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Treasures of the Church- Marian Shrines and Apparitions |
 the
Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima
by SCTJM
The six
apparitions of Our Lady - 1917
The
little shepherds: Blessed Jacinta and Francisco
Apparitions of
the Angel - 1916
Interview with Sr.
Lucia
More on Our Lady of
Fatima...
First Apparition of the Virgin : Sunday, May
13th, 1917
Lucia narrated the following:
While playing with Jacinta and Francisco on the
hill, near Cova de Iria, we were building a wall
with stones around a blooming plant, all of a
sudden we saw a light like lightning.
- “
It is flashing,” I said. “A storm can come. It
is better to return home.”
- “Oh, yes, alright,” my cousins responded. We
started to come down from the hill taking the
sheep down the path. In the middle of our way on
the slope, near the evergreen oak which still
exists today, we saw a flash of lightning and
after we took some more steps over the slope, we
saw a Lady dressed in white, more brilliant than
the sun, scattering clear and intense light,
more than a ray of sunlight through a glass of
water.
We were so close that we were in the light She
irradiated. Our Lady said:
- “Don’t be afraid. I will not harm you.” I
asked her: “ Where are you from ?”
- “I’m from Heaven.”
- “What is that you want?”
- “I have come to ask you to come here six
consecutive months on the 13th at the same
time.” Later I will say who I am and what I
desire.”
- “I will return a seventh time.”
- I asked: “Will I go to Heaven?”
- “Yes, you will go.”
- “and Jacinta?”
- “She will go too”
- “and Francisco?”
- “He will also go, but he has to pray many
rosaries first.” Then I remembered two of my
sister’s friends who died recently.”
- “ s Maria de las Nieves in Heaven?”
- “Yes she is.”
- “and Amelia, whose between 18 - 20 years old?”
- “She will be in purgatory until the end of the
world.” And then She said: “Do you want to
offer yourselves to God and accept all the
sufferings that He desires to send you in
reparation for the sins by which He is offended
and to implore for the conversion of sinners?”
- “Yes, we want to.”
- “You will have to suffer much , but God’s
grace will strengthen you.” Upon saying this the
Virgin opened her arms for the first time,
communicating a very intense light coming from
her hands penetrating deep into our chest and
our hearts, allowing us to see ourselves in God
more clearly than seeing ourselves in a mirror.
By an interior impulse also communicated to us,
we fell to our knees, repeating humbly:
"Holy Trinity, I adore you. My God, my God, I
love you in the Blessed Sacrament."
A few moments later Our Lady added:
- “Pray the rosary every day to acquire world
peace and the end of the war.”
Immediately she started to elevate serenely as
light surrounded her while opening her way.
Second Apparition of the Virgin: Wednesday,
June 13th
After praying the rosary with people present
(50) we saw again the reflection of light
approaching. We called it lightning. Immediately
Our Lady appeared on the oak tree, just like in
the month of May.
- “What is it that you desire?” I asked.
- “I desire for you to come here on the 13th of
next month, to pray the rosary every day and to
learn how to read. Later, I will let you know
what else I desire.”
I requested the healing of a sick person. Our
Lady responded:
- “If she converts, she will be healed during
the year.”
- “I would like to ask you to take us to
Heaven.”
- “Yes, Jacinta and Francisco I will take soon,
but you will stay some time longer. Jesus wants
to use you to let others know and love me. He
wants to establish devotion to my Immaculate
Heart in the world . Who ever embraces it I
promise salvation and their souls will be dear
to God as flowers put by me to adorn his Throne.
”
- “Will I stay here alone ?” I asked with
sorrow.
- “No, my daughter. Do you suffer much because
of this ? Don’t be discouraged! I will never
leave you. My Immaculate Heart will be your
refuge and the path to lead you to God.”
At that moment she opened her hands and
communicated to us for the second time the rays
of immense light that surrounded her. Jacinta
and Francisco seemed to be in the area of the
light elevating to heaven and me; I was in the
area covering the earth.
In front of the right palm of Our Lady’s hand
was a heart surrounded by thorns seeming to
pierce her heart. We understood it to be the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, offended for the sins
of humanity and desirous of reparation.
Francisco, very impressed by the vision, asked
me: “ Why was the Virgin holding a heart in her
hand radiating over the world the great light of
God? You, Lucia, were with Her in the light
coming down on the earth and Jacinta was with me
in the light going up to heaven.”
Third Apparition of the Virgin: Friday,
July 13th
Moments after arriving at Cova de
Iria, next to the oak tree, among numerous people (4,000) praying
the rosary, we saw a ray of light once more and, a few moments
later, Our Blessed Mother appeared over the oak tree.
