THE GREAT PROMISE OF THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS
Not long after the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima had ceased, Jacinta and Francesco became ill and later died.
After their deaths, their cousin Lucia entered the Convent of St Dorothy at Pontevedra in Spain.
Lucia was in her cell one night when Our Lady, accompanied by the Holy Child, appeared to Her. Touching Lucia's shoulder with one Hand, Our Lady showed her a Heart, encircled by thorns, which She was holding in the other. The Child Jesus pointed at it and spoke to Lucia:
"Take pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns which ungrateful men at every moment nail into it, with no one to make an act of reparation to remove them."
Our Lady added:
"Look, my daughter, at My Heart, encircled by thorns, which ungrateful men at every moment nail into me with blasphemy and ingratitudes. You at least try to console me, and announce that I promise to assist at the hour of death with all graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturdays of five consecutive months, confess, receive Holy Communion, recite the Rosary and keep me company for fifteen minutes, meditating on its mysteries with the intention of offering reparation to Me."
Lucia promised to do so and ever since, she has been trying to publicise this message from Our Lady. The request is so simple and if you obey it, you will already find yourself deriving benefit from your obedience in this life. You will also be confident to know that Our Lady will ease your road to Heaven on your last day.
You don't have to say all fifteen mysteries on the first Saturdays. Five mysteries will be sufficient. As for the fifteen minutes when you are required to ponder on the mysteries of the Holy Rosary, feel free to contemplate any mystery or mysteries of your choice.
HOW TO PRAY THE ROSARY
The best way to pray the Rosary is for you to use rosary beads. If you have no way of obtaining these, however, use your fingers. It is the intention which counts, rather than the instrument. Still, you'd better put a rosary on top of your next birthday list. When Saint Bernadette of Lourdes on one occasion used a friend's rosary, while praying with Our Lady at the Lourdes grotto, Our Lady appeared to be upset and waited for her to produce her own before continuing the prayer. So make sure you get one and that you keep it in a safe place.
ON THE CROSS YOU PRAY THE CREED:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into Heaven and sits at the Right Hand of the Father,
From thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Catholic Church,
The Communion of Saints,
The forgiveness of sins,
The resurrection of the body
And the life everlasting
AMEN.
ON ALL SINGLE BEADS (there are six) YOU PRAY THE OUR FATHER:
Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as It is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
AMEN.
ON ALL ROWS OF BEADS (first a row of 3, then 5 rows of 10) YOU PRAY THE HAIL MARY:
Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee,
Blessed art Thou among women
And blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, JEsus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
AMEN.
AT THE DEND OF EACH SET OF HAIL MARYS YOU PRAY THE GLORIA:
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning,
Is now,
And ever shall be,
World without end.
AMEN.
followed by the prayer Our Lady herself taught the children to say after each decade of the Rosary (a decade is the Our Father, ten Hail Marys and Gloria):
Oh my Jesus, pardon us,
Save us from the fires of hell,
Draw all souls to Heaven,
Especially those who are most in need of Thy MErcy.
There are fifteen decades of the Rosary. We generally pray five per night.
On Mondays and Thusdays we pray the Joyful Mysteries:
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Birth of Our Lord Jesus in a stable at Bethlehem
The Presentation in the Temple
The finding of the CHild Jesus in the Temple
On Tuesdays and Fridays wer pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:
The Agony in the Garden
The Scourging at the Pillar
The Crowning with Thorns
The Carrying of the Cross
The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus
On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, we pray the Glorious Mysteries:
The Resurrection
The Ascension
The Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
The Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven
The Crowning of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN
On the thirteenth of October 1917, the Cova da Iria was transformed into a pool of mud. As a fierce rainstorm raged, approximately seventy thousand pilgrims were assembled, umbrellas aloft, yet soaked through. Undeterred, they all sang hymns and prayed the Rosary together.
Maria Rosa quietly followed Lucia on her way to the small holm oak. Jacinta was crying, afraid of the surging masses of people. Lucia put her arm around her cousins.
"No one will harm you," she said comfortingly, and Jacinta wiped her tears.
Having arrived before the holm oak, now stripped of all its foliage by souvenir-hunting pilgrims, they observed the crude arch local people had erected from three three stems, which supported a cross and two burning lanterns. Lucia turned to the expectant crowd.
"Please put down your umbrellas," she requested respectfully. The people obeyed silently. Then, as from one powerful throat, the Rosary of the Seventy Thousand resounded over the Cova:
"Hail Mary!
Full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art THou among women
And blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary!
Mother of God!
Pray for us, sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.
Amen!"
Suddenly the children stopped praying.
"We have seen the light beam!" Lucia exclaimed, "There, I see her!"
The children, eyes raised, saw the beauty of Our Lady.
The hushed crowd observed a white cloud which was descending on the site of the apparition. Three times it descended and three times it ascended upwards, as a cloud of incense, moved by an invisible hand.
Lucia's calm voice resounded amid the hush:
"Who art Thou, and what dost Thou desire from me?" she requested.
