Our Lady of Fátima is a very famous Catholic title of Mary, celebrated every year on 13 May, the day of Her first apparitions in Fátima (Portugal). It is said that the Blessed Virgin appeared many times in 1917 to three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria: they were Lùcia dos Santos, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto. This special event was declared “worthy of belief” on 13 October 1930.
Discover more about the whole story of Our Lady of Fatima and Her secrets.
Story of Our Lady of Fátima: the Marian apparitions
At the beginning of Spring of 1916, the three children Lùcia dos Santos, Francisco and Jacinta Marto reported three apparitions of an Angel in Valinhos and six apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, starting from 13 May 1917. The Lady appeared “more brilliant than the Sun” and, according to the three little shepherds, prayer would lead to an end to the First World War. After this prophecy, many faithful began visiting the area, paying homage to the Virgin. During Her first apparition, the Lady wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary in her hand. She asked the shepherds to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to pray the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the Great War.
The second apparition took place on 13 June (St. Anthony’s Feast Day) and the Virgin revealed to Lúcia that her cousins Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven soon, but Lúcia would live longer, in order to spread Her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
On 13 August, the provincial administrator Artus Santos jailed the three children as he believed that these events were politically disruptive in the conservative country and tried to let them reveal the secrets that the Virgin confessed to them. The Holy Virgin appeared a total of six times, during which She repeatedly asked them to pray the rosary daily, in order to save the faithful’s souls from hell, since many of them perish in damnation because nobody prays or makes sacrifices for them.
If you want to dedicate some prayers for your loved ones to Our Lady of Fátima, you can do it by using this hand-painted statue in resin.
The three secrets of Fátima
First secret of Fátima
On 4 July 1917, Lùcia said she experienced a Marian apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, during which she had a vision of hell.
Second secret of Fátima
During her apparition, the Blessed Virgin recommended to the young shepherds to devote themselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as a way to save souls from hell and bring the Great War to an end. The Virgin not only predicted the end of the First World War, but she even predicted the beginning of a second and worse one, if men did not cease offending God. Furthermore, the Virgin Mary promised that the Consecration of Russia would lead to Russia’s conversion and an era of peace.
Third secret of Fátima
The third secret consists in a vision of the death of the Pope and other religious figures. This secret was revealed only in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.
Down here, you can find the full text transcribed by the Bishop of Leira:
"After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!' And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, Religious men and women going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, Religious men and women, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God."
Prayer to Our Lady of Fátima for peace
It is well known that the Blessed Virgin asked the three shepherds to pray the rosary daily to bring the First World War to an end. Furthermore, she asked to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to experience a period of peace.
For this reason, Pope Francis, in March 2022, announced he would have consecrated both Russia and Ukraine to the Sacred Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by the Blessed Virgin in Fátima.
Here is a beautiful prayer for peace you can recite with your family members.
O Most Holy Virgin Mary,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima and reveal a glorious message.
We implore you, inspire in our hearts a fervent love for the recitation of the Rosary.
By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption that are recalled therein may we obtain peace, the graces and virtues that we ask, through the merits of Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Redeemer.
Amen.
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