it written down, because phones do not always work when a hundred thousand people are all using the network at once.
What About the Other Months
The pilgrimages run on the 13th of every month from May through October, and the in-between dates, June, July, August, September, draw large crowds too, but nothing like May and October. If your group wants the pilgrimage atmosphere with somewhat more manageable numbers, a 13th in June or September can be a strong middle path. You still get the candlelight procession and the anniversary Mass, with a crowd that is large and prayerful but easier to move a group through.
And if your dates simply do not align with the 13th, do not despair. Fatima is profound on any day. The Capelinha is open, the basilicas are open, the broader pilgrimage you are building does not depend on the anniversary. Many groups visit on ordinary days and have a deep, quiet, unhurried experience that the great pilgrimages, for all their power, do not allow.
I tell group leaders to weigh it honestly. If your community would be fed most by the scale and intensity of the major pilgrimage, plan around the 13th and accept the logistics. If your community would be fed most by quiet and space, an ordinary day may serve them better. Both are real pilgrimages.
Fitting Fatima Into the Wider Journey
Whichever dates you choose, remember that Fatima sits within a country full of Christian heritage. The monastic triangle of Batalha, Alcobaca, and Tomar is within easy reach, and the Manueline churches of Lisbon give your group the Age of Exploration faith story. Build Fatima as the heart, and let the days around it carry the rest of the arc. You can see how we structure the full journey on our Portugal destination page.
FAQ: The May and October Pilgrimages to Fatima
Why are the Fatima pilgrimages held on the 13th of the month?
Because the apparitions of 1917 occurred on the 13th of each month from May through October. The children reported six visions of the Virgin Mary, always on the 13th. The pilgrimages mark those anniversaries, which is why the 13th of each month from May to October draws pilgrims, and why May 13 and October 13, the first and last apparitions, draw the largest crowds of the year.
What is the difference between the May and October pilgrimages?
Both are the great anchor pilgrimages and draw the biggest crowds. May 13 marks the first apparition and opens the pilgrimage season. October 13 marks the final apparition, the day of the reported solar phenomenon witnessed by tens of thousands, and closes the season. Both feature the evening candlelight procession on the 12th and the main international Mass on the morning of the 13th. October can be cooler and wetter, since the original October 13 fell in heavy rain.
How crowded is Fatima on the 13th?
Very. The major pilgrimages in May and October draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims across the two days. This is part of the experience rather than a problem to solve, but it requires planning. Book accommodation close to the sanctuary and far in advance, arrange any group Mass ahead of time, set a clear meeting point for your group, and prepare your people for crowds, walking, and standing.
Can a group attend Fatima on a quieter day instead?
Yes. Fatima is open and meaningful every day of the year, and many groups choose an ordinary date for a quieter, more contemplative experience with space at the Capelinha. The 13th of June or September offers a middle path, with the pilgrimage atmosphere and the candlelight procession but somewhat more manageable crowds than May or October.
How far in advance should we book for a May or October pilgrimage?
Plan to confirm at least twelve months ahead, and earlier for October 13. Accommodation near the sanctuary is limited and books quickly for the major pilgrimages. The group economics also work best with lead time, since the group leader travels free with fifteen or more participants and you want time to build your group to that number. Contact us and we will help you lock in dates and lodging.
If your community is drawn to the idea of standing in that sea of candlelight on the 13th, I would love to help you plan it. The major pilgrimages take real coordination, but they give your people something they will carry for the rest of their lives. Reach out and let us start with the dates.