As promised Our Lady now finally revealed Herself:
"I am the Lady of the Rosary,
I have come to encourage the faithful to change their lives;
To cease to sadden by sin Our Lord, Who has been so deeply insulted;
To pray the Holy Rosary;
To improve themselves;
And to do penance for their sins."
For a moment Our Lady was silent. Then She resumed:
"I desire that on this spot a Chapel be built in My Honour."
And She made a great promise;
"If the people improve their lives, the war will soon cease. I shall hear your prayers."
Moving away from the direction of the sun, Our Lady opened Her Hands which were reflected in the sun that was becoming bright again.
"Look at the sun!" the multitude heard Lucia exclaim.
All at once the rain ceased to pour and the clouds disappeared. The sun breaking through the clouds now resembled a silver wheel of fire, revolving with great speed, whilst sending out radiant beams of light, turning the sky and the Cova yellow, green, red, blue and violet in rapid succession. The sun ceased for a spell, then repeated the performance, paused again and then resumed the dance for the third time.
Entranced, the people stared at the incredible phenomenon. Then a roar of fear was heard as they fell to the ground, whilst the sun appeared to loosen itself from the sky and zigzagged down towards the multitude.
"A miracle!" some cried.
"Hail Mary!"
"My God, I believe in Thee!"
"Holy Virgin, Blessed Virgin!"
"Our Lady of the Rosary, save Portugal!"
Whilst the people were wrapped up in the miracle of the sun, Our Lady fulfilled Her Promise to the children concerning Joseph and the Divine Infant. They beheld Saint Joseph and Baby Jesus, both dressed in red, near the sun. Jesus was only about a year old. When they had disappeared, Our Lord appeared and blessed the crowd. Our Lady reappeared, dressed as Our Lady of Seven Dolours. Finally Our Lady again appeared, attired, it would seem to Lucia, as Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
After Our Lady had finally departed, the sun ceased its display and the people found that their clothes, raindrenched some minutes ago, were now bone dry. Marvelling and rejoicing, they departed for their homes. An amusing touch enlivened their departure when it was found that an overenthusiastic pilgrim had cut off Lucia's plaits as a souvenir.
And that my friends, is all I am going to tell you about our three shepherds at the moment.
Apart from a brief explanation at the end, concerning the recitation fo the Rosary, as well as the Great Promise of the Five First Saturdays, to which Our Lady had referred when she appeared to the children on the thirteenth of July and which she explained to Lucia later, this book has come to its close.
The important thing about the shepherds of Fatima is that way they brought Our Lady's message to the word; to you and to me.
Many have never been told the truth about this message and it was in order to reach those of you that I sat down with Lucia's autobiography at my left hand and my pen in my right hand, so that you too may learn of these wonderful promises.
The Fatima message has been accepted and embraced, notably also by Pope John Paul II who made a pilgrimage to Fatima on 13 Mary 1982.
Perhaps you may wish to follow his example, and make a holy pilgrimage to Fatima.
Did you listen to Our Lady's message? If not, hush, and you'll hear it again:
"I am the Lady of the Rosary,
I have come to encourage the faithful to change their lives;
To cease to sadden by sin Our Lord, Who has been so deeply insulted;
To pray the Holy Rosary;
To improve themselves;
And to do penance for their sins."
THE END
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE DAY IT RAINED FLOWERS
Father Manuel Formigao, seated on a cart, was travelling towards Fatima. It was the thirteenth of September, the day on which the Lady was due to make her fifth visit to the shepherds. Father Formigao, a Professor of Theology, had been instructed by the Vicar General at Lisbon to observe the events of Fatima at close range.
There was something about the multitudes approaching Fatima which caught and held his attention. From 25 000 to 30 000 were hastening towards the Cova da Iria in order to be present at the Lady's forthcoming visit. Not a sentimental man as a rule, Father Formigao felt emotional as he observed the fervent faith of these pilgrims.
Having reached the holm oak, Lucia requested the crowd to kneel. Then all these thousands together joined in the recitation of the Rosary. Moving his beads one by one, the Vicar General of the Leiria Diocese, to which Fatima belonged, joined in their prayer.
Before the Rosary was finished, he heard Lucia exclaim:
"There she is - I see her!"
At the same time shouts of rejoicing broke out as thousands of arms were raised towards the sky. To his amazement, the Vicar General, his eyes following the direction into which the people were motioning, discerned an oval light, moving slowly and majestically from east to west. Having arrived above the oak, the light faded. The sunlight darkened and the beautiful white cloud, noticed on previous visits, again embraced the tree and the shepherds. From then on the Portuguese people were to refer to the oval light as the Aeroplane of Light which transported Our Lady.
Then from Heaven, white objects, resembling snowflakes to some, flowers to others, came drifting down, melting a short distance from the ground. The entire sky became one of flowers. Enchanted, the people gazed at the phenomenon which was to last throughout the visit.
Meanwhile the little shepherds were wrapped up in their own joy, the Vision of Our Lady, Who was urging them to continue praying the Rosary in order to obtain an end to the war.
