A Pilgrimage to the Heart of Mary
Marian Shrines
Fatima. Lourdes. Zaragoza. Paris. The places where Our Lady has said: pray, trust, return to her Son.
The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception | Lourdes, France
30+ Years Guiding Catholic Pilgrims
Daily Mass at Marian Shrines
Catholic/Christian Guides
Approved Marian Apparition Sites
The Invitation
A Pilgrim Returning to the Mother
At every place where she has appeared, the Mother of God has said the same thing in a different language — pray, trust, come back to her Son.
A Catholic Marian pilgrimage to the great shrines of Europe — Fatima, Lourdes, Garabandal, Zaragoza, Paris, Lisieux — is a return visit. You are going to the places where Our Lady has reminded the world of what she said at Cana, and you are going as a child to a Mother who has been waiting.
You also walk through the lives of the saints she gathered around those places — Bernadette at Nevers, Margaret Mary at Paray-le-Monial, Teresa at Ávila, Thérèse at Lisieux — and through the cathedrals, monasteries, and Catholic heritage of the surrounding lands. The shrines of Our Lady never stand alone.
A Catholic Marian pilgrimage to the great shrines of Europe — Fatima, Lourdes, Garabandal, Zaragoza, Paris, Lisieux — is a return visit. You are going to the places where Our Lady has reminded the world of what she said at Cana, and you are going as a child to a Mother who has been waiting.
You also walk through the lives of the saints she gathered around those places — Bernadette at Nevers, Margaret Mary at Paray-le-Monial, Teresa at Ávila, Thérèse at Lisieux — and through the cathedrals, monasteries, and Catholic heritage of the surrounding lands. The shrines of Our Lady never stand alone.
You are not going there to stay. The Mother always points back to her Son — and back to the ordinary life that waits for you. You return to it quieter, often, and changed.
Destination Spotlight
The Heart of Marian Pilgrimage
The Three Shepherds
Marian Shrines of Portugal
Portugal beckons pilgrims to the heart of Mary in Fatima, where she appeared in 1917 to three shepherd children with a message of prayer and peace. Beyond Fatima — soaring cathedrals in Braga, the cloisters of Coimbra and Alcobaça, the Eucharistic miracle at Santarém — the country is a quiet course in Marian devotion older than most countries.
Fatima
The Cova da Iria — where Our Lady appeared six times to Francisco, Jacinta, and Lúcia in 1917, and where 70,000 witnessed the Miracle of the Sun.
Parish Church of Fatima and of the Little Shepherds
This church is where the three children of the apparitions — Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia — were baptized. Lucia would also receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion here, and Jacinta would often come to pray. On one of those occasions, Mary appeared to Jacinta and asked her to pray the Rosary every day for world peace.
High Contrast, CC BY 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons/cropped
Chapel of the Apparitions
Located in the heart of the Fatima Shrine, this small, simple chapel is where the three child visionaries witnessed five of the six apparitions of Our Lady. Outside the chapel stands a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
Finished in 1953, the basilica stands on the ground where the three visionaries once played together. Constructed entirely of local limestone, it has 14 side chapels each depicting a mystery of the Rosary. In the left transept you will find the final resting places of Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia, marked by statues of the children.
See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons/cropped
Aljustrel
Just outside the Shrine lies the small village where the three visionaries and their families lived. Today, you can still see their homes, which have been converted into museums for the public.
Reis Quarteu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons/cropped
Valinhos
On the outskirts of the Shrine, a small space between the eighth and ninth Stations of the Cross marks the location of the fourth apparition of Our Lady to the children. A monument donated by Hungarian Catholics now stands at the spot of the vision.
Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons/cropped
Via Sacra
The route the visionaries once traveled between Fatima and Aljustrel, this pathway is now lined with the fifteen Stations of the Cross. A statue along the way marks the spot where an angel appeared to the children.
More Portugal Sites Your Pilgrimage May Include
A Eucharistic miracle preserved in crystal — among the most enduring testimonies to the Real Presence in Christian history.