- "What do you want from me?" I
asked.
- "I
desire for you to come here the 13th of next month, and
continue to pray the rosary every day in honor
of Our Lady of the Rosary to obtain the peace of the world and the
end to the war, only She can obtain it."
- I said: "I would like to ask who you are,
and for you to do a miracle so everyone can believe you appear to
us."
- "Continue to come here every month. In
October I will say who I am and what I desire, and I will perform a
miracle all will see to believe."
- "Sacrifice for sinners and repeat many
times, especially when you make a sacrifice: O my Jesus, this is out
of love for you, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for
the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary!"
When Mary said these words she opened her
hands again. The reflection of light seemed to penetrate the earth
and we saw something like an ocean of fire, and submerged in this
fire were demons and souls like transparent flames, black or bronze
in color, of human form, fluctuating in the fire and taken by the
flames that came out from within themselves along with clouds of
smoke falling on all sides, similar to the fall of ashes from vast
fires, but weightless and unbalanced, amidst screams and
lamentations of sorrow and desperation that horrified us and made us
tremble with fear.
The demons were distinguished by their
horrible and repulsive forms, like horrendous animals, but
transparent as red-hot charcoal.
Frightened and asking for help we looked up
to Our Lady, who with sorrow and gentleness said to us :
- "You have seen hell
where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wants to
establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If you do
what I tell you many souls will be saved and you will have peace.
The war will end, but if you don’t cease offending God, one worst
will start in the papacy of Pope Pius XI."
- "When you see a luminous night lit by an
unknown light, know this is the great sign God will give as
punishment to the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger,
persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. To prevent this, I
will ask the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and
communion of the first Saturdays of the month in reparation.
If my desires are obeyed, Russia will be
converted and there will be peace; if not, its errors will spread
all over the world, promoting wars, persecutions of the Church: the
good will be martyred, the Holy Father will suffer much, several
nations will be annihilated.
At the end, MY IMMACULATE HEART WILL
TRIUMPH. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia, and it will be
converted, the world will be granted a period of peace. In Portugal
the dogma of Faith will be preserved always. . . . ( the third part
of the secret starts here, written by Lucia between Dec. 22, 1943
and January 9th, 1944). Don’t say this to anyone. You can tell
Francisco."
- "When you pray the rosary, say after each
decade: " O, my Jesus, forgive us
our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven,
especially those in most need of your mercy."
As usual, our Lady started to elevate
towards the Orient (east) direction.
Fourth Apparition of the Virgin:
Sunday, August 19th
Our Lady appeared in the village of Los
Valinhos. The apparition did not occur on August 13th in Cova de
Iria because the Council Administrator captured and took the
shepherd children to Vila Nova with the intention of forcing them to
reveal the secret. They were imprisoned in the administration and in
the municipal jail.
They were offered the most valued gifts if
they would reveal the secret. The young visionaries responded:
- "We will not say it even if the whole
world was given to us."
They were taken to jail. The prisoners
advised: "Reveal the secret to the Administrator. Who cares if that
Lady doesn’t want to ?"
- "O no, Jacinta responded with liveliness,
I would rather die first!"
The three children prayed the rosary with
the prisoners before a medal Jacinta hung on the wall. To intimidate
them, the Administrator commanded that a pot of boiling oil be
prepared, threatening the children that they would be fried in it if
they did not obey him. Even though the children believed what was
told to them, they were not revealing anything. On August 15th,
Feast of the Assumption, they were taken out of jail and returned to
Fatima.
Lucia
narrates the events of this apparition
“We were with our sheep in a place called
Los Valinhos, Francisco and his brother John accompanied me.
We felt something supernatural approaching and embracing us;
suspecting Our Lady was about to appear and fearing Jacinta would
not be present to see her, we asked her brother John to bring her.
Meanwhile, Francisco and I saw the reflection of the light we call
lightning and at the moment Jacinta arrived we saw our Lady on the
oak tree.
- “What is it that you desire?”
- “I desire for you to continue to go to Cova de Iria on the 13th,
to continue praying the rosary every day. On the last month I will
perform a miracle for all to believe."
- “What should we do with the money the people leave at Cova de Iria?”
- “Make two bags, one for you and Jacinta to carry along with two
other girls dressed in white; Francisco will take another bag with
three other boys.”
The money collected in the bags is for the feast day of Our Lady of
the Rosary, what is left over will help for the construction of a
chapel.
- “ I would like to ask for the healing of some of the sick.”