Then great news:
"In October Our Lord will come also, and Our Lady of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Carmel and Saint Joseph with the Child Jesus, to bless the world. God is content with your sacricies."
Lucia recalled her promises to the pilgrims:
"They have begged me to ask many things of Thee, the cure of some sick persons, of a deaf mute."
"Yes, I shall cure some but not the others. In October I shall perform the miracle, so that all will believe."
Suddenly Lucia exclaimed:
"There! She is going!"
Again the sun shone brightly as it had done before the visions, the white cloud disappeared and the flowers melted away.
Quietly the crowd cleared the Cova and departed, their hearts full of these heavenly manifestations.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
LUCIA'S PARENTS LOSE THEIR SCEPTICISM
Devoutly the children knelt before the makeshift altar as each told his or her own story to the Lady, stories full of apology on account of having missed their appointment, sorrow at the thought of the Lady's disappointment at having come in vain and their yearning to see her again. Then together they went home.
Four days later, on August the nineteenth, as Lucia, accompanied by Francesco and one of his brothers, was herding the sheep at Os Valinhos, a valley situated between Aljustrel and the Cabeco, she suddenly observed that the sun had paled.Lucia called to Francesco to observe the phenomenon. Queickly the latter emptied all the money from his pocket and pressed it into his brother's hand.
"Run!" he urged, "you can hav this, please run quickly and fetch Jacinta!"
As his brother speedily obeyed, Francesco remarked to Lucia:
"If Jacinta is too late to see the Lady, she'll be so sad!"
He need not have worried, for a few minutes later Jacinta arrived on the spot, out of breath but elated.
"We have already seen the two flashes of light!" Lucia informed her. A moment later the Lady was standing above another oak, taller than the holm oak at the Cova.
How she smiled at her three friends and how much pity she bestowed on them for the treatment that had been meted out to them. Then she grew infinitely sad as she informed them that on account of the way they had been treated, the miracle which was to take place during October would be less wonderful than originally intended. Again she urged her friends to pray and make sacrifices for the sake of people
"Pray, pray much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because there is no one who makes sacrifices for them," she said and the sadness on her face bore witness to the consuming sorrow this Mother feels at the thought of losing even one of her millions of children.
"They have erected an altar in Thy Honour at the Cova," Lucia told the Lady, "Many people have left money but no one wants to take charge of it. Please tell me what Thou desirest the people to do with it."
The Lady explained that the money was to be spent on two stands such as are used during processions. One was to be coloured gold and the other silver. On the Feast of the Rosary, Lucia and Jacinta with two other girls, all to be dressed in white, were to carry the gold one while Francesco and three of his companions, also dressed in white, should carry the silver one. The remainder of the money was to be spent on the building of a Chapel on the spot of the apparitions. Lucia then commended some sick persons to the Lady's care.
"Let them pray the Rosary," was the answer, "Then some of them will be cured during the course of the year."
Throughout the visit, Francesco's brother had been vainly straining his eyes and ears to catch a glimpse or a word. Now he heard Lucia call out:
"There the Lady goes. Look!" Simultaneously he heard a loud sound. Sadly he regarded the other children, so much privileged. Lucia sensed his heartache.
"The Lady was standing on that branch," she said comfortingly.
"Francesco, why don't you climb up and pull off the branch on which the Lady's feet were resting?"
Quickly Francesco did as he was told.
"Let me hold it," his brother begged, holding out his hand. He became aware of a wondrous fragrance emanating from the branch.
He showed the others, and they breathed in the sweet scent, delighted to have been given yet a further manifestation of their Lady's power.
Passing Lucia's house, Francesco and Jacinta waved to Maria Rosa who stood wielding her broom at the front door.
"Aunt, we saw the Blessed Virgin again."
"Look Aunt, she was standing on this branch."
Maria Rosa took the branch held out to her, but her gaze turned to one of incredulity as its fragrance reached her. An oak branch to spread such a heavenly fragrance. Surely this could not be a hoax? Thomas saw Our Lord after His Resurrection, and believed. Maria Rosa experienced the scent from an oak branch and most of her doubt evaporated.
Even Lucia's father was impressed by the event. Henceforward he would command his other daughter to stop teasing Lucia.
"We don't know that she's telling the truth," he would say, "but we can't prove she's lying either."
CHAPTER TEN
THE CHILDREN GO TO PRISON
Apprehensively Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta huddled together in a corner of the room into which the Administrador had locked them a few moments earlier. They had not expected to be treated this way. Worst of all, they had missed the Lady. Had she come, they wondered. Would she have understood why they had not been there to meet her?
"Unless you first tell me your secret, you will never see your homes again," the Administrador had shouted before slamming the door shut and locking it. A few moments later it opened again and a quiet-looking woman entered. They had already met the Administrador's wife earlier on. She stroked Jacinta's hair.
"You will call me if you want anything, won't you?" she asked shyly before vanishing again. In her way she would try to be good to the children whenever she was to bring in their meals during their forthcoming ordeal. However, the children were scarcely to notice her in their anxiety.
