A journey of perseverance and faith

Apr 18, 2025

PORT DICKSON: On April 1, the Church of Our Lady of Fatima with several parishes from Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, organised a joint pilgrimage to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Port Dickson. About 140 pilgrims, travelling by three buses and nine cars, took part in the event.

The Rosary prayer before Mass was conducted differently at the 123-year-old seaside church. Pilgrims were invited to leave the comfort of the church’s cool interior and step into the blazing late morning sun. They followed a marked path, with each marker representing a decade of the Rosary and numbered discs indicating the Hail Marys.

The journey took pilgrims up a narrow trail for the first and second decades, around the back of the church, and into classrooms for the third and fourth decades. The final two decades were prayed along a narrow staircase leading to the side of the church, where the fifth decade was completed. The Hail Holy Queen and concluding prayers were offered at the grotto of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, providing a fitting conclusion to the outdoor pilgrimage.

This unique outdoor trail, with its ups and downs, symbolised the personal spiritual journey of each pilgrim — a reminder that, despite challenges, one must persevere with faith and focus on God. This message was further emphasised by Fr Andrew Manickam, OFM Cap, in his homily. He encouraged the pilgrims not to remain in despair, referencing the biblical story of the man at the Pool of Bethesda, urging everyone to “get up, pick up your mat, and walk.”

Fr Edwin Peter, the concelebrant at Mass, echoed this sentiment, urging the congregation to leave behind feelings of hopelessness in order to move forward in life.

The pilgrims left the Mass with a renewed sense of hope, inspired to move beyond the obstacles holding them back, and to walk in hope, just as the man at the Bethesda pool did.