GualdimG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Church of St. Stephen
Home of the "Bleeding Host," the Church of St. Stephen holds one of the greatest Eucharistic miracles. After stealing a Host, a woman was on her way to a fortune-teller when she realized that the Host had begun to bleed. She returned it to the priest, who stored the Host in a wax pyx — which miraculously changed to crystal overnight, and can still be venerated today.
The Pillar and the Mountain
Marian Shrines of Spain
Spain holds the oldest Marian apparition known to the Church — Zaragoza in 40 AD, when Our Lady appeared to Saint James while she still lived. Trace the steps of Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, venerate the burial face cloth of Christ at Oviedo, and visit Garabandal, where Mary's call to prayer and the Eucharist still draws pilgrims from around the world.
Zaragoza
The site of the oldest Marian apparition in the Church — and the only one to occur during her earthly life.
Rab Lawrence, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar
This 17th-century basilica is thought to be the first church ever dedicated to Mary. It is so named after Mary's apparition to St. James the Greater in 40 AD — her only apparition to occur while she was still living. As James was making disciples across Spain, Our Lady brought him a pillar and told him to build a church in her honor.
Garabandal
A small mountain village in Cantabria where four girls reported visions of Our Lady from 1961 to 1965 — visited in private devotion as the Church continues its study.
Lourdes Cardenal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
San Sebastián de Garabandal
The remote Cantabrian village where four young girls — Conchita, Jacinta, Mari Loli, and Mari Cruz — reported repeated visions of Our Lady and the Archangel Michael. Pilgrims walk to The Pines, the small grove above the village where many of the apparitions took place, and to the parish church where the visionaries received Holy Communion. The events remain under Church study; private devotion is permitted.
Montserrat
The Catalonian mountain abbey that holds the Black Madonna — venerated by Saint Ignatius before he wrote the Spiritual Exercises.
Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat
Built along the side of a rugged mountain, the monastery of Montserrat houses 80 monks and contains the Basilica of Montserrat, home to the Black Madonna. This statue of Our Lady is thought to have been crafted by St. Luke in 50 AD. To protect it from invading Moors, it was hidden in a cave and discovered much later in 880 AD by nearby shepherds. When they tried to relocate the statue, they found it impossibly heavy — and decided to leave her on the mountain, building the current shrine around her. Many miracles have been attributed to her veneration.
Covadonga
The Asturian cave shrine where the Reconquista began under Our Lady's protection — and where pilgrims still pray before her hidden statue.
Daniel Giovinazzo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Holy Cave of Our Lady of Covadonga
During the Moorish invasion of Spain in the 700s, it is thought that a hidden statue of Our Lady helped the Spanish achieve victory. In her honor, the Spanish built a shrine and church in the cave where the statue was found.
More Spain Sites Your Pilgrimage May Include
The walled city of Saint Teresa, Doctor of the Church and reformer of the Carmelites.
AdriPozuelo, CC BY-SA 3.0 ES, via Wikimedia Commons
Convent of Saint Teresa
This convent is constructed over the spot where St. Teresa of Ávila was born and raised. Since its dedication, it has been home to friars, nuns, and a College of Arts and Theology.
Jesusccastillo, CC BY-SA 3.0 ES, via Wikimedia Commons
Monastery of the Incarnation
St. Teresa entered this Carmelite convent in 1535 — a time of lax rules and expectations — and would later call for its reform while encountering mystical experiences. Today, you can tour her cell, see the items she used daily, and glimpse more of this saint's extraordinary life.
The Eldest Daughter
Marian Shrines of France
France has been called the eldest daughter of the Church and the country of Mary's apparitions. Lourdes draws six million pilgrims a year. Paris hides the Miraculous Medal chapel on a quiet street. Lisieux holds the cloister of Saint Thérèse, who never traveled and yet was named patroness of missions. Each shrine tells the same story: the Mother appeared, the seer was changed, the seer was sent.
Lourdes
The grotto of Massabielle, where Our Lady appeared eighteen times to Saint Bernadette in 1858 — and where six million pilgrims still come each year.