- “ Yes, some I will cure during the year.”
With a very sorrowful look, the Virgin added: “Pray, pray very much
and make a sacrifice for sinners, because many souls are going to
hell because no one offers sacrifices for them.” The Virgin elevated
towards the east as usual.
Fifth Apparition: Thursday, September 13th
As the time approached I started to go towards Cova de Iria with
Jacinta and Francisco among numerous people (30,000), with
difficulty we were able to go through. The path was crowded with
people, everyone wanted to see and touch us.
Many people of the village came to ask us to present their needs and
intentions to Our Lady. Others not able to come near us cried out
from far away.
We heard . . . . . ask Our Lady to heal my invalid son . . . my
blind son . . . my deaf daughter . . to bring back my husband from
the war . . . for conversion of a sinner . . . for me sick of
tuberculosis . . . etc. All human miseries became evident and some
cried out from the trees.
We finally arrived at Cova de Iria, upon reaching the oak tree we
started to pray the rosary with the people. Soon afterwards we saw a
reflection of light and immediately over the tree, Our Lady said:
“Continue to pray the rosary to achieve the end of the war. In
October Our Lord will also come, with Our Lady of Sorrows and Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Joseph and the Child Jesus to bless the
world. God is pleased with your sacrifices, but He does not want you
to sleep with the rope on, only wear it during the day.”
( The rope was worn around the waist. It was one of the most painful
mortifications the children offered for the conversion of sinners.
Also, they did not eat snacks and abstained from drinking water. But
the greatest sacrifices were the sacrifices the mission of Our Lady
demanded: the humiliations, curiosity, annoyance of the people,
unending visits, questions, persecutions, ridicule, prison, etc.)
- “I will cure some of the sick, but not all. In October I will
perform a miracle for all to believe.”
Sixth Apparition: Saturday, October 13th
There was a multitude of people (70,000) under the torrential rain.
The scene was similar to the previous apparitions. Neither the mud
nor the rain stopped the people from kneeling and humbly pleading
and supplicating.
Upon arriving at Cova de Iria, next to the tree, I asked the people
to close their umbrellas and to pray the rosary. Soon after we saw a
reflection of light, and immediately Our Lady was on the oak tree.
- I asked her, “What is it that you want?”
- She replied, “I want to tell you to build a chapel here in my
honor. I am Our Lady of the Rosary. Continue to pray the rosary
every day. The war is ending and the soldiers will return home
soon.”
- I asked, “Will the sick be healed?”
- “Some yes, others no; it is necessary for them to amend their
lives, to ask forgiveness for their sins,” she replied.
With a sorrowful look, Our Lady said: “May our God be offended no
longer. He is already offended too much.”
Her hands opened, and off of them reflected the light of the sun. As
she rose into the sky, her own brilliance continued to be seen in
the midst of the sun’s light.
I cried out for all to look up towards the sun. The miracle of the
sun was happening, as promised three months ago, as proof of the
authenticity of the Fatima apparitions. The rain ceased and the sun
rotated three times, launching variously colored rays of light all
around. It seemed as if the sun was coming down from the sky toward
the people.
After 10 minutes of the miracle, the sun returned to its normal
state.
The three of us were favored with other visions as well. Next to the
sun, we saw St. Joseph, the Child Jesus and Our Lady of Sorrows. The
Child Jesus and St. Joseph were blessing the world. After this
vision ceased, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel appeared.
End of the 1917 apparitions
 THE
VISIONARY CHILDREN OF FATIMA - Francisco, Lucia y Jacinta
Francisco and
Jacinta were born in Aljustrel, a small district located 800 meters
from the small town of Fatima. They were son and daughter of Manuel
Pedro Marto and Olimpia de Jesus Marto. Lucia, their cousin, was
also born here (the oldest of the visionaries).
Francisco was born on June 11th,
1908 and Jacinta two years later on March 11th.
Since an early age, Jacinta and Francisco
learned to avoid bad friendships, and therefore, they preferred to
be in the company of Lucia, their cousin who spoke to them about
Jesus. The three spent many days together, caring for the sheep,
praying and playing.
Between the dates of May 13 - October 13,
1917, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia were granted the great privilege
of seeing the Virgin Mary in Cova de Iria. After the occurrence of
this supernatural experience, the three children saw themselves as
more aflame for the Love of God and the love of souls, and they had
only one aspiration: to pray and suffer according to the petition of
the Virgin Mary.
Not only was divine benevolence on them
extraordinary, but their response to these divine graces was also
something incredible.