Next day the door was flung open again and two policemen entered. As though they were criminals, the children were led down to the Administration office. There again the Administrador awaited them with his list of questions. Meekly the children answered as many of these as they could without disobeying the Lady's instructions. However, when they were asked:
"What was the secret you were told in the Cova da Iria?" the children steadfastly refused to reply. Someone held out a god coin in an effort to bribe them but the distressed children turned away. someone else made threats. The children bit their lip and looked down at the floor.
A little later the children were taken back to the house of the Administrador where they were again threatened and cajoled in turn. The Lady's friends again proved worthy of the trust reposed in them. Back again to the Administration offices, where the children continued to keep faith with their Lady.The Administrador now imprisoned the children. After being led into the prison, they were locked into a cell.
Eventually two warders came and took the children back to the Administrador for further questioning.
On the fifteenth of August, the Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, when the families of the three little shepherds came out from the High Mass. As they did so, they observed the carriage of the Administrador parked outside the Presbytery across the Church Square. Three beaming children were waving at them from the verandah.
Even Maria Rosa ran over to hug Lucia. Only she knew how badly she had slept during the past two nights, or how devoutly she had prayed to the Blessed Virgin to protect her children during Mass.
The Administrador surveyed the re-union taking place between parents and children. Twirling his cane, he approached Papa Marto.
"Your children are allowed to go back to the Cova da Iria," he remarked.
The children, meanwhile were already running towards the Cova, delighted to be free again. Lucia, whose legs were longest, was first to reach the table with candles and flowers erected in front of the holm oak and she happily called the others over to admire the display. Excitedly the children surrounded it. After the nightmare of the past few days, freedom at the Cova had become an enchanting event.
CHAPTER NINE
THE ADMINISTRADOR
Fatima, the children's hometown, in that year of 1917, was locally governed by the arondissement of Vila Nova de Ourém. For several years the Chief or Administrador of this aronidssement was Arthur d'Oliveira Santos. In August a messenger arrived to the heads of the dos Santos and Marto families, bearing a summons for them and the children to appear before the Administrador at Ourém.at a given hour the next day.
Stalwart Papa Marto ran true to form.
"I'll go myself," he firmly declared, "but Francesco and Jacinta are staying home. They can't walk that long distance and if I put them on horseback they're going to fall off. Anyway, there can be no earthly reason for summoning such young children to appear in court."
He was not exaggerating the difficulties of a journey to Ourém.for it took three hours to reach on foot as part of the road consisted of a steep and hazardous decline.
No such qualms beset Lucia's parents, however.
"Our child is going!" Maria Rosa informed her husband. "Let her answer for herself."
Lucia was lifted on to a donkey early the following morning. She was to fall from its saddle three times during the journey.
Having arrived at the house of her uncle, Lucia and her father found him still getting dressed, so Lucia nipped into Jacinta's room. Fearful, she thought that this might be her last opportunity of seeing Jacinta, so she hugged her in farewell. Seeing her sadness, Jacinta began to cry.
Lucia faced the Administrador later that day. Having been waiting for their arrival, he noted that her cousins were missing.
"What secret were you told at the Cova da Iria?" he demanded. Mutely Lucia looked down at the ground.
"Promise you will never again return there," the Administrador insisted. Lucia held her tongue.
Finally, the Administrador sent them away.
Upon her arrival home a tired Lucia went first to the well in the backyard, where she found both her cousins.
A few days later three men on horseback arrived at Fatima to question the children. After the interview was over, the men did not have the answer they sought, as to the nature of the secret the children had been told at the Cova.The children were threatened with execution.
One of Lucia's aunts, living in a district which did not fall under the Administrador's jurisdiction, heard the news. She rushed down to Aljustrel to invite the children to come and stay at her house. Appreciative of her kindness though they were, they refused her offer.
"Whether they kill us or not is the same thing. If they do, we'll just go to Heaven."
The thirteenth of August brought an enormous influx of spectators to Fatima. Newspaper reporters who had come to cover the event, were to surmise that by midday between fifteen- and eighteen thousand people had arrived at the Cova. Vehicles of every sort and description drove into town. People arrived on foot, by bicycle, on donkeys and on horseback. Carts and cars stood in long rows and the piles of bicycles resembled small mountains.
Amid the general air of excitement and anticipation the children felt unhappy and insecure. The fact that they were to see the Lady later that day was being obscured by the importunate way people poured into their gardens, questioning and giving messages for the Lady without giving them a chance to answer. It made Lucia tired.
In the midst of this chaos a messenger arrived. He announced that the Administrador was awaiting Lucia and her father at the house of the Marto family. Antonio dos Santos and Lucia obeyed his summons. When they arrived, they found the Administrador engaged in the process of interrogating Jacinta and Francesco concerning the secret. When he had abandoned this task, he started asking them to promise not to return to the Cova.
Finding that he was getting nowhere with the children, the Administrador then ordered their fathers to bring them to the Presbytery. There too they refused to give the answer.