Grotto of Massabielle
It was here that Our Lady first appeared to St. Bernadette and told her to dig in the mud where a spring would soon appear. Today a statue stands where Our Lady once appeared, and pilgrims venerate the sacred space.
Père Igor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Basilica of St. Pius X
Built into the hillside so as not to compete visually with the Grotto of Massabielle, this underground concrete church holds 25,000 pilgrims beneath its grass-covered roof — consecrated in 1958 by Bishop Angelo Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII.
Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
St. Bernadette's Home
Not far from the Grotto of Massabielle, you can visit the simple home of St. Bernadette's childhood. This two-story stone structure was part of a mill and contains some belongings of the family.
Benutzer:Schwarzwälder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blessed Sacrament & Candlelight Procession
From Easter to All Saints Day, you can participate in the Eucharistic Procession that takes place daily at 5 p.m. In the evening at 9 p.m. you can join the Candlelight Procession — started by St. Bernadette herself, who walked to the grotto with her friends carrying candles.
Paris
Anchored at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal at Rue du Bac, with the great Catholic basilicas of Sacré-Cœur and Sainte-Chapelle nearby.
Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
It was in this chapel that St. Catherine Labouré received visions from Our Lady that instructed her to create and distribute the Miraculous Medal. The chapel is inside the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul on 140 Rue du Bac.
Sacré-Coeur Basilica
Located on the top of Montmartre, this stunning castle-like structure is the second-most visited site in Paris. Dedicated to the Sacred Heart devotion popularized by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, it was completed in 1914 and consecrated following the end of the First World War.
Sainte-Chapelle
This "Holy Chapel" was commissioned by King Louis IX to display his collection of holy relics. Within its walls were 30 items, most famously the Crown of Thorns (later moved to Notre Dame Cathedral). Today, the chapel is most known for its brilliant stained-glass windows.
Lisieux
The Norman town that holds the cloister, the home, and the basilica of Saint Thérèse — Doctor of the Church.
Les Buissonnets
This beautiful house was once home to St. Thérèse, her four sisters, and her father following the death of her mother. It was here that Thérèse grew the desire to enter the convent at the early age of fifteen.
Chatsam, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
The Carmel of Lisieux
Founded in 1838, this is the convent that St. Thérèse of Lisieux entered and lived in for the rest of her life. Today, pilgrims pray and venerate her relics in the chapel where she used to pray for six hours a day.
Florian Pépellin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped
Basilica of St. Thérèse
Shortly after the death and canonization of St. Thérèse, the local bishop set out to erect a basilica in her honor. Only the best architectural design was accepted; mosaics and stained glass warmly decorate the interior. There isn't a bad seat in the house — the design has eliminated columns from blocking the view from any of its 3,000 seats. Below the basilica lies the crypt, completely decorated in marble and mosaic, holding the reliquaries of Thérèse's parents, Saints Louis and Zélie Martin.
The original uploader was Osbern at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 FR, via Wikimedia Commons
St. Peter's Cathedral
This 12th-century church is the space where St. Thérèse worshipped in her youth. It was here that she attended Mass with her family and made her First Confession.
More France Sites Your Pilgrimage May Include
The small parish where Saint John Vianney spent forty years and became patron of parish priests.
Shrine of St. John Vianney
This robust shrine is a look at the life of St. John Vianney, the holy and gifted priest of Ars in the 1800s. The campus includes the old basilica where St. John Vianney preached, a new basilica that contains his body, his home, the orphanage he founded, and a wax museum of his life.
Mary's Visionaries
The Saints She Sent
At each of the great Marian apparitions, the same pattern repeats: an ordinary person — usually a child, usually poor, usually unprepared — sees the Mother. They are changed. And then they are sent home, often to obscurity, to live the rest of their lives quietly.