The children did not consider themselves
merely messengers of the announcement of penance and prayer, but
they dedicated themselves to making their lives - with their works
and words - an announcement in itself. During the apparitions they
resisted, with unaltered spirit and admirable fortitude, the
insults, misinterpretations, slander, persecutions and even days in
prison.
During this time of anguish, Francisco was
threatened with death by government authorities if he refused to
declare the Fatima apparitions as false. However, he stood firm and
did not betray the Virgin Mary, and he encouraged his cousin and
sister to do the same. Although threatened with death many times, he
responded, " If we are killed, it doesn’t matter; we will go to
Heaven." When Jacinta was supposedly taken to be killed, with a
martyr’s spirit she said to her companions, " Don’t worry, I won’t
say a thing. I’d rather die first."
Blessed Francisco (6-11-1908 / 4-4-1919)
Francisco’s character was docile and compliant. He liked to spend
time helping the needy. He was known by all to be a sincere, just,
obedient and diligent person.
The Angel’s words in the third apparition, “Console your God,” made
a profound impression in the soul of the small shepherd boy.
He desired only to think of ways to console Our Lord and the Virgin
Mary who he had seen so sad.
He said, “We were burning in that light that is God and we were not
burnt. How is God? This we cannot say. But what grief. He is so sad;
if only I can console Him!”
In his illness, Francisco confided to his cousin: “ Our Lord, is He
still sad? I’m so heartbroken that He is this way. I offer Him all
the sacrifices I’m able to.”
On the eve of his death, he confessed and received Holy Communion
with the most pious sentiments. After five months of continuous
suffering, on a First Friday at 10:00 am, the consoler of Jesus died
a holy death.
Blessed Jacinta (3-10-1910/ 2-20-1920)
Jacinta was of clear intelligence, joyful, and agile. She was always
running, jumping and dancing. She lived passionately for the
conversion of sinners. The vision of hell had impressed her very
much, and she did all she could to prevent sinners from going there.
One time she exclaimed: “I grieve for sinners! . . .If I could show
them hell!”
She died a holy death on February 20th, 1920. Her body is buried
next to Francisco in the Basilica of Fatima.
Jacinta and Francisco continued their normal life after the
apparitions. Lucia started to go to school as Our Lady requested her
to do. Jacinta and Francisco also went to accompany her. Before
arriving at school, they would first pass by the Church to greet
Jesus. When class was ready to start, Francisco, aware he was not to
live long on this earth, said to Lucia, “ You go to school, I will
stay with Jesus who is hidden. What good is it for me to learn to
read if soon I will go to heaven?” After saying this Francisco would
go to the Church to be as close as possible to the Tabernacle.
When Lucia and Jacinta returned in the afternoon, they found
Francisco in the same place in profound prayer and adoration.
Of the three children, Francisco was the most contemplative and
perhaps the one to distinguish himself more for his love and
reparation in the Eucharist. After receiving Holy Communion from the
Angel, he said: “I knew God was in me, but did not know how He was.”
In his life, he had real devotion to the angels, saints and the
Virgin Mary. He was amazed by the beauty and gentleness of the angel
and the Mother of God, and they led him to encounter Jesus.
Francisco wanted above all else to console God, Who was greatly
offended by the sins of humanity. This is what most impressed him
during the apparitions.
Francisco wanted to offer his life to console the Lord whom he saw
so sad and offended. His desire to go to heaven was motivated only
by the desire to better console God. With firm intention to do what
pleased God, he avoided all sin and at 7 years old started to
receive frequently the Sacrament of Penance.
Lucia asked Francisco: “ Francisco, what do you prefer the most, to
console the Lord or convert sinners?” He responded: “ I prefer to
console the Lord. Did you not see how sad Our Lady was when she said
to us that men should no longer offend the Lord, who is so much
offended?” I would like to console the Lord and then convert sinners
so they will no longer offend the Lord. Soon I will be in heaven,
and when I get there I will console very much Our Lord and Our
Lady.”
Through graces received and the help of the
Virgin Mary, Jacinta was fervent in her love of God and her desire
for souls. She was consumed with an unsatiable thirst to save the
poor souls in danger of hell.
The glory of God, salvation of souls, the
importance of the Holy Father and priests, the necessity and love
for the sacraments - all this took first priority in her life. She
lived the Fatima messages for the salvation of souls around the
world, demonstrating a great missionary spirit.
Jacinta had a profound devotion that took
her very near to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This love always led
her in a profound way to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jacinta attended
daily Mass with a great desire of receiving Jesus in Holy Communion
in reparation for poor sinners. Nothing was more attractive to her
than to be in the Real Presence of the Eucharistic Jesus. She said
frequently: " I love to be here so much. I have so much to say to
Jesus."
