Treasures of the Church- Marian Shrines and Apparitions |
CHRONOLOGY OF FATIMA
May 13, 1917 - First apparition of Our Lady to the three little shepherds in Fatima
October 13, 1917 - Last apparition of Our Lady to the three shepherds and the miracle of the sun.
April 28, 1919 - Construction begins on the Chapel of the Apparitions.
October 13, 1921 - Mass is allowed to be celebrated in the Chapel for the first time.
October 13, 1930 - The Bishop of Leira declares worthy of faith the apparitions and authorizes devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.
May 13, 1931 - First consecration of Portugal to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, done by the Portugese Episcopate according to the message of Fatima
October 31, 1942 - Píus XII, speaking in Portugese on the radio, consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, making veiled mention of Russia, following the request of Our Lady
May 13, 1946 - The statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the chapel is crowned by Cardinal Marsella, a pontifical delegate. The crown was offered by Portugese women in thanksgiving for having freed Portugal from the Second World War.
May 13, 1967 - The Holy Father Paul VI travels to Fatima on the 50th anniversary of the first apparition to ask for world peace and unity of the Church.
May 12-13, 1982 - The Holy Father John Paul II travels to Fatima as a pilgrim to thank Our Lady for having survived the brutal attempt on his life suffered exactly one year before in St. Peter's Square. Kneeling, he consecrated the Church, humanity and peoples to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, making a veiled mention of Russia.
March 25, 1984 - In St. Peter's Square, before the image of Our Lady, John Paul II again consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary together with all the bishops of the world who had previously been notified to unite themselves with His Holiness in this consecration. Lucia later confirmed that this consecration satisfied the petition made by Our Lady.
May 12-13, 1991 - The Holy Father John Paul II returns to Fatima for the second time as a pilgrim on the 10th anniversary of the attempt on his life.
May 13, 2000 - The Holy Father John Paul II, in his third visit to Fatima and before more than a million pilgrims (we being among them), beatifies Francisco and Jacinto and reveals the third part of the "secret of Fatima." A historic moment of great transcendence. The Pope confirms one more time the importance of the messages and the heroic holiness of the visionary children. He presents them as very important examples of prayer, love and penance. He recognizes the transcendence of the messages the Virgin communicated to them.
In Fatima itself, there are more than 50 houses of women religious and around 15 congregations of men, including seminaries.
There are 15 million pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima annually.
