The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity at Fatima
Santuario de Fatima, apartado, 31 - 2496 Fatima, Portugal

Two elements of the Fatima’s apparitions have been chosen as the inspiration for the mosaic in the Presbytery of the new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity.

Overview
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

The message of Fatima has an apocalyptic dimension, but it is also imbued with God’s great mercy, compassion and love for all men, and especially for sinners, who are the weakest men of all. Therefore, the main theme of the mosaic comes from Chapters 21-22 of Revelation, where the square with the Throne of God and of the Lamb is depicted as being golden. In fact, the whole Heavenly Jerusalem is golden. Starting from the early Patristic age, gold came to signify God’s never-ending holiness and faithfulness, which are similar to an ever-burning lamp, or to the light coming from a sun without setting. The main theme of the mosaic in the Presbytery is light; better, the whole mosaic is pervaded by light and its dynamism. The terracotta on which the gold leaf is laid was handcrafted, so that gold tesserae may create a rich array of tones and nuances of colour. Movement is provided in different areas of the mosaic by ‘flows’ of gold tesserae, according to a pattern which adds further vibrancy to the surface, along vertical and horizontal lines. This flows of gold tesserae are outlined with three rows of red tesserae. In fact, red, together with gold, has alluded since ancient times to the sacred and spiritual world, to God. This dynamism is aimed at making the faithful ready to welcome beauty, that is, a world penetrated by light and love, given that from a theological point of view beauty is love, love put into practice and fulfilled. Communion, love, provides a ‘background’ for the decorative part of the mosaic.

La piazza della città è di oro puro... (Ap 21,21)
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

To the right and to the left of the throne and of the Lamb you can catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Jerusalem, and you can see a multitude of angels and saints. The Lamb is made of gold tesserae, as He is the Light (cf Jn 1:4). He sends out waves of light. The saints are depicted in various tones of colours, to show that they are in the light, they are from the light, but also that they are not the light. They received the light, and they let the light illumine and penetrate them. They welcomed the gift of divine life, the Light of men, and their own time and life were penetrated by this light, were transfigured: they have come to be part of the day without setting, endowed with a light that will never fade. The gold tesserae, as well as the ones in different tones, show that the Heavenly reality is completely different from the physical one that we can perceive in the cosmos.

Il trono dell'Agnello
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

...e la sua lampada è l'Agnello... (Ap 21,23)
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones... (Ap 22,3)
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

As the layout of the mosaic is inspired by the ancient and traditional iconographic representation of the Heavenly Jerusalem, you can see on your left – that is, to the left of the Lamb – the Mother of God with the Blessed Jacinta and Francisco, and, a little farther back, Sr Lucia with a rosary in her hands. In the first row there are also six apostles and three archangels. Behind them there is a multitude of saints, among whom the viewer can easily notice the so-to-speak ‘Franciscan corner’, with St Francis of Assisi, St Clare, and St ‘Padre’ Pio. You can see also St Vladimir and St Olga, who ‘baptized’ Russia: Fatima has a close link with that Christian nation. On your right you can see St John the Baptist, the man who pointed to the Son of God as the Lamb of God. Six more apostles and three archangels follow. Behind, you can see a multitude of angels and saints. Among these saints, you can spot St Elisabeth of Portugal and Blessed ‘Mother’ Teresa of Calcutta. The first archangel on your right is Gabriel, with a scroll of the Word of God, given that he is the angel of the Annunciation. The last one is the archangel of the Day of Judgement, with a balance in his hands. The river of life, “flowing crystal-clear” (cf Rv 22:1), rises from the throne of God: this is the water of divine life, a life-giving river, the Holy Spirit penetrating human history and making it His own, as well as making His own all mankind and the whole cosmos: This living water can be drunk in the Church through liturgy and the sacraments, and especially through the liturgies and the sacraments which will be celebrated in this very church. The event on which all human history is built on, that is, Christ’s Passover, is actualized in the liturgy. Thanks to Christ’s Passover, the river of life can penetrate into us, we can share in the mystery which is made present by it, and we can be led to the very source of that river: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’s communion, where life gushes out eternally from.

... and its people will worship God (Ap 22,3)
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

To the right and to the left of the throne and of the various groups of saints, you can see the branches of the trees of life, “which bear twelve crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the cure for the nations” (cf Rv 22:2). The second element of the Fatima apparitions is familiarity with Heaven. Jacinta and Francisco felt a burning desire for Heaven. When she was a girl, Lucia was unhappy to learn that she could not go to Heaven immediately with them. This familiarity with Heaven should be a constant feature of Christian faith: the Eucharist universally, trans-temporally and trans-spatially gathers the Church of all times and places in the Heavenly Jerusalem, so that she can sing her ‘Alleluia’ in front of the throne of the Lamb (cf Rv 19:1-7), together with Abel the Just, the patriarchs of old, the prophets, the Mother of God, the apostles, and all the saints – including Jacinta and Francisco – up to the very end of time. This convocation will be visible in this new church too, first of all through the actual congregation gathered in its nave, but also through the whole world, the whole human history, and all cultures and peoples, which are the setting for God’s intervention and which can mysteriously be taken into the liturgy and brought to Christ’s salvation. Behind the altar, which is the place of sacrifice and communion, you can see the throne of the Most High, and the Lamb who overcame sin and death, an you can see also a few saints. It is a face-to-face meeting between the Heavenly Church and the Church here on earth. Thus, in a sense, this church recreates the same conditions Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia found themselves in: they were living on earth and in time, but they could contemplate Heaven. In fact, it is communion with the saints that can make Heaven familiar to us. It is thanks to love that we can see Heaven thrown open. For whatsoever reason did Francisco want to go to Heaven as soon as possible, if not because in Heaven he had somebody to love? The Lamb of God is the ‘bridge’ between Heaven and earth: in Him, God loves us; in Him, we can love God and all those God loves.

The Virgin with Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

Particular
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

Particular: St. Olga
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

Particular: Blessed Francesco Marto
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

Particular
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007

Particular
The new Shrine of the Most Holy Trinity

Fatima - Portugal

September 2007