Saint Bernadette Soubirous
Lourdes, France · Apparitions 1858
At fourteen she saw a Lady in white above a stream. She was illiterate, sickly, the daughter of a miller who had lost everything. The Lady spoke in the local Occitan dialect and said: I am the Immaculate Conception. Bernadette dug in the dirt and a spring appeared. She entered the convent at Nevers, lived hidden for thirteen years, and died at thirty-five — never returning to Lourdes. She had been the messenger, not the message.
The Children of Fatima
Fatima, Portugal · Apparitions 1917
Three shepherd children — Francisco and Jacinta Marto, both canonized in 2017, and their cousin Lúcia dos Santos — saw the Mother of God six times in the Cova da Iria. She asked them to pray the Rosary daily for the conversion of sinners. Francisco died at ten, Jacinta at nine, both within three years of the apparitions. Lúcia became a Carmelite and lived to ninety-seven, the keeper of the secret.
Saint Catherine Labouré
Rue du Bac, Paris · Apparitions 1830
A young postulant in the Daughters of Charity novitiate saw Our Lady standing on a globe with rays streaming from her hands. The Lady asked her to have a medal struck. The image became the Miraculous Medal. Catherine spoke of the visions only to her confessor and went on to spend forty-six years in the obscure work of caring for the elderly poor at Enghien. Her body remains incorrupt.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Lisieux, France · 1873–1897
At ten years old, prostrate and dying, she saw the statue of Our Lady of the Smile turn toward her and smile. She was healed. Less than a decade later she entered Carmel at fifteen, declared Mary more Mother than Queen, and died at twenty-four. The little nun who never left her cloister became a Doctor of the Church and the patroness of missions. The Mother who smiled sent her further than her feet ever traveled.
Pilgrim Voices
From Those Who Have Returned
"The Marian focus structured our prayer, both personal and communal, and our reflection, giving room for Saint James and Saint Ignatius. The smaller group was ideal actually."
Fr. John R.
Marian Shrines Pilgrim from Indianapolis, IN
"Tekton took care of all details. They chose excellent hotels, well positioned to our interest points. They required very little from us once we gave them our personal information. I think Tekton did a great job."
Rev. James F.
Marian Shrines Pilgrim from Indianapolis, IN
"Walking and visiting where the saints had been and being in places where The Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared. It was a very spiritual trip. I felt very well informed about all the places we visited. The local guides were wonderful and knowledgeable."
Mary E.
France Pilgrim from Potsdam, NY
The Tekton Difference
A True Marian Pilgrimage
30 Years in Ministry
20,000+ pilgrims served across more than 1,000 groups since 1996.
Daily Mass at Marian Shrines
Mass scheduled at the grotto, the chapel of the Miraculous Medal, the Cova da Iria, and beyond.
Knowledgeable Catholic or Christian Guides
Local guides who share your faith and bring the apparitions and the saints to life on the ground.
Properly Paced Itineraries
Time built in for prayer, procession, and silence at every shrine.
Custom Multi-Country Itineraries
Portugal, Spain, France — combined as your group desires, with all logistics handled.
Prayerful Pre-Pilgrimage Prep
Spiritual resources to ready your heart before departure — seeds of grace, not souvenirs.
Inclusive, Competitive Pricing
Custom guidebooks, name and luggage tags, and full local support included.
Local Offices Worldwide
Support on the ground in every destination, with a US team praying for your group from home.
Pilgrim Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Marian Shrines
Practical answers for pilgrims and group leaders preparing for a Marian pilgrimage.
What is a Marian Shrine?
What is a Marian Apparition?
What are the most famous Marian shrines in Europe?
What is the difference between a Cathedral and a Basilica?
What is the miracle of Fatima?
What is the message of Fatima?
Why do pilgrims go to Lourdes?
Is the Garabandal apparition approved by the Catholic Church?
How long is a typical Marian Shrines pilgrimage?
Read Before You Go
Plan Your Marian Pilgrimage
Find Your Way to Mary
Whether you are leading a parish to walk in the footsteps of Our Lady or seeking a Marian pilgrimage to join — Tekton has guided pilgrims to these shrines for over thirty years. Reach out to begin.