With immense zeal, Jacinta separated
herself from the things of the world to focus her attention on the
things of heaven. She searched for silence and solitude to be in
contemplation. " I love the Lord so much," she said to Lucia.
"Sometimes I feel as if I had fire in the heart, but it does not
burn me."
Since the first apparition, the children
looked for ways to multiply their mortifications for the conversion
of sinners. They mortified their will and character by depriving
themselves of food to give to the poor children; by not drinking
water for an entire day, especially in the heat; by fasting during
the Lenten season; and by renouncing their most favored games to
spend more time in prayer.
They did not tire of looking for new ways
of offering sacrifices for sinners. One day a short time after the
fourth apparition, Jacinta found a cord and thought of putting it
around her waist and tightening it as a sacrifice. Agreeing, the
children cut the cord in three pieces and put it around their waists
over their skin. Lucia narrates that this was a sacrifice that made
them suffer terribly - so much so, that Jacinta was unable to
contain the tears: "If we tried to talk her out of it, she
immediately responded that by no means it would be taken off because
it was for the conversion of sinners." In the beginning she wore the
cord during the day and night, but in one apparition, Our Lady said
to Jacinta, "Our Lord is very pleased with your sacrifices but
doesn’t desire for you to sleep with the cord. Wear it only during
the day." They obeyed, and with greater fervor, they persevered in
this difficult penance, knowing it pleased God and Our Lady.
Francisco and Jacinta wore the cord until their final illness, in
which it appeared stained with blood.
Jacinta also felt the need to offer
sacrifices for the Holy Father. She received the grace of a vision
showing the sufferings of the Holy Father. She narrates: "I saw him
in a very big house, kneeling with his face in his hands crying.
There were many people outside. Some were throwing stones, others
speaking blasphemy and bad words."
On another occasion, while praying the
prayer of the Angel in the mountain cave, Jacinta stood up quickly
and called her cousin: "Look! Don’t you see many roads, paths and
fields full of people crying of hunger, not having anything to eat?
. . . And the Holy Father in a Church praying next to the Heart of
Mary?" After the occurrence of these events, the children always
carried the Holy Father in their hearts and prayed constantly for
him. They had a custom of praying 3 Hail Mary’s after the rosary for
the Holy Father.
The
Virgin Mary heard the fervent plea of these children, and she
responded frequently to them in a visible manner. Francisco and
Jacinta are witnesses of extraordinary events:
In a nearby village, a family was going
through the difficult situation of having their son in jail,
accused, but in fact innocent. Afflicted by the situation, his
parents sent Teresa, Lucia’s oldest sister, to ask and plea to the
children to obtain from the Virgin Mary the liberation of their son.
Lucia, on her way to school, told her cousins about what was
happening. Francisco said:
"You go to school and I will stay here with
Jesus to ask Him for this grace." In the afternoon Francisco said to
Lucia, "You can tell Teresa to let them know that in a few days the
young man will be in his house." Sure enough, on the 13th
of the following month, the young man came home.
On another occasion, a family had a son who
disappeared without a trace. His mother implored Jacinta to pray to
Our Lady for him. A few days later, the young man returned home,
asked forgiveness to his parents, and told them of his tragic
adventure. After spending all he had stolen, he was arrested and put
in jail. He escaped into the woods, finding himself lost. Not
knowing what to do, he kneeled and prayed. He saw Jacinta taking him
by the hand and leading him to a path, which she indicated him to
follow. This is how the young man reached his home. After
interrogating Jacinta if she really went to find this young man, she
said no. . . but she did pray to Our Lady very much for him.
All the miracles and events of which the
children were a part made everyone go to them for help. But they
maintained their simplicity and humility. The more people looked for
them, the more they concealed themselves.
One day the children were walking
peacefully on the road, and they saw a big car stop before them with
a group of well dressed men and women. "Look, they are coming to
visit us . . ." said Francisco. "Are we leaving?" Jacinta asked. "It
is impossible for them not to notice," responded Lucia. "Lets
continue walking and you will see they won’t recognize us." But the
visitors stopped them. " Are you from Aljustrel?" they asked the
children. "Yes, Sir," responded Lucia. "Do you know the three
shepherd children the Virgin appeared to? If you know them, can you
tell us where they live?" Lucia responded, "Take this road down
towards the left..." and she continued to describe their houses. The
visitors left, thanking them, and they happily ran to hide
somewhere.
