Nuestra Señora de Fátima de Rimouski (Notre-Dame de Fátima)

Marian title of Rimouski (Quebec)
Popular devotion (not officially recognized by the Church)

The devotion to Our Lady of Fatima was spread in Quebec in the mid-20th century, following the great international wave aroused by the apparitions of Fatima (Portugal, 1917), approved by the Church. In this context a parish with this title was erected in Rimouski, which became an important center of devotion to the Virgin of Fatima in the region. Devotion is therefore based on an event of universal and ecclesiastical reach, not on a local legend.

Main data

Origin and history

The devotion to Our Lady of Fatima was spread in Quebec in the mid-20th century, following the great international wave aroused by the apparitions of Fatima (Portugal, 1917), approved by the Church. In this context a parish with this title was erected in Rimouski, which became an important center of devotion to the Virgin of Fatima in the region. Devotion is therefore based on an event of universal and ecclesiastical reach, not on a local legend.

The image and the sanctuary

El lugar de culto es la parroquia Notre-Dame-de-Fátima de Rimouski, en la diócesis de Rimouski. Es un centro de devoción a la Virgen de Fátima destacado en la zona, aunque la diócesis no siempre lo califica oficialmente como «santuario». No consta una coronación canónica de la imagen.

Sponsorship and coronation

At the local level, the Virgin is considered a protector of families and youth; there is no formal decree of broader patronage, nor is there a canonical coronation of the image.

Party and devotion

La fiesta principal es el 13 de mayo, memoria de Nuestra Señora de Fátima, con misa solemne y actividades devocionales. Desde los años 1950-1960 se organizan novenas y procesiones con la estatua de Fátima, reproduciendo la práctica de las «procesiones de las antorchas»; se menciona también la recepción de varias imágenes peregrinas de Fátima procedentes de Portugal y de otros lugares.

Link to the Rosary

The link is very strong and documented: the devotion of Fatima is intrinsically linked to the prayer of the Rosary and the practice of the first Saturdays, explicit elements of the message of Fatima. The parish organizes solemn rosaries and Marian vigil; here there is a specific link with the Rosary.