The Administrador then offered the children a lift to the Cova in his carriage.
Once in the carriage, the coach took the turn right and entered the road towards Ourém.
"That's not the way," Lucia demurred, a tiny doubt beginning to stir within her.
Inscrutably the Administrador regarded her. It did not take the children long to realise that they had been deceived. Having given them food and played for time, the Administrador finally announced that it was twelve o'clock and that they would not see the Lady. Heartbroken but resigned, the chidlren awaited further developments.
Back at the Cova, the multititude impatiently awaited the arrival of the little shepherds. They had already sung several hymns and recited the Rosary together, but still the children did not arrive. Seated around the holm oak, people started wondering aloud about the reason for this absence. Then like wildfire the rumour started doing the rounds.
"The Administrador has taken the children to Ourém.by force," someone said. The message passed along the rows of people and it was not long before everyone present had been told some version of the children's plight.
Near the front a young man rose. pulling off his cap, he motioned it into the direction of Ourém.
"Come with me to Ourém.all of you!" he shouted angrily. "It's time we taught the Administrador a lesson."
As the crowd was struggling to its feet and putting away the rosaries in prepartion for a march on the Administrador, a tremendous thunderclap shook the sky as a geat light illumined the heavens.
Next a white cloud, pleasant to the sight, settled itself above the holm oak for a space of ten minutes, after which it ascended and disappeared.
After this heavenly sign, the people found that they had lost their desire to rebel. For a while they discussed what they had observed. Then, peacefully, they set off for home.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE LADY REVEALS HER SECRETS
When the children arrived at the Cova da Iria on the thirteenth day of July 1917, they found that a crowd of five to six thousand people had preceded them and that these people were anxiously awaiting their arrival. It was the third year of the First World War and people were tired of the fighting. Many of them had husbands, brothers or sons at the Front. If this Lady from Heaven was the One they hoped She was, they reckoned, surely She could prevail upon Our Lord to end the war? And so the hopeful thousands stood at the Cova, awaiting the Lady's arrival.
After the children had battled their way through the surging crowds and reached their little oak, they knelt down to say their Rosary. Then a flash of lightning, cleaving the sky, heralded the Lady's third visit and here She stood again, as lovely and enchanting as the children remembered Her.
Lucia, gazing at Her, felt ashamed. As she motioned to the crowd to kneel down, they willingly obeyed her. Then Jacinta nudged her urgently. "Come on Lucia, talk! Can't you see that the Lady is here and wishes to speak to you?"
Humbly Lucia raised her eyes.
"What dost Thou desire of me?"
"I want you to come here on the thirteenth day of the coming month, and to continue to say the Rosary every day in honour of Our Lady of the Rosary, to obtain the Peace of the World and an End to the War. For She alone will be able to help."
"I wish to ask you to tell us Who You are and to perform a miracle to that everyone will believe that You appeared to us."
"Continue to come here every month. In October I shall tell you Who I am and what I wish, and I shall perform a miracle for everyone to see in order to make them believe."
Lucia made some requests and Our Lady replied that it was necessary to say the Rosary to obtain graces during the year. Looking earnestly at the children, she added:
"Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say frequently, but especially whenever you are making a sacrifice: 'Jesus, it is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'"
Then the Lady again opened out her hands as she had done on previous occasions. This time the light from her hands seemed to pierce the earth. The children saw a vision of Hell, where those who have rejected God live. There was much sorrow and despair there. Terrified, the children turned their eyes towards Our Lady, who said, sadly and tenderly:
"You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go.
In order to save them, God wishes to establish in the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If they do what I shall tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war will end, but if people do not stop offending God, another even worse one will begin.
"When you see a night, illuminated by an unknown light, know that this will be the great sign which God will give you to show that He is going to punish the world for its crimes by means of war, hunger and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.
"To prevent this I shall come to ask for the consecration to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If they heed my requests, conversion will occur and there will be peace. If not, errors will be scattered throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer and various nations will be destroyed.
"In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate to me. Conversion will occur and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal the dogma of the Faith will always be kept.
"Tell this to no one. Francesco, yes, you may tell him.
"When you say the Rosary, recite after each mystery:
'Oh my Jesus pardon us. Save us from the fire of Hell. Draw all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of Thy Mercy.'"
The crowd had noticed a white cloud surrounding the holm oak since the time when the Lady had arrived. They now heard Lucia ask: "Dost Thou desire anything further from me?"
"No, I desire nothing further," the Lady replied in tones audible only to Lucia and Jacinta. Then She departed.
As soon as the crowd noticed that the white cloud had disappeared from the holm oak, they rushed to surround the shepherds. "What did the Lady say?" they asked, "Lucia, we could hear you sighing. Why did you look so sad? What happened?"
Elbowing his way through the crowd, Father Marto appeared. Having reached the children, he stooped, lifted Jacinta from the ground and swiftly bore her away from the importunate crowd. No such luck for Lucia and Francesco, however. They were left to face the full blast of the pilgrims' curiosity.
Finally Lucia said:
"It's a secret."
