Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three children, Portuguese shepherds from Aljustrel, received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. At that time, Europe was involved in an extremely bloody war. Portugal itself was in political turmoil, having overthrown its monarchy in 1910; the government disbanded religious organizations soon after.

At the first appearance, Mary asked the children to return to that spot on the thirteenth of each month for the next six months. She also asked them to learn to read and write and to pray the rosary “to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war.” They were to pray for sinners and for the conversion of Russia, which had recently overthrown Czar Nicholas II and was soon to fall under communism. Up to 90,000 people gathered for Mary’s final apparition on October 13, 1917.

Less than two years later, Francisco died of influenza in his family home. He was buried in the parish cemetery and then re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1952. Jacinta died of influenza in Lisbon, offering her suffering for the conversion of sinners, peace in the world and the Holy Father. She was re-buried in the Fatima basilica in 1951. Their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, became a Carmelite nun and was still living when Jacinta and Francisco were beatified in 2000. Sister Lucia died five years later. The shrine of Our Lady of Fatima is visited by up to 20 million people a year.

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20 COMMENTS

  2. TO ALL PEOPLE=PLEASE LET US NOT WAIT TILL WE ARE ALREADY OLD ENOUGH TO CONCENTRATE IN GOING BACK TO CHURCH & PRAY START NOW EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE STILL YOUNG WHATEVER YOU SAY IF THERE’S A MIRACLE THEN FOREVER IT WILL ALWAYS BE A GREAT MIRECLE=PRAY

  5. Our Lady of Fatima’s Pilgrim Virgin still travels around working miracles. She came to our church last year and did some for us. Let us pray for a miracle for Sister Lucia so she too can be beatified.

  9. I am a bit confused. Please enlighten me.
    As I understand it “Saint” means canonized saint. There are many, who for hundreds of years have been “blessed” in the church and were never canonized.

    So when we say “Saint” of the day, shouldn’t it be a canonized saint.
    Besides, there are plenty of canonized saints on this day.

    I searched and quickly came up with: Author and Publisher – Catholic Online
    St. Wulfric Feastday: February 20, Birth: 1080, Death: 1154
    Wulfric (d. 1154) + hermit and miracle worker. Born at Compton Martin, near Bristol, England

    Thank you.

  10. Here we are …2017 the 100th year of the Apparitions.Here we are the Feast day of Francisco and Jacinta…I read that there is a possibility of them being Cannonized on May 13…I heard Mark Miravellis program yesterday and in it he spoke of a person from Australia ? That his loved one was the first casulity in WWII from his country,stating if only we had listened to the Message of Fatima.Are we listening ???We get bored and move along,many are looking or expecting great signs in October…The Sign my friends is the Peace Plan let us renew this in our ? hearts it still isn’t too late.We are in the post Consecration era of the apparitions Peace Francisco and Jacinta pray for us.

  12. It’s lovely ,(really), this story of these children. I do not doubt it and truly believe in miracles. I have experienced them myself. However, we need to remember that we do not need a middleman or go between , or watchtower, to pray. We need only our Lord. And as the Bible tells us, we pray in Jesus name. He is the Only way to the Father. So says the Word of the Lord. God Bless us all.

  17. God of infinite goodness

    who loves the innocent and exalts the humble
    grant that, in imitation of blessed Francisco and Jacinta,
    we may serve you with purity of heart
    and so be worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven.
    Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever.
    Amen.

  18. My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You.
    Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners.
    From 1916/17-Nov2020, we need you now more than ever. Jacinta, Francisco, Lucia, pray for us. This First Friday, accept my Act of Contrition, my Spiritual Communion, my Rosary recitation, my contemplation of all 20 Mysteries, for reparation to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Amen.

    • Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
      All holy men and women, martyrs, saints, angels, pray for us.
      Jacinta and Francisco Marto, Sister Lucia, pray for us. For Portugal.
      Margaret Mary Alacoque, Catherine Labouré, Vincent de Paul, pray for us. For France. Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Joachim, Brother André Bessette, pray for us. For Canada. Venerable Fulton John Sheen, pray for us. For USA.
      Ecce Crucem Domini!
      Fugite partes adversae!
      Vicit Leo de tribu Juda,
      Radix David! Alleluia!
      Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us. For Italy.
      Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us. For Rome.
      Blood of Christ Crucified, cleanse the Vatican.
      Amen.

      • Ephesians 5
        11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
        12 For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret;
        13 but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.
        14 Therefore it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”

        Dearest Jacinta and Francisco Marto, help me to remember these simple yet profound words of truth, justice, charity. Help this Lent be transformative in my trust and my efforts to cling to the wood of the Cross. Amen.

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