Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary according to her apparitions to three shepherd children at Fatima on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917. Fatima Portugal, receives about 4-5 million pilgrims a year.
Lucia de Jesus dos Santos
She was born at Aljustrel, Fatima, on March 22, 1907 and baptized on March 30 of that year.
She left Fatima for the Hospice of Vilar, Porto, where she arrived on June 17, 1921. Then she departed for Tuy, Spain, on October 24, 1925, where she entered, as postulant, the Institute of St. Dorothea; two days later, on October 26, she leaves for the Institute’s convent in Pontevedra.
Young sister Lucia.
On July 20, 1926, she returns to Tuy, where she takes the habit of Novice on October 2 of that year. She pronounces the first temporary vows in Tuy, on October 3, 1928, and the perpetual vows on October 3, 1934, also in Tuy.
She comes to Portugal on May 17, 1946, and goes to reside at the college of Sardão, Vila Nova de Gaia. In that year, she visits Fatima on May 20 thru May 22. On March 25, 1948, she enters the Carmelite Convent of St. Teresa, where she takes the name of Maria Lúcia de Jesus e do Coração Imaculado.
On May 13, 1967, during the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Apparitions, she returns to Fatima, at the request of Pope Blessed Paul VI. Again on May 12/13, 1982; May 12/13, 1991; and on May 12/13, 2000, during the pilgrimages of Pope Saint John Paul II.
Our Lady appeared to her again on:
- August 26, 1923, at the Hospice of Vilar;
- December 10, 1925 and February 15, 1926, in Pontevedra, Spain (revelation of the Devotion of the Five First Saturdays).
- June 13, 1929, in Tuy (requesting the consecration of Russia and apparition of Most Holy Trinity).
On December 17, 1927, she describes the apparitions of Pontevedra of December 10, 1925, with Our Lady and the Child Jesus, and of February 15, 1926, with the Child Jesus.
As requested by the Bishop of Leiria, Most Rev. José Alves Correia da Silva, Sister Lucia writes her Memoirs:
- I Memoir, in December 1935, about Jacinta.
- II Memoir, in November 1937, about the apparitions of the Angel and those of Our Lady.
- III Memoir, in August 1941, including in it the first two parts of the Secret: vision of Hell and Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- IV Memoir, in December 1941, about Francisco and a more detailed description of the Apparitions of the Angel and those of Our Lady.
Here is the famous book from the visionary Sister Lucia.
Later on, at the request of the Rector of the Shrine, she writes:
- V Memoir, in February 1989, about her father.
- VI Memoir, in March 1993, about her mother.
In December 2000, she publishes her book “Calls of the Message of Fatima”, a collection of essays that Sister Lucia had written throughout the years in response to questions put to her and had concluded on March 25, 1997.
The book is addressed to the pilgrims of Fatima. She died at the Convent of St. Teresa, Coimbra, Portugal, on February 13, 2005, and was buried there. On February 19, 2006, her mortal remains are translated to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, where she now rests at the side of Jacinta.
Sister Lucia in the year 2000
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI authorized shortening the canonical deadline to open the process of beatification of Sister Lucia.
Here is the famous book from the visionary Sister Lucia.
The announcement was made by His Eminence José Cardinal Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, at the Convent of Coimbra, where he presided over the Mass of the third anniversary of her death.
See more info about Fatima sanctuary:
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima Portugal
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, Portugal: What to see in one day. And why should you stay longer.
The Secret of Fatima apparitions and why it is important!
Everything you wanted to know about Our Lady of Fatima original Capelinha statue
Immaculate Heart of Mary: Here is how and why to do Five First Saturdays and Consecration to it
Francisco Marto
He was born in Aljustrel, Fatima, on June 11, 1908, and was baptized on June 20 of that year.
He fell sick, victim of pneumonia, in October 1918, and died in Aljustrel, on April 4, 1919.
He was buried then in the cemetery of Fatima and on February 17, 1952, his mortal remains were exhumed and on March 13 of the same year translated to the Basilica of the Shrine. His main preoccupation was to “console Our Lord”.
His spirit of love and reparation for the offenses to God was remarkable for such a young lad. He spent hours in prayer “thinking about God”. He was a contemplative soul. He was beatified in Fatima by the Holy Father on May 13, 2000.
From left to right: Jacinta, Lucia and Francisco
Jacinta Marto
She was born in Aljustrel, Fatima, on March 11, 1910, and baptized on March 19, 1910. She fell ill, victim of pneumonia, like her brother, in October 1918, and was taken, on July 1, 1919, to the hospital of Vila Nova de Ourém, where she stayed until August 31, 1919. Later on, from January 21 to
February 2, 1920, she was placed in the Orphanage of Our Lady of Miracles, at Rua da Estrela (Star Street), in Lisbon, institution founded by Mrs. Maria da Purificação Godinho, whom Jacinta called “Godmother”.
On February 2, 1920, she was hospitalized at the Hospital Dona Estefânia, in Lisbon, until her death on February 20 of that year.
The Funeral Mass was celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of the Angels, in Lisbon, where her mortal remains stayed until the 24th, when they were translated to the cemetery of Vila Nova de Ourém, where they were placed in the tomb of the barons of Alvaiázere.
On September 12, 1935, the casket was opened, then closed again and her mortal remains translated to the cemetery of Fatima. On April 30, 1951, the remains were canonically recognized and the following day, May 1, finally translated to the Basilica of the Shrine of Fatima.
Besides the five apparitions at Cova da Iria and the one at Valinhos, Our Lady appeared to Jacinta a few more times at her home, while she was sick; also once in the parish church, Thursday, Ascension Day; and still in Lisbon, at the orphanage and at the hospital. She had a vision of the Holy Father at the Arneiro Well (in the backyard of Lucia’s home) and also another at Loca do Cabeço (Hilltop Grotto).
Jacinta’s spirit of sacrifice is impressive.
Impelled by the preoccupation to save sinners and do reparation for sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, she used to turn everything into a sacrifice to offer to God, as the Angel had recommended, always accompanied by the prayer that Our Lady had taught them: “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.”
She had a great love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Holy Father and sinners in general. She was beatified in Fatima by the Holy Father on May 13, 2000.
Francisco and Jacinta Marto were canonized in the Shrine of Fatima, on the 13th of May 2017, during the Mass of the first International Anniversary Pilgrimage of the Centennial of the Apparitions, presided by Pope Francis. They became the youngest non-martyrs saints in the history of the Catholic Church.