"Good or bad?"
"It's for the wellbeing of the three of us."
"And what about the people?"
"It also concerns the people. For some the news is good - for others bad."
And despite all their pleadings, the people obtained no further information from the children.
Only many years later Lucia disclosed the two secrets described above.
Afterwards, at the well in the backyard, Lucia was telling Francesco all the things the Lady had said. As he listened, Jacinta, looking sadly at her hands, murmured:
"Coitadinho do Santo Padre! Poor Holy Father.
Tenho muita pena dos pecadores - Oh, how I pity the sinners . . ."
She was to continue repeating these words at brief intervals throughout the remainder of her short life.
CHAPTER SEVEN
MORE TROUBLE FOR LUCIA
Father Ferreria was a worried man. Ever since those three little shepherds had become news,his parlour was daily filled with people, asking him if there were any truth in the stories they told.
"I tell you Father, I was right there!" an elderly man was saying to him at this minute, "I saw those branches bending with my very own eyes."
"Yes Manuel," Fatima's Parish Priest replied absently. In his mind's eye he beheld little Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes, hopelessly failing to convince her own parish priest, Abbé Peyremale, of the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes. Only when the child had repeated the words of the Lady: "I am the Immaculate Conception" had her Parish Priest believed and afterwards he had become her number one supporter. But then the Abbé had possessed a strong character. Father Ferreira grimaced ruefully.
The old man was still talking.
"You should speak to Lucia dos Santos, Father," he suggested. "She can tell you more than I can. Good day to you, Father."
"Good day, Manuel," the Priest courteously replied. He turned back to his study, his mind seething with questions, worries and doubts. By dinnertime, however, he had made up his mind.
"Please send a message down to Aljustrel," he said to his sister as she served him his midday meal. Not a talkative woman his sister, he reflected, as she merely nodded and continued ladling soup on to his plate.
"Please inform the parents of Lucia dos Santos and Francesco and Jacinta Marto that I wish to see them and their children as soon as possible."
"I'll arrange it," his sister replied, setting the condiments beside his plate.
When Lucia heard the news, she was scared. She slipped off to her cousins, who soon put her mind at ease.
"We are also going," they reassured her, "The priest also sent a message to Mother to bring us. But Mother told us nothing about any punishment. Even so, be patient. If they hit us, we'll bear the pain for love of Our Lord and sinners."
Although kind and gentle as ever, Father Ferreira questioned the children narrowly. Having decided by mutual consent to keep silent about certain matters, the children forebore to mention that the Lady had asked them to make sacrifices for sinners, or that she had promised to bring Jacinta and Francesco to Heaven in the near future. They also held their tongues about the sight of the Heart of Mary, lacerated by thorns and the light in which they had seen themselves bathed in the Grace of God.
Pensively the Priest regarded the children. He was intelligent enough to know that they were hiding information from him. Particularly Jacinta would barely answer his questions. Perplexedly wrinkling his forehead, he addressed Olimpia and Maria Rosa.
"To me this does not appear to be a revelation from Heaven," he stated. "In cases such as this Our Lord usually commands the souls to whom He reveals Himself to give an account of what has happened to their Confessor or Parish Priest."
Pointing at Lucia, he continued:
"This child, on the other hand, hides as much as she can. This can also be cause by the deceit of the devil. We shall see. The future will teach us what to believe."
Poor little Lucia. These words caused her to suffer much as she reflected on whether she had been deceived in the Lady..
But when she told her cousins about her doubts, Jacinta firmly resisted. The Lady, she declared, had risen up to Heaven.
Thanks to Jacinta's moral support, Lucia cheered up slightly.
"I wish I could tell everyone I've been lying about this all along," she remarked to her cousins on one occasion, "Anything that would stop the people from pestering me would bring relief."
Francesco and Jacinta were horrified.
"You mustn't do that!" they exclaimed.
A few nights later, Lucia had a dreadful nightmare. Lucia screamed so loudly that she woke her mother, who came running to her side. After the nightmare Lucia decided to break her next appointment with the Lady. The day before She was to visit the children again, Lucia sought out her cousins. While they conversed, they noticed many strangers passing them. From all over the neighbourhood, people were pouring into Fatima to be present at the Cova da Iria in time for the next apparition.
Lucia informed Jacinta and Francesco that she was not going.
A surprise awaited her. Jacinta and Francesco insisted they would go.
A moment after taking this firm stand, however, Francesco developed cold feet.
"Who's going to speak to the Lady now that Lucia's not coming?" he anxiously asked his sister.
"I shall!" Jacinta declared, after which statement she burst into tears.
Lucia's heart melted at the sight of her little cousin's sorrow.
"Don't cry, Jacinta," she implored, "Whatever's the matter with you?"
"I'm crying because you won't come with us,"" Jacinta sobbed.
But Lucia was determined not to meet the Lady again.
Turning away, she ran off. She crouched behind a neighbour's hedge for the rest of that afternoon, in hiding.
