Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary following her apparitions to three shepherd children—Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto—in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. Between May 13 and October 13 of that year, the children reported six appearances of the Virgin Mary, who came to them as “a Lady brighter than the sun.” She urged them to pray the Rosary daily, to make sacrifices for sinners, and to promote devotion to her Immaculate Heart. The apparitions took place during a time of great turmoil in Europe, amid World War I and the rise of atheistic ideologies.
During the apparitions, the Virgin Mary entrusted the children with three prophetic messages, often called the “Three Secrets of Fatima.” The first was a vision of hell, showing the suffering of souls separated from God. The second was a call to conversion, prayer, and consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart, warning that failure to do so would result in war and persecution. The third secret, revealed later by the Vatican, involved a vision of a “bishop dressed in white” being killed—interpreted by many as symbolizing the suffering of the Church and the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981.
The message of Fatima emphasizes repentance, prayer—especially the Rosary—and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary as means of achieving peace in the world and salvation for souls. Mary’s request for reparation for sins committed against her Immaculate Heart led to the establishment of the First Saturday Devotion, in which the faithful receive Communion, pray the Rosary, and meditate for fifteen minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.
The miracle associated with the final apparition on October 13, 1917—known as the Miracle of the Sun—was witnessed by