Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima       Fatima, Portugal

On May 13,1917, Our Lady appeared to three children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, while they were tending their sheep in a place called the Cova da Iria. She told them she was from heaven and asked them to come to this same place for six months on the 13th of the month. Lucia asked if she would go to heaven and Our Lady told her that they all would go to heaven but Francisco must say many rosaries.

Lucia           Francisco             Jacinta

Our Lady asked them "Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?" They replied "Yes". "Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort." Our Lady opened her hands for the first time, communicating to them a light so intense that, as it streamed from her hands, its rays penetrated their hearts and the innermost depths of their souls, making them see themselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than we see ourselves in the best of mirrors.

Then, moved by an interior impulse that was communicated to them, they fell to their knees, repeating in their hearts: O Most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God My God I love You in the Most Blessed Sacrament! Our Lady spoke again "Pray the rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war." On June 13, Our Lady appeared again. She asked them to continue to say the rosary. Lucia asked her to take them to heaven. She said "Francisco and Jacinta would be taken soon but you are to stay here some time longer.Jesus wishes to make use of you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart."

Lucia was upset and asked if she would be left alone. Our Lady replied "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." (Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta in 1920, they both suffered very much but always offered their sufferings for the love of Jesus, conversion of sinners and reparation for the offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lucia is still alive at the age of 92 in a Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal.)       On July 13, Our Lady told them that in October there would be a miracle for all to see and believe. She told them "Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times, especially when you make a 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."       Our Lady opened her hands and the rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth and they saw a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers. The children were horrified and never forgot this sight. Lucia said that if Our Lady had not already told them she would take them to heaven they would have died of fright. Our Lady spoke to them kindly and so sadly:

"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(World War I) 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 to 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 will 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 Immaclate 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."       At the time of this apparition the Russian revolution had not yet occurred. The Bolsheviks would not take over until the following October. As we know Russia has spread its errors all over the world with their atheistic philosophy they have persecuted the Church. Although Communism has collapsed in Europe, This does not constitute conversion. It is still very strong in China and many other countries. We did not heed Our Lady's requests and so all these things have come to pass. This century about to come to an end has been the bloodiest in history. What will it take for us to heed these warnings from heaven? It is a very simple thing to say the rosary every day. Why don't we do it?       On August 13th the children were arrested by the local magistrate. They were taken to jail and threatened with being boiled in oil but they wouldn't reveal the secrets that Our Lady told them. They were finally released on the 15th and this is the day Lucia believes Our Lady appeared to them as they were tending the sheep at Valinhos. Our Lady repeated "Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls got to hell because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them."       At the apparition in September Our Lady repeated her plea for them to pray the rosary. She repeated her promise that there would be a miracle in October so that all can believe.       On October 13, there was a huge crowd gathered even though it was pouring rain. They were there to see the miracle. They had come from all over Portugal.

People observing the Miracle on October 13

The press was covering this story and it appeared in the European papers. Our Lady spoke "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. 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. At this time the sun began to spin in the sky and started to plunge towards the earth. The people began to scream they were terrified. The sun stopped and returned to its place in the sky.       Everyone had been soaked from the rain but after the miracle their clothes were completely dry as was the ground. This "miracle of the sun" was seen from many miles away.       After Our Lady had disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament, we beheld St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady clothed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. St. Joseph with the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When, a little later, this apparition disappeared, I saw Our Lord and Our Lady, it seemed to me that it was Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner that St. Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and I saw Our Lady once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. This account of the apparitions was taken from Lucia's memoirs.

We are living out the predictions that Our Lady made at Fatima. World War II occurred and caused a devastating destruction and loss of life that had never been seen before. Russia spread its errors to a great part of the world. Pope John Paul II has a close connection and devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. On May 13, 1981, the anniversary of the 1st Apparition at Fatima, the Pope was shot in St. Peter's Square. One of the bullets went right through him and miraculously did not strike his vital organs.

The following year he visited Fatima to thank Our Lady for saving his life. He placed the bullet which had been removed from his body, and placed it in the crown of her statue.       In 1984, Pope John Paul II, requested that the statue in the Cova da Iria be brought to Rome. He asked all the bishops in the world to join him in entrusting the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.             What we are still waiting for is the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. To help bring this about is very simple: Pray the rosary! Make sacrifices! Make the five first Saturdays in Reparation for the offenses against the Immaculate Heart of Mary!