However, the next morning, at the time when the children were due to leave for the Cova, Lucia went over to her uncle's house, where she found Francesco and Jacinta. Suddenly confidence and courage came back to Lucia.
"Aren't you two going any more?" she enquired cheerfully.
"Won't you come with us after all?" Jacinta pleaded.
"I'm on my way already!" Lucia merrily replied.
Joyfully her cousins jumped up, smiles transforming their sad little faces into happy ones. Then they made their way to the Cova, while their parents, who had decided to go with them, were hard put to keep up with the three children.
CHAPTER SIX
"PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY!"
It had been a long and trying month for the children and particularly for Lucia, but now at last the morning of June thirteenth, the date laid down by the Lady for her second visit, had dawned.
It was the custom in that part of the world for a big celebration to be held in honour of St Anthony of Padua on this his annual feast day. Lucia loved such church feasts. Her enjoyment of beautiful clothes was fed by the combined efforts of her godmother and seamstress sisters to make her the most beautifully turned-out girl at the feast. Being aware of this, Maria Rosa and her daughters were unperturbed by the thought of Lucia's appointment with the Lady.
"We'd like to see you forego the feast in order to go and speak to that Lady at the Cova da Iria," they said before each of them went her own way.
For obvious reasons the parents of Jacinta and Francesco had selected this of all days to go to the market of Porte-de-Mos to purchase some oxen. The three children, thus left free to make their own arrangements, had taken their sheep out to graze at the crack of dawn and brought them home again. They had then set out for the Cova, where they were now kneeling down under the shade of a huge oak, fervently reciting their Rosary.
The sixty-odd people who were assembled, whether from curiosity or devotion it was uncertain, joined in their prayer. When they had finished praying, Lucia put her scarf around her head in the manner she used for going to Church and turned into an eastward direction to welcome the apparition.
"Is the Lady late?" someone asked.
"No," Lucia answered.
"Let's start another Rosary," Jacinta suggested.
"Yes, let's," Francesco affirmed, "There is still time."
But then they both fell silent as Lucia, her voice trembling, called out:
"We've seen the lightbeam already. Here the Lady comes!"
The children rushed down to the small holm oak of the first apparition.
The others present hurried after them, although they were unable to see anything out of the ordinary. As they looked at Lucia, they could see her facial expression turn to one of extreme joy, beautifying her features almost beyond recognition. Then they heard her say"
"What does Your Excellency desire of me?"
In vain they strained their ears to hear the reply. Only Lucia and Jacinta heard the tender, motherly voice, gently requesting:
"I desire you to come here on the thirteenth day of next month, to pray the Rosary every day and to learn to read. Later I shall tell you what I would like you to do."
Lucia obediently inclined her head before recalling a message that had been entrusted to her by the relative of a sick man in the village, who wanted her to request the Lady's aid to obtain his recovery. This she now did.
"Let him convert," the Lady replied, "and he will recover during the course of the year."
"I should like to ask you to take us to Heaven," Lucia requested hopefully.
"Yes," the Lady said, "I shall fetch Jacinta and Francesco soon. But you will still have to remain here. Jesus wishes to make use of you in order to make me known and loved. It is his desire to establish the devotion to my Immaculate Heart here on earth."
"Then do I have to stay here all alone?" Lucia sadly asked. The Lady gazed on her with motherly tenderness.
"No, my daughter. Are you greatly troubled? Don't lose courage. I shall never leave you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God."
Then Lucia and her cousins saw the Lady open out her hands. For the second time she revealed that shining light in which they beheld themselves bathed in the Light of God. Francesco and Jacinta were in the lightbeam that led towards Heaven, whilst Lucia stood within the radiance that spread itself across the earth. Simultaneously a heart, surrounded by thorns, appeared in front of the Lady's Right Hand. They somehow comprehended that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, lacerated by the many sins of the world, and requesting penance and atonement.
Those present would later tell their friends and relatives that this visit of the Lady's lasted for about ten minutes. Unable to see Her themselves, they had nonetheless been deeply impressed by the look of joy on the faces of the children as She conversed with them. If they still needed further confirmation of Her Presence, they received it as they observed the branches of the holm oak which were bent down as the Lady stood upon them. When the Lady departed, every person present noticed that the branches of the tree bent towards the East as Her Robe swept over them.
After the Lady had left, the children spoke briefly to the people around them. Then they managed to slip away. As on the previous occasion, Francesco had not heard the words of the Lady and Lucia had to explain everything to him. Right there and then the children started ocunting the days to the date of the next visit from the Lady.
CHAPTER FIVE
JACINTA CAUSES TROUBLE
Ecstatically the three children smiled at each other.
"Oh, what a beautiful Lady!" Jacinta sighed, "How beautiful that Lady was!"
The others agreed enthusiastically. This time they were feeling quite different to the way they had felt after the Angel's visits. Then, although joyful, they had been reluctant to speak and incapable of any effort at all. But this time they were brimming over with excitement, joy and peace.
"What did the Lady say?" Francesco demanded eagerly.
The girls were astonished.