Francisco and Jacinta were very docile in
obeying God’s will and also the words of Our Lady. They made
significant progress in holiness in a very short time and quickly
reached great and solid Christian perfection. Knowing from the
Virgin Mary that their lives would be brief, they spent their days
with ardent expectation of entering heaven. Their waiting was not
long.
On December 23rd, 1918,
Francisco and Jacinta became seriously ill with a terrible epidemic
of bronco-pneumonia. However, being ill did not diminish their
fervor for doing sacrifices.
Towards
the end of February 1919, Francisco visibly worsened, never to leave
his sick bed again. He suffered his illness and his intense pain
with intimate joy and offered them as a sacrifice to God. One day
Lucia asked him if he was suffering. He responded. "Very much, but I
don’t mind. I suffer to console Our Lord and soon I will go to
heaven."
On April 2nd his state worsened
so much that the pastor was called. He had not received his First
Communion and was afraid he would not be able to receive the Lord
before death. He confessed in the afternoon and fasted to receive
Holy Communion. The following day he received Holy Communion with
piety and great lucidity of spirit. After the priest left he asked
his mother if he could receive the Lord again. After this he asked
forgiveness for all the problems he might have caused. To Lucia and
Jacinta he added, "I’m going to Paradise, and from there I will ask
Jesus and Mary to come get you too." The following day on April 4th,
with an angelical smile and without agony or lamentations, he
expired gently. He was not yet 11 years old.
Jacinta suffered much because of her
brother’s death. Shortly after she developed pleurisy because of the
bronco-pneumonia and its complications. One day she said to Lucia,
"The Virgin came to see me and asked me if I still want to save
sinners. I responded ‘ yes’, and she (Mary) then told me that soon I
will enter the hospital and suffer much. But she said to embrace all
for love of Jesus, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation
for the offenses committed against Her Heart and the Heart of Jesus.
She said ‘mama’ will accompany me but later I will be alone." And
this is precisely how it did happened.
By
doctor’s order she was taken to Vila Nova Hospital and was subjected
to treatment for two months. She returned home the same way as she
left, but with a large wound in her chest needing daily medication.
But due to lack of hygiene, the wound became progressively more
infected and developed into a real torment for Jacinta. It was a
continuos martyrdom, but she always suffered without any complaint.
She tried to hide all these sufferings in the presence of her mother
to avoid giving her more sufferings. She even consoled her mother by
telling her that she was better.
During her illness she confided to her
cousin, "I suffer much, but I offer everything for the conversion of
sinners and to repair the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
In January, 1920, a specialist doctor
insisted that Jacinta’s mother take her to the Hospital of Lisboa
for better care. This departure was painful for Jacinta, especially
because she was separated from Lucia.
At her departure she gave Lucia these
recommendations: " Soon I will go to heaven. You stay here to tell
people that God wants to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary in the world. When you say it, don’t hide. Tell all the
people that God grants all the graces through the Immaculate Heart
of Mary. Ask her for it because the Heart of Jesus desires, next to
His Heart, the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated. Ask the
Immaculate Heart for peace, for God has confided this to Her. If
only I could put in the hearts of people the light that I have
inside my heart; this light embraces me and allows me to taste so
much the of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary."
Her mother accompanied her to the hospital,
but after several days she had to return home and Jacinta stayed
alone in the hospital. She was admitted and operated upon on
February 10th. Two ribs were removed on the left side,
leaving a wound as wide as a hand. The pain was dreadful, especially
at the time of treatment and dressing the wound. But Jacinta’s
patience was that of a martyr. Her only words were to call the
Virgin Mary and to offer her sufferings for the conversion of
sinners.
Three days before death she said
to the nurse, "The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared, assuring me that
soon she will come for me. Ever since then, I have had no pain." On
February 20th at about six in the afternoon, she said she was
feeling bad and requested the last Sacraments. That evening she had
her last confession and requested the Viaticum to be given as soon
as possible because she knew her death was near.
The priest did not see the urgency and
promised to come the following day. But shortly after she died. She
was 10 years old.
Before her death, Our Lady appeared to her
several times.
The following is her dictation, given to
her godmother, about sin:
- The sins of the flesh are the ones that
lead souls to hell.
- If men knew what eternity is, they would
do everything possible to change their lives. Souls are lost because
they do not think abut death and do not do penance.
About the wars:
- Wars are the consequence of the sins of
the world.
- It is necessary to do penance to stop the
wars.
About Christian virtues :
- We should not be surrounded by luxury.
- Be friends of silence.
- Don’t speak wrong or bad about anyone and
avoid those who talk bad.
- Have much patience, because patience
takes us to heaven.
