PAX AGRICULTURA plants white rose for peace at Fátima shrine

Heidi Kühn brought PAX AGRICULTURA’s “Peace Through Agriculture” campaign to the Shrine of Fátima on All Saints’ Day, planting a white rose as a symbol of peace and food security. The stop adds to her 2026 global white-rose journey, which has already reached sites in India, China and the U.S.

Why it matters: - The Fátima planting links peace, agriculture and food security in one public gesture. - The campaign frames gardens and orchards as tools for restoring land, feeding families and advancing peace. - The stop adds momentum to Kühn’s broader effort to turn conflict-affected places into productive landscapes.

What happened: - Heidi Kühn, founder and CEO of PAX AGRICULTURA, visited the Shrine of Fátima on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 2, 2026. - The shrine welcomed her proposal to mark the visit with a symbolic planting of a white rose in support of peace. - Father Francisco Pereira joined the ceremony and presented Kühn with rosary beads. - Kühn and Father Francisco raised their shovels together in an act tied to the idea of turning “swords into plowshares.”

The details: - PAX AGRICULTURA means “Peace Through Agriculture.” - Kühn is advancing a global effort called “Global Gardens for Food Security.” - The white rose is the movement’s global symbol. - Kühn described the white rose as a living symbol of shared responsibility, with roots representing human connection, thorns representing struggle and bloom representing faith, hope and love. - Father Francisco said the message of Fátima centers on prayer, conversion and peace. - Father Francisco said peace at Fátima is not only the absence of war, but also a transformation of the human heart and commitment to others. - Father Francisco said the shrine prays daily for peace, victims of conflict and people affected by violence and war. - Father Francisco said Kühn’s initiative fits the values of Fátima and called the white rosebush a testimony to shared responsibility.

Between the lines: - The ceremony tied a Catholic pilgrimage site to a global humanitarian campaign focused on hunger and land restoration. - The Fátima message also broadened the campaign’s appeal by connecting faith language with agriculture and diplomacy. - Kühn’s remarks positioned food security as part of peacebuilding, not a separate issue. - The campaign’s use of a simple flower creates a visible symbol that can travel across countries and faith traditions. - A quoted statement from Maria de Jesus Espada, senior advisor for agriculture at the Embassy of Portugal and co-chair of the White Rose campaign, said the actions help build a “Global Family” and show that small gestures can create change.

What’s next: - Kühn said the white rose planted at Fátima is meant to inspire people of every faith, nation and culture. - PAX AGRICULTURA is continuing its 2026 white-rose journey as part of the United Nations International Year of the Woman Farmer. - Earlier stops in the campaign included Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai and Washington, D.C. - In Washington, white roses were planted at the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Chile and Portugal. - Kühn said she wants communities around the world to keep planting gardens, orchards and productive landscapes that nourish families and restore the Earth.

The bottom line: - The Fátima planting turned a religious symbol into a public call for peace through food security, agriculture and shared stewardship of the land.