May 13 + Our Lady of Fatima

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, May 13, 1917, three children were laughing and chatting as they kept watch over their families’ sheep. Suddenly a bright light flashed. They saw a ball of light descend upon a little evergreen tree. Within the light was a beautiful Lady dressed in white.

The children were Lucia dos Santos, who was 10 years old, and her cousins Francisco Marto (9) and his sister Jacinta (7). These children lived in Portugal, in a small village near Fatima. The shining woman — who is now known as Our Lady of Fatima — told them not to be afraid and that she was from heaven. She told them she would return on the 13th day of each month for 6 months, and she asked them to meet her at the same place, the Cova da Iria.

The year before Our Lady's appearance, the children had been visited by the Angel of Peace. They listened to the angel’s message and faithfully prayed the prayers the angel taught them. They responded to Mary in the same way and prayed the Rosary and offered sacrifices for sinners and for the conversion of the world. They were children who wanted to please God.

Many people including Lucia’s family did not believe the children. People laughed, ridiculed, harassed, threatened them and put them in jail for two days. But nothing could change the truth.

Just as the Lady promised, she appeared to them on the 13th day of each month. More and more people accompanied the children to the Cova. Each time, Mary told them to pray the Rosary for peace in the world and to sacrifice for sinners. On October 13, the last day of apparitions, more than 70,000 were waiting. This time, the Lady asked them to build a chapel on the rocky hillside. The entire crowd saw a remarkable sight. The sun seemed to dance in the sky. It was spinning like a top and shooting off brilliant colors of the rainbow. Suddenly the sun dropped treacherously close to earth. People dropped to their knees, and the sun just as quickly returned to its play in the sky. It was a historical event that was not only witnessed by thousands of people, but recorded by journalists and photographers.

Francisco and Jacinta died within a short time, as the Lady had said they would. Lucia became a Carmelite nun and died February 13, 2005 at age 97.

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See the Our Lady of Fatima Collection