A Little About the Fatima Story

In 1916 and 1917, three children in the tiny village of Fatima, Portugal received visits from the Angel of Portugal and Our Blessed Mother.  At the time of Our Ladies apparitions, Lucia dos Santos was ten and her young cousins Francisco and his sister Jacinta Marto were eight and seven.  In 1918 both Francisco and Jacinta contracting influenza.  After many month of suffering Francisco was taken to heaven on April 4, 1919.  Jacinta struggled for many months eventually developing tuberculosis and joining Our Lady in heaven on February 20, 1920.  Lucia went on to become a Carmelite sister and work towards fullfilling the mission Our Lady had given her.  She rejoined her cousins once again on February 13, 2005.  Both Francisco and Jacinta are named Blesseds of the Church and Lucia is a Venerable Servent of God.

1916: The Angel of Portugal (Angel of Peace) appers to Lucia, Franciso and Jacinta. He appeared to them in the Spring, Summer and Autumn of 1916 in preparation for Our Lady's apparitions.  During the first visit, the Angel invited the children to pray with him.  He taught them this prayer, My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee.  On his second visit, he encouraged them to pray and make sacrifices for peace in their country.  In the Autumn, on his third and final visit, the Angel appeared before them holding a chalice in his hands, above which was suspended a host from which drops of blood were falling into the chalice. After prostrating themselves and reciting the Angel's prayer, the Angel gave the host to Lucia, and let Francisco and Jacinta drink from the chalice while saying: “Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Repair their crimes and console your God.”

May 13, 1917: The three children were tending their flocks in the Cova da Iria when they saw a bright light like a lightning flash in the sky.  They saw, as Lucia stated, “a lady, clothed in white, brighter than the sun, radiating a light more clear and intense than a crystal cup filled with sparkling water lit by burning sunlight.” 

   On this first visit Our Lady told the children that she came from heaven and said,  “I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month at this same hour. Later I shall say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time.”  Lucia asked if they would go to heaven at which Our Lady told them that they would adding, “you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort.”  At this time Our Lady opened her hands and a stream of light came over the children.  After this she said, “Say the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and the end of the war.”  Our Lady rose into the air, moving towards the east until she disappeared.

June 13,1917: Again on this day the children saw a bright light.  As Our Lady appeared, Lucia asked, what the Lady wanted of them.  She said,  “I want you to come on the 13th of next month, to pray the Rosary every day, and to learn to read. Later, I will tell you what I want.” 

   Lucia then asked Our Lady to take them to Heaven at which Our Lady replied,  “I will take Jacinta and Francisco shortly, but you will stay here for some time to come. Jesus wants to use you to make me known and loved. He wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it. These souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by me to adorn his throne.”  With great sadness Lucia asked if she would be left alone.  Our Lady replied: “No, my daughter. Are you suffering a great deal? Don’t lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”  At this Our Lady once again rose into the air, moving towards the east.  There were about 50 people present in the Cova that day.

July 13, 1917: The third apparition of Our Lady contained three parts or "secrets".  As before, Our Lady appeared above the Holm Oak tree in the Cova da Iria.  Lucia asked again, what the Lady wanted of them.  She replied: “I want you to come here on the 13th of next month and to continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you.”  Lucia asked Our Lady if she could perform a miracle so that people might believe. Our Lady answered, “Continue to come here every month. In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe.” 

   Lucia had received many requests from people to ask Our Lady for healing.  At this Our Lady said that she would cure some but not all.  She then added, “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially when you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”  At this time she opened her hands and beams of light streamed out and penetrated the earth opening before the children a terrifying vision of hell  (first part/secret).

   “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.

   “To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.” (second part/secret)

   The third part of this apparition or the third secret of Fatima was not made public until the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco Marto in 2000.  Our Lady specifically asked Lucia not to reveal this portion of the vision at that time. We now know that during this vision they saw at the left of Our Lady and a little above, an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand which died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady.  The Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And they saw an immense light that was God and a Bishop dressed in White.  The Bishop in white was surrounded by an army that was shooting at him and other bishops and priest.  In the end the children saw angles collecting the blood of the martyers.  This vision seems to connect with the message Our Lady had told them that, "If not [Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated'

   After these three visions/secrets, Our Lady said, “When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus! Forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need.”  With this Our Lady once again left them.

   There were between two and three thousand people present that day.

August 13, 1917:  Due to the anti-religios sentiment and the growing interest in the apparitions at Fatima, Mayor of Vila Nova de Ourem, Arturo Santos, kidnapped the children on their way to the Cova that day.  They were interrogated and questioned about the apparitions and secrets of Our Lady. They were moved to a prison and threatened with death.  Despite the constant pressure, the children held firm to their promise the Our Lady.  

   On August 19, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta were together at a place called Valinhos. It was late in the afternoon, when Our Lady appeared to them saying, “Go again to the Cova da Iria on the 13th and continue to say the Rosary every day.”  She reaffirmed that she would perform a miracle but that it would have been much greater if they had not been kidnapped. Looking very sad, Our Lady said: “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.” With that she rose into the air and moved towards the east before disappearing.

   The children who were already devoted to penance and prayer, increased their mortifications to the point of tying old knotted ropes around their waists wearing them day and night.

September 13, 1917: During this apparition an immense crowd gathered at the Cova da Iria.  Our Lady told Lucia, “Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Dolours and Our Lady of Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. He does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but only to wear it during the daytime.”  Lucia then began to tell Our Lady the petitions people had brought forth for cures.  She answered, “Yes, I will cure some, but not others. In October I will perform a miracle so that all may believe.”  Our Lady began to rise and disappeared.

October 13, 1917: With the promise of a public miracle, tens of thousands of people converged upon the Cova.  A very heavy rain fell as the children reached the Holm Oak tree around noon that day.  Once again a light flashed in the sky and Our Lady appeared before them.  Lucia asked for the final time what the Lady wanted: “I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes.” 

   Lucia once again put forth the petions for cures to which Our Lady replied, “Some yes, but not others. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins.”  Our Lady grew sad and said,  “Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended.” Then, opening her hands, she made them reflect on the sun and, as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself. After she disappeared, the people witnessed the great miracle which had been predicted and the children saw the visions of Our Lady and Saint Joseph as foretold during the September apparition. 

   The "miracle of the sun" was a phenomena in which the sun danced in the sky, changed in color and swirled, descending toward the earth. People reported that despite heavy wind the leaves of the trees were completely still and rain soaked ground and clothes became completely dry.  Physical cures of the blind and the lame, not to mention countless confessions of sin and commitments to conversion are all attributed to this great miracle.