From October 25 to November 6, 2023, Aid to the Church in Need Canada (ACN), in collaboration with tour operator Spiritours, is organizing a bilingual Marian pilgrimage to France, Spain, and Portugal, to some of the most well-known pilgrimage sites in the world, including the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima. The trip will also include visits to some of the most beautiful historical monuments on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain and the Hieronymites or Jerónimos Monastery in Portugal.

“It is an opportunity to discover places of great beauty,” says Brian Cordeiro, one of the two guides. A deacon and professional accountant, he has already organized several pilgrimages and knows the sites very well. “Father Réal Ouellette and I, the other guide, who is a priest in the Diocese of Pembroke in Ontario, want to allow pilgrims to have a spiritual experience in connection with our heavenly mother, but also to encounter beauty through the sanctuaries and cultural sites that will be visited.”

For Mr. Cordeiro, it is also a unique time of fellowship for the pilgrims, who for a short time will form a true small community. “I am very enthusiastic, knowing from my past experiences that it is up to the Lord to touch hearts and draw people to become pilgrims on this wonderful journey of faith,” he explains.

Founded in 1947, Pontifical Charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and its mission have been consecrated to Our Lady of Fátima on more than one occasion in its 76-year history. “Our charity believes that prayer is a very concrete act—one that is as essential as the act of giving. This pilgrimage is part of that conviction,” concludes Mr. Cordeiro.

To learn more and to benefit from an early bird discount of $100 by registering before June 25, please visit: https://acn-canada.org/bilingual-marian-
pilgrimage-to-lourdes-saint-james-of-compostela-fatima-and-lisbon/ or call 514-467-2552.

Official registration deadline: August 25, 2023