“Do not be afraid. I will do you no harm.” These words echo through time. They are from Our Lady of Fátima. Here before Nossa Senhora de Fátima de Alvarão, we delve into a story that intertwines faith hope and mystery.
Our Lady of Fátima is a title given to Mary the mother of Jesus. It is based on apparitions reported by three shepherd children in Fátima Portugal in 1917. These children Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto claimed to have witnessed Marian apparitions. The Bishop of Leiria declared these events worthy of belief in 1930.
The story began in the spring of 1916. The three children reported seeing an Angel in Valinhos. Then on May 13 1917 in Cova da Iria the children saw the Blessed Virgin Mary. They described her as “a Lady more brilliant than the Sun”. She told them prayer would end the Great War. She said on October 13 she would reveal her identity and perform a miracle “so that all may believe”.
Newspapers spread the prophecies. Pilgrims flocked to the area. But the children’s accounts were controversial. Local secular and religious authorities criticized them. A provincial administrator even took the children into custody. He thought the prophecies were politically motivated against the secular First Portuguese Republic.
On May 13 1917 the children saw a woman “brighter than the sun”. She wore a white mantle edged with gold and held a rosary. She asked them to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity. She told them to pray “the Rosary every day to bring peace to the world and an end to the war”.
Jacinta told her family about the vision. Lúcia had wanted to keep it private. Jacinta’s mother told neighbors as a joke. The whole village soon knew.
The woman told the children to return to Cova da Iria on June 13 1917. Lúcia’s mother asked Father Manuel Ferreira for advice. He told her to let them go. He wanted to question Lúcia afterward. On June 13 the lady revealed that Francisco and Jacinta would soon go to Heaven. Lúcia would live longer to spread her message and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
During the June visit the lady told them to say the Holy Rosary daily. It was in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary. They were to obtain peace and end the Great War. The lady showed them a vision of hell. She entrusted a secret to them. It was described as “good for some and bad for others”.
In the following months thousands visited Fátima. On August 13 1917 the provincial administrator Artur Santos intervened. He jailed the children before they could reach Cova da Iria. Santos interrogated them to reveal the secrets. Lúcia told Santos everything but the secrets.
On August 19 the children saw the Virgin Mary at nearby Valinhos. She asked them to pray the rosary daily. She spoke about the miracle in October. She asked them “to pray a lot a lot for the sinners and sacrifice a lot as many souls perish in hell because nobody is praying or making sacrifices for them.”
Between May 13 and October 13 1917 the children saw six apparitions. Lúcia reported a seventh at Cova da Iria.
The message of Our Lady of Fátima is simple. It calls for prayer sacrifice and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It speaks of peace conversion and the importance of faith in a world filled with turmoil.
As we stand before Nossa Senhora de Fátima de Alvarão let us reflect on the profound message. Let us embrace the call to prayer sacrifice and devotion. May the spirit of Fátima guide us towards a world of peace hope and unwavering faith.