Our Lady of Fatima Pilgrimage in Ha Ramabanta, Maseru

By Bokang Tsoanamatsie – In honour of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima on September 13, 1917, a group of pilgrims organised one of their monthly pilgrimages to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima at Ha Ramabanta in the Archdiocese of Maseru.

This particular pilgrimage was distinctive as it included children who are unable to take part in the national youth pilgrimages due to their age.

The pilgrimage featured various activities, including salutation prayers to Our Lady of Fatima, a reflection on the message of the Fatima apparition delivered to the three shepherds in 1917, contemplation on the Sacrament of Penance, the administration of the Sacrament itself, and the recitation of the four Mysteries of the Holy Rosary.

The pilgrimage concluded with a Mass concelebrated by the priests of Fatima Parish, Fr Khahliso Moloi OMI and Fr Lebohang Bereng OMI. The aim of the pilgrimage was to emphasise Mary’s love for humanity, exemplified by her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, where she cared for her until the birth of St John the Baptist. This same Mary continues to visit us, yearning for the salvation of souls. Her invitation to meet the three shepherds on the 13th of each month for six months has been extended by these pilgrims to twelve times a year.

During this pilgrimage, the children were adorned with brown scapulars, and the pilgrims expressed the importance of protecting the children from evil through the wearing of the scapular.

The pilgrims highlighted the significance of instilling prayer in children from a young age and urged parents to collaborate with them in nurturing the faith of their little ones.