Our Lady of Fatima

Visions of the angels, saints, and the blessed family are not experiences that all people have. Visions, which are also called miracles, and are sent to select individuals and so they become touched by God. A vision is “something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy; especially: a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation.” There have been numerous miracles that have occurred all around the world to people of different ethnicities, genders, and ages. One of these miracles occurred in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The visions that occurred at Fatima can be used to confirm that there is an all-powerful God.

From May 13 to October 13, 1917, there were six visions that came to three children in Fatima named Lucia dos Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto. They were shepherd children who ranged in ages from seven to eleven years old. One day, the children were approached by an angel while they were tending to their sheep. The angel came and told them to pray with him. He said, “Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace”. The children were approached by the same angel a couple more times before they were ever approached by the Lady. The second time they saw them, only one of the girls heard what the angel spoke. He told the children to keep praying and to offer sacrifices to God. On May thirteenth, the three children set out for a town with their flock of sheep. Lucia stopped along the way and said that they should go to Cova de Iria. They eventually headed that way and as while resting after lunch, they saw a great flash of lightning on the horizon. They thought there was a storm coming their way so they started to head back to Fatima. As they reached the bottom of the hill, there was another flash of lightning and an oak tree near them suddenly became engulfed by a radiant light. Lucia and Jacinta saw a Lady of supernatural beauty in the branches of the tree. The radiant Lady talked to them near a small tree and then vanished. She spoke to them saying, “Do not be afraid. I will not do you any harm.” Francisco did not see this radiant Lady at first but, after getting instructions from his sister to pray the rosary, he finally saw the glowing figure in front of him. The Lady then spoke to them all asking if they would like to offer themselves up to God, to make sacrifices, and to willingly accept all of the sufferings that God may send to them, in order to “make reparations for the many sins which offend God.” The children were all willing to do this and they were told to say the rosary every day and return to the same spot at the same time on the thirteenth day of every month.

Not everyone accepted the visions as willingly as the children did. Lucia’s mother attempted to make the child confess that she lied about the original vision and that she manipulated the Marto children into believing her. All of her mother’s attempts failed and Lucia remained devoted to continue to do what the Lady had instructed them all to do. Maria dos Anjos, one of Lucia’s sisters, also did not completely believe what she heard about the Lady appearing to the children. Lucia viewed these accusations as the suffering that she had to endure. Her mother would always coax Lucia to tell the truth and her sisters ridiculed her cruelly.

On June thirteenth, the Feast of Saint Anthony, Lucia took her sheep out earlier than usual. Her brother, Antonio, found her in the fields and said that there were several people at their house looking for her. The story of the children’s vision of the Lady had spread throughout the mountains. Lucia allowed those who had heard to come with her on her way to Fatima to see the Lady. One of the witnesses of this vision of the Lady said that they saw the children kneel down and speak to the sky. The people around them heard a very faint voice that was almost like the buzzing of a bee. Lucia asked the Lady what she wanted of her. The Lady replied, “I want you to come here on the thirteenth day of the coming month, to recite five decades of the Rosary every day, and to learn to read.” Lucia asked the Lady to take her and the other two children up to heaven with and Mary said that the two children would join her soon but Lucia would stay on earth for some time. Francisco and Jacinta were excited to be going up to heaven so soon to be with the Lady.

The third vision came on July 13, 1917. The three children noticed many more strangers at the Cova than last time. Word of the visions had spread past the mountains now. On that day, Ti Marto, Jacinta and Francisco’s father, decided to see what the children were up to and witness for himself whether or not there was anything miraculous occurring. Lucia spoke to the Lady and asked what she wanted her to do. The Lady responded, “I want you to come here on the thirteenth day of the coming