Sunday, February 19, 2006
The Miracles of Fatima

Where is Fatima?

In Fatima, Portugal, beginning on May 13, 1917, the Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children: Lucia Santos (age 10), Francisco Marto (age 9) and Jacinta Marto (age 7). She showed them a vision of hell while reassuring them that they would go to heaven. She called for the conversion of Russia by consecrating that nation to her Immaculate Heart. She told the children secrets that predicted the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II. One of those secrets was that “a Bishop in white”, would be shot and killed along with other believers who were climbing a mountain. She emphasized the importance for all Catholics to pray the Rosary every day.

The Apparitions:

On the 13th of each month at roughly the same hour from May till October, Mary appeared to the three children.

On May 13, 1917, the children saw "a lady, clothed in white, brighter than the sun, radiating a light clearer and more intense than a crystal cup filled with sparkling water, lit by burning sunlight." Mary's request was clear, "I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month, at this same hour. Later I shall say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time."

Her final request that day was thus: "Say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and the end of the war." The children went about in penance receiving little support from the community - they suffered much for the truth like Mary told them.

On June 13, 1917, Mary appeared and Lucia asked her to take her to heaven. Mary said, "I will take Jacinta and Francisco shortly, but you will stay here for some time to come. Jesus wants to use you to make Me known and loved. He wishes to establish the devotion to My Immaculate Heart throughout the world. I promise salvation to whoever embraces it; these souls will be dear to God, like flowers put by Me to adorn his throne."

She also revealed to them the Fatima Prayer and implored them to continue praying the Rosary. The children then saw a vision of a heart in the palm of Mary's right hand, with thorns piercing it. The three children understood it to be the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so offended by the sins of mankind, desiring reparation.

Roughly fifty people say this apparition and they spread the news to many others.

On July 13, 1917, Mary appeared again as promised and asked for the Rosary to continue to be said each day. Lucia asked for her name and a miracle and Mary answered, "Continue to come here every month. In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe."

Mary presented three secrets to the children called the Three Secrets of Fatima. The first was of a vision of hell, where she said sinners would go. She asked for continued prayer and sacrifice to save souls.

The first vision:
"She opened Her hands once more, as She had done the two previous months. The rays [of light] appeared to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a vast sea of fire. Plunged in this fire, we saw the demons and the souls [of the damned]. The latter were like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, having human forms. They were floating about in that conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames which issued from within themselves, together with great clouds of smoke. Now they fell back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fright (it must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me). The demons were distinguished [from the souls of the damned] by their terrifying and repellent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. That vision only lasted for a moment, thanks to our good Heavenly Mother, Who at the first apparition had promised to take us to Heaven. Without that, I think that we would have died of terror and fear." (From Sister Lucia's Memoirs)
Mary said, "...The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father."

The second vision was a prophecy of World War II and came with her request to consecration Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
"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 splendour 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, men and women Religious 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, men and women Religious, 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." (Source: The Vatican)
Then Mary asked for another prayer added to the Rosary, which we pray, "O my Jesus..." The details of the third secret have never been fully revealed by the Vatican, even though they were supposed to be released in the year 1960 as requested by our Lady.

In August 1917, the three children were kidnapped and threatened with death if they did not reveal the secrets of Mary. The children refused. Mary appeared and told them to come to the spot again on the 13th.

She also said, "Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them." The children frequently rejected food and drink and remained faithful to Our Lord through Mary's requests.

On September 13, 1917, Mary appeared again and said, "Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Dolours and Our Lady of Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. He does not want you to sleep with the rope on [a rope they wore for mortification and penance], but only to wear it during the daytime."

Lucia presented requests for cures for people that were ill and Mary said something that all of us can keep to heart: "Yes, I will cure some, but not others. In October I will perform a miracle so that all may believe."

The Last Apparition and the Miracle:



On October 13, 1917, Mary appeared again to the three children and said, "I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes." By then there were thousands of witnesses despite the fact that immediately before the apparition a storm had drenched the ground and the crowds.

Mary also said, "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."

At that, the Miracle of the Sun was witnessed by 70,000 people as it danced in the sky, changed colors, and was hurled towards earth as if to destroy it.

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared later on in 1929 to Sister Lucia where we requested the First Saturday Devotion to her Immaculate Heart.

