Pray in front of the capelinha and let it sink in that you are kneeling where Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta knelt while speaking with the Blessed Mother in 1917. A stone pillar marks the spot where once stood the tree on top of which our Lady appeared. What was once a large meadow for the children’s sheep is now an enormous piazza, connecting the old and new basilicas. A short walk from the Sanctuary is Valinhos, the quiet peaceful village where you can visit the homes of the children or pray in the secluded spot where the Angel of Portugal prepared the children for Mary’s visits.

What is it like to kneel in front of the literal flesh and blood of Christ? Find out in the quiet little parish church in Santarém, Portugal. Originally the Church of St Stephen, the church is the site of one of the most important Eucharistic miracles in the world. In 1247, a woman, believing her husband to be unfaithful, sought help from a neighbor who dabbled in witchcraft and sorcery. The neighbor promised to help her if she brought her a consecrated Host. On her way home for Mass, the host she had hidden in her veil started to bleed. The Eucharistic Miracle can be seen and adored in the Church of St. Stephen to this day. Many saints have made pilgrimages to pray before the miraculous host, including St. Francis Xavier and Bl. Carlo Acutis.

Trace the life of St Teresa throughout the city of of Ávila, visiting the convent where she lived and the church built on the site of her childhood home. Journey one hour outside the city to Alba de Tormes to pray at her tomb. The Cathedral of the Savior is Spain’s first Gothic cathedral and forms part of the city’s fortifications. The medieval walls which are fully intact are some of the best preserved in all of Europe, making Ávila a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In addition to its Roman aqueduct, medieval castle, and Gothic cathedral, Segovia is famous for its monasteries. St Dominic was born in nearby Calaruega and founded the Dominican Monastery of Santa Cruz la Real in Segovia. The 13-century monastery includes the cave of St Dominic, where he prayed and fasted. Also in Segovia is the tomb of St John of the Cross in the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites, which he founded in the sixteenth century.

What does a good mother do when you get down about your job? She shows up to encourage you! The first Marian apparition was while Mary was still alive, in 40 AD, when she bilocated to the Roman town of Caesaraugusta to encourage St. James in his evangelization of Spain. Pray on the spot as you kneel before the beloved statue atop a pillar that was reportedly given to James, now within the Cathedral-Basilica (one of the largest churches in Europe!).

Legend holds that the monks could not move the ancient statue of Our Lady that they discovered on this mountain: so they built around it! And as you look out at the stunning views from the Benedictine abbey, you’ll be glad they did. Pilgrimages to Our Lady of Montserrat drastically impacted the lives of saints Peter Nolasco and Ignatius of Loyola.

In the peace of the Pyrenees, the clear, cold water of the Grotto spring still flows as miraculously as it did in 1858. Join millions of pilgrims who have found interior, spiritual, and physical healing from the simple instructions of Our Lady: drink and wash. Join the nightly candlelight procession at the Sanctuary – a moving act of devotion that unites you to your fellow pilgrims as everyone seeks the healing that only God can give.

Since 1084, an ancient wood carving of Our Lady here has been an object of devotion and pilgrimage. Generations came to entrust their petitions to Our Lady. In 1904, two-year old Josemaria Escriva was suffering from acute meningitis. When doctors gave him no chance of survival, his mother prayed a novena and promised Our Lady she would go on pilgrimage if her son was cured. He recovered overnight. While the statue was originally housed in a small chapel, Escriva built the current shrine, which opened in 1975.