"It's really sad to be the parish priest of a sanctuary and not be able to experience the highlights," lamented Maurice Péporté, dean parish priest of Wiltz. Péporté arrived in September 2019, meaning that the "new" parish priest of Wiltz has been there for two years and has still not experienced the highlight of the pilgrimage to Our Lady of Fátima.
The pilgrimage to Wiltz is the biggest annual religious event for Luxembourg's Portuguese community. Two days of walking for some, ending with the long and noisy procession from the heart of Wiltz to the heights of the sanctuary, perched at "op Baessent". The site is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Fátima.
Lean more - Luxembourg Insider: Two weeks of pilgrimage and Our Lady of LuxembourgDue to Covid-19 restrictions, this type of gathering is currently prohibited. The Catholic pilgrimage thus had to be cancelled for the second year in a row. The dean priest of Wiltz stated that, despite the cancellation, individual pilgrims visited the church as early as Wednesday evening to pray to Our Lady of Fátima.
On Thursday morning, numerous pilgrims started arriving in Wiltz, whether in single file or alongside their families.
Usually, every first Friday of the month the faithful come to Wiltz to pray the Way of the Cross and on 15 August the parish high mass is celebrated on the heights of the sanctuary "op Baessent". Despite the current health restrictions, there is still a chance that the mass will be held in August 2021, with Father Péporté stating that "if conditions change and the weather is good, the mass on 15 August will be celebrated as usual".