Our Response

We have a responsibility to live the message of Fatima. Pray the Rosary every single day. Make the First Saturdays Devotion. Make reparation for sins - our sins, those of our family, and those of anyone else. The message of Fatima is one of prayer and penance. These must encapsulate our lives.

12 comment(s):

del_button February 19, 2006 at 6:30 PM
Tom.... said...

yes, yours is one of great faith and peace. The story of Fatima is a special one for me....I drew a picture of Our Lady from a holy card and would like to send you a copy....e mail me at tjanselm@sbcglobal.net with an address if you wish.
Take care.

del_button July 5, 2006 at 4:31 PM
Anonymous said...

and people actually believe his? Woe.

del_button July 5, 2006 at 5:16 PM
Matthew said...

Anonymous, I along with many others believe in Mary's apparitions here. Why should we doubt? WWII arrived with that light in the sky. There are confirmed reports of the miracle of the sun too.

Why would you doubt Mary's appearance here?

del_button June 24, 2010 at 10:10 PM
Anonymous said...

The more I learn about our Blessed Mother, the more I am amazed at her power and grace. What a beautiful occurence. Mary loves us soooo much.

del_button June 30, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Robert Hatton said...

This is the article from the NY Times about the night aluminated by a great light. A few weeks later WWII started. January 25, 1938 The Fatima Storm - The Great Aurora was seen over the whole of Europe and as far south as Southern Australia, Sicily, Portugal and across the Atlantic to Bermuda and Southern California. Crowds in Vienna awaiting the iminent birth of Princess Juliana's baby cheered the aurora as a lucky omen. The immense arches of crimson light with shifting areas of green and blue, radiated from a brilliant Auroral Crown near the zenith instead of appearing as usual in parallel lines. It was also considered to be one of the Fatima Prophesies by Roman Catholics worldwide.

del_button June 30, 2010 at 10:09 PM
Robert Hatton said...

■“London, January 25th, 1938. The Aurora Borealis rarely seen in Southern or Western Europe spread fear in parts of Portugal and lower Austria tonight while thousands of Britons were brought running into the streets in wonderment. The ruddy glow led many to think half the city was ablaze. The Windsor Fire Department was called out thinking that Windsor Castle was afire. The lights were clearly seen in Italy, Spain, and even Gibraltar. The glow bathing snow-clad mountain tops in Austria and Switzerland was a beautiful sight but firemen turned out to chase non-existent fires. Portuguese villagers rushed in fright from their homes fearing the end of the world.”

del_button March 28, 2011 at 10:24 AM
Jobadiah said...

This is GREAT stuff!

del_button April 26, 2011 at 7:15 AM
Penny W. said...

Not many people believe in hell because they are afraid it is true. It is a mistake to hide from or deny your sins. If they would only believe in the the Divine Glory and forgiveness of Jesus and what He did for us. Did you know that on Dec 8, 1917 General Allenby ( a Catholic Christian) captured the Holy City of Jerusalem after 400 years of Turk rule? Do you think they are related? I do. Not to mention, The "UFO's" being seen in the Holy City lately? These are NOT UFO's they are angels, they are white orbs, satan and his angels are dark, they can not imitate light no matter how hard they try. They can not create anything or imitate ANYTHING that God has made. Their imitations are grotesque shadows of God's creations. If you are ever approached by a being that is from "outer space" deny them in the Name of God and DO NOT LISTEN to the blasphemous lies they will try to tell you for they are demons trying to deny God's existence and are trying to get you to do it too. DO NOT DO THIS EVEN UNTO DEATH. Die with God and Christ's Name on your lips and you will NEVER BE SORRY.

del_button April 26, 2012 at 8:03 PM
Animus Purgo said...

This "sun miracle" is physically impossible.

If the sun had moved around like the 70,000 "witnessed", our solar system would have been utterly destroyed.

To Robert Halton:
Massive aurora events have happened several times before and after the beginning of WWII. It is related to solar activity, not to so called prophecies. Only about a month ago (March 2012), the aurora borealis was visible as far south as NY.

del_button April 26, 2012 at 8:20 PM
Matthew said...

Can't God use nature and our perception of it (like the Sun Miracle and the recent Northern Lights) as signs? To be a miracle it does not necessitate the sun actually moving - our perception of it is enough for it to be a miracle.

del_button June 29, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...

I believe in it and that's the only person i have to covince.

del_button July 12, 2012 at 8:15 PM
IMO said...

Praised be the Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Lord have pity on those who denied his Holy Mother.

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