- Mortification and sacrifice please God
very much.
The bodies Jacinta and Francisco were taken
to the Fatima Sanctuary. The miracles that had manifested themselves
during their lives continues to occur after their deaths. When
Francisco’s tomb was opened, the rosary placed on his chest was
found tangled up in his fingers. Fifteen years after her death,
Jacinta’s body was found to be incorrupt.
On April 18th, 1989, the Holy Father John
Paul II declared Francisco and Jacinta as Venerables. On May 13th,
2000 the Holy Father John Paul II beatified them.
The following is a narration of the angel’s
apparitions according to Sister Lucia, the oldest of the
visionaries. These apparitions occurred before the
apparitions of the Blessed Mother in order to prepare the children
for her coming. The narration has been summarized by SCTJM (Servants
of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary).
Apparition of the Angel of Peace
First apparition of the Angel
:
It was in the spring of 1916 when the angel
appeared for the first time in the cave of "Loca de Cabeco."
We went with the flock up the mountain to
find shade, and after having lunch and praying our prayers, we saw
in the distance, above the peak of a tree, a light whiter than snow.
It had the form of a young man, and it was transparent and more
brilliant than a crystal pierced by the rays of the sun.
As it came nearer, we were able to discern
and distinguish the features. We were surprised and amazed.
Arriving beside us he said, "Do not be
afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me!"
Kneeling on the ground, he inclined his
head to the ground. We imitated him, taken in by the supernatural
moment, and we repeated the words we heard him say:
"My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I
love you. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, adore, hope and
love you."
After repeating this three times he stood
and said, " Pray like this. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are
attentive to the voice of your supplications."
Then he disappeared . . .The awareness of
God’s presence was so intense and profound that we did not attempt
to speak with each other. We remained in the position in which the
Angel had left us, repeating the prayer the angel had given us.
We did not mention anything about this
apparition to others, but at the same time, we did not forbid one
another to speak about it.
Second apparition of the Angel:
It happened in the middle of the summer at
noon, when we were taking the flock to the house. We planned to
return in the afternoon. We were in the shade of the trees
surrounding the well of Arneiro’s Ranch when the angel appeared to
us again.
- He said, "What are you doing? Pray! Pray
very much! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of Mercy for
you. Offer constant prayers and sacrifices to the Almighty!"
- "How are we to sacrifice?" I asked.
- He replied, "You can offer sacrifices as
acts of reparation for sinners, by whom He is so much offended, and
you can beg for the conversion of sinners. This will bring your
country peace.
"Iam the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Above
all, accept with submission the sufferings the Lord sends you."
These words made a profound impression on us. They were like lights
that allowed us to comprehend who God is, how much He loves us and
desires to be loved, the value of sacrifice and how much it pleases
Him, and how He grants the grace of conversion of sinners through
sacrifice.
From that moment on, we started to offer
the Lord all the sufferings possible and repeat the prayer the Angel
taught us.
Third
apparition of the Angel :
Around October or the end of September, we
spent a day going from Pregueira to the Cave Loca de Cabeco, walking
around the mountain next to Aljustrel and Casa Velha. There we
prayed our rosary and the prayer the Angel taught us in the first
apparition.
While we were there, he appeared the third
time, holding a Chalice in his hands. A host was suspended over the
Chalice, and drops of were falling from it into the Chalice.
Leaving the Chalice and the Host suspended
in the air, he prostrated on the ground and repeated three times
this prayer:
"Blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, I adore you profoundly and I offer the Precious Body, Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in all the
Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the offenses,
sacrileges, and indifferences by which He is so offended. And by the
infinite merits of your Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, I ask for the conversion of poor sinners."
"As he
stood up, the Angel took the Chalice and the Host. He gave me the
Host, and the content of the Chalice he gave to Jacinta and
Francisco, saying at the same time:
"Eat the Body
and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly offended by ungrateful
men. Make reparation for their crimes and console your God."
Again the Angel prostrated on the ground
and repeated with us three times the same prayer: "Blessed
Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly and I
offer the Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, present in all the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation
for the offenses, sacrileges, indifferences by which He is so
offended. And by the infinite merits of your Sacred Heart and the
Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask for the conversion of poor sinners."
Then he disappeared.
During the following days our actions were
driven by this supernatural power. We felt great inner peace and
joy, which kept our souls completely immersed in God.
 Sister
Mar ia
Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart
Visionary of Fatima, 1907-2005
Lucia Dos Santos was born on March 22nd,
1907, also in Ajustrel. At the age of nine, she was sent with her
cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Matos to shepherd the sheep as usual.