"Didn't you hear?" Lucia gasped.
"No."
"Oh! Well then, the Lady said to many things . . . Oh yes, she said that you're going to Heaven, but that you'll have to say many Rosaries first."
Overjoyed, Francesco clapped his hands.
"Oh beautiful, sweet Lady," he called out rapturously, "I'll pray as many Rosaries as you wish! What else did the Lady say?"
Lucia laughed merrily.
"Well, she said that Jacinta and I will also go to . . . Oh dear, where are the sheep?"
Horrified, the children ran to the neighbour's field and gathered their sheep. When, against all logic, they found that no damage had been done, they expressed no surprise, but merely smiled at one another. After all, hand't the Lady promised this?
But that evening, as they were driving their sheep homeward, Lucia felt her joy dim and fear stirred within her heart as she looked at Jacinta.
"Ai que Senhora tao bonita!" "Oh, how beautiful that Lady was!" her little cousin was exclaiming for the umpteenth time that day. Fear made Lucia's voice sound rough as she blurted out:
"It's obvious that you can't wait to tell everybody about it!"
Jacinta's eyes rested lovingly on her cousin. Tranquilly she replied:
"Don't worry, Lucia. I promise I'll say nothing."
Yet Lucia's fears had not been unfounded. No sooner did Jacinta spot her mother that evening than she ran, threw her arms around Olimpia's neck and breathed: "Mama, today I saw Our Lady in the Cova da Iria!"
Olimpia's eyes widened. Involuntarily her hand went to her heart. "Our Lady? You must be crazy! Only saints see Our Lady."
Sadly her daughter regarded her.
"But I did see her, Mama," she protested, "and so did Lucia and Francesco."
Incredulously her mother shook her head. Taking Jacinta by the hand, she went inside.
"Mam," Jacinta said urgently, "We must say the Rosary every day. Our Lady said so."
At this moment her father arrived with some of his friends. When everyone was seated around the table, Jacinta repeated her story.
"Francesco, is this true?" Olimpia asked.
Accusingly Francesco eyed his little sister, her sunny smile for once lacking the power to move him. How could Jacinta dishonour the promise so eloquently made?
"Francesco!" Olimpia insisted.
"Yes Mama, it's true," Francesco sighed.
Meeting Lucia at the Pool on the following morning, Francesco indignantly informed her of Jacinta's perfidy.
"You see - I knew it!" Lucia bitterly exclaimed.
Tears spilling from her eyes, Jacinta attempted to defend herself.
Touching her heart, she argued:
"Inside here something stopped me from hiding anything."
At the sight of her cousin's tears Lucia relented.
"Ah well, stop crying, and never tell a soul about the things the Lady told us."
"But I've spoken about them already."
"What did you say?"
"I said that the Lady had promised to bring us to Heaven."
"I must say you wasted no time," Lucia commented sarcastically.
"Forgive me!" Jacinta pleaded, "I'll never say a word to anyone else."
It was the pride of Maria Rosa dos Santos' heart that her children were extremely truthful. If a difficult life had rendered Lucia's mother somewhat firm, it had never damaged her sound moral principles. This is why, upon being told by Olimpia of the apparition, she was deeply upset. As Lucia did not refer to the matter at home, however, her mother managed to ignore it for a few days.
Finding that the story was spreading all over town, however, she one day confronted her daughter with it. Quietly Lucia admitted that what Jacinta had told Olimpia was true. Her mother tried to get her to retract the story but to no avail.
Weeping bitterly, Lucia herded her flock to the Pool. Some minutes after her arrival, Francesco and Jacinta appeared on the scene.
"What's wrong, Lucia?" they asked compassionately.
Lucia's tears flowed even more freely as she answered:
"Please tell me what to do! Mother insists I tell her that I was lying.
How can I possibly say so?"
Fiercely Francesco turned on his sister.
"You see, it's all your fault!" he accused. "Why did you have to go and talk about it?"
Jacinta burst into tears and threw herself on to the ground. Raising her hands towards them, she pleaded for forgiveness.
"I did wrong," she wept, "But I'll never tell anyone else."
One Sunday morning when Maria Rosa decided to take her to see the priest.
Frightened, Lucia ran to her uncle's house to ask advice from Jacinta. Her little cousin, who was still lying in bed, listened sympathetically to her problems and tried to encourage her, but it was an apprehensive Lucia who caught up with her mother on the way to Mass a little later.
After Mass Maria Rosa crossed the Church Square and ascended the steps of the Presbytery terrace
Resolutely knocking at the front door they were admitted by the priest's sister. With beating heart Lucia awaited the entrance of the priest. She need not have worried. Father Ferreira was a very kind person. Thoroughly he examined Lucia's story, at times testing her truthfulness by attempting to confuse her, but she answered all his questions openly and confidently. In the end he let her go with her mother, shrugging his shoulders in perplexity.
Papa Marto, Maria Rosa' brother-in-law by marriage, however made a wise observation:
"God is so great," he decided, "Who can fathom everything? Let's just wait and see. The truth will surely come out."
