On a beautiful Sunday morning on May 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary spoke to three Portuguese shepherd children from Aljustrel with words of reassurance: “Do not be afraid.” Lucia Dos Santos (10 years old) and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto (9 and 7 years old) were grazing their sheep on the slopes of Cova da Iria after attending Mass in the parish of Fátima. As they played and recited the Rosary, they were startled by a sudden flash of light, mistaking it for lightning.
Thinking a storm was approaching, they hurried to gather the flock when they were stopped by a new light. In front of them, a beautiful Lady dressed in white appeared, asking them to come to the same spot for six consecutive months on the 13th at the same time. She promised to reveal her intentions to them. The Lady’s appearance was radiant, with a golden-adorned dress, a white cloak, and a rosary in her hand. Lucia bravely accepted the Lady’s request for them to offer themselves to God as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity.
The apparitions in the Cova da Iria
Despite Lucia’s initial hesitation to reveal the events, Jacinta could not keep it a secret out of fear of punishment. The news spread quickly, drawing crowds to witness the apparitions. The Virgin Mary urged them to pray fervently and instructed Lucia to learn to read and write to pass on her messages. As the appearances continued, the children faced skepticism from the community, but they remained steadfast in their faith. The Virgin Mary even appeared to them in a different location when they were unable to reach the designated spot.
“I am the Virgin of the Rosary”
On a rainy October 13, 70 thousand people gathered to witness the last apparition. The Virgin Mary identified herself as the Virgin of the Rosary to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta before revealing a miraculous dance of the sun. The people in attendance witnessed the sun changing colors, rotating, and seeming to fall to the earth. After the event, their clothes, which were soaked from the rain, miraculously dried. The ecclesiastical authority later declared the apparitions as “worthy of faith,” leading to the cult of the Virgin of Fátima. Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta faced hardships and sacrifices but remained faithful to the Virgin Mary’s messages until their deaths.