It was then that they received the visit of the Virgin in Cova de
Iria.
Lucia entered the Sisters of St. Dorothy in
1921. She was with them in Tui and Pontevedra, Spain. In both cities
she had important visits from Jesus and Mary. She received the
Promises of the First Saturdays, the Vision of the Blessed Trinity
and the petition to consecrate Russia in 1929.
In 1946 she returned to Portugal, and two
years later entered the Carmel of St. Teresa in Coimbra, where she
professed her vows as a Carmelite in 1949.
The Virgin told Francisco and Jacinta that
they would go to heaven soon, but Lucia was to stay on earth to
propagate Her messages. This is precisely what happened. The Pope
beatified Francisco and Jacinta Marto during the Jubilee Year 2000
in Cova de Iria, the sanctuary of the apparitions. Many people were
present on one of the coldest days registered in Fatima. Next to
Pope John Paul II stood Sister Lucia.
Sister Lucia wrote two volumes of her "
Memoirs" and the " The Callings of the Fatima Messages."
She died on February 13th, 2005
during the novena of Blessed Francisco and Jacinta, in her dear
Carmel, where many believe that our Lady still visited her and where
Pope John Paul II also visited.
Interview with Sister Lucia
March 8, 1998
The monthly Catholic Portugese magazine "Christus,"
published in Lisboa by an editorial group "Seminary," printed the
first interview ever given by Sister Lucia on March 3rd,
1998 . She was the only survivor of the three visionary children to
whom our Lady appeared in Fatima, 1917.
Sister Lucia was almost 90 years old at the
time of the interview. She was living in the Carmelite Convent of
Coimbra for half a century and had conversed with Cardinals Anthony
Padiyara of India and Ricardo Vidal of the Phillippines.
Conversion of Russia
In the interview granted by Sister Lucia,
she was explicit in her allusions about the consecration and
conversion of Russia. Sister Lucia did not exclude any important
facts. When Our Blessed Mother asked the three children to pray for
this intention, she did not know what Russia was. "We thought it was
a very bad woman." With time Sister Lucia began to understand the
cruelty and the dramatic history of the people of Russia.
She herself outlived communism and
witnessed the dissolution of the Soviet block. Could this event be
interpreted as a sign of Russia’s conversion? To this question,
Sister Lucia refered to the man in Russia who "without knowing it,
was God’s instrument for the conversion."
- Gorbachov?
- Yes.
The Third Secret
Many people associate the apparitions of
the Virgin at Fatima with the enigma of the third secret. To the
question if the secret had to do with Second Vatican Council, the
religious limited her response: "I cannot respond." When she was
asked where the third secret is apocalyptic she clarified: "Our Lady
did not say it was in the Book of Revelation." But if she does not
want the third secret of Fatima to be known, can the Pope make it
known? The sister responded with simplicity that the Pope can reveal
it if he wishes, "but I recommend for him not to reveal it. If he
decides to, I recommend for him to be very prudent."
The interview asked is was still having
apparitions of Our Lady. Sister Lucia responded, " How curious . . .
. I cannot say."
Hell
The Virgin also spoke about hell, a theme
that had been popular before and was now absent. Sister Lucia’s
words were very clear: "Hell is a reality. It is a supernatural fire
and not physical. It cannot be compared to fire that burns wood or
charcoal."
She offered advice to priests on this topic: "Continue preaching
about hell because Our Lord himself spoke about hell, and it is in
Sacred Scripture. God does not condemn anyone to hell. God gave men
the liberty to choose, and God respects this human liberty."
Atheism and materialism
Sister Lucia recognizes, "atheism is a
greater instrument utilized by the devil in our days. It is a grave
sin against God that rejects His own existence and allows the
practice of a variety of diabolic acts like abortion."
As well, she said, "Communism ended, but materialism
continues...People should desire more the things of God instead of
first desiring the material things."
Final Message
The Cardinals asked her if she wanted to
conclude with anything in particular, a message for the world today.
She responded: "He who is not with the Pope is not with God; and
he who wants to be with God has to be with the Pope."
Back to the Main Page on the Saints>>
More on Our Lady of Fatima...
Link to the Third Part of the Secret of Fatima
and its Commentaries>>
Link to
Official Page of Shrine in Fatima, Portugal>>
JPII's homily in
Fatima, 1982: "Mary's Maternal Love">>
Message of JPII for Sr. Lucia's funeral>>
Consecration of the World to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary - JPII>>
Homily of Beatification of Bls. Jacinta and
Francisco>>
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
Mary
Copyright © 2006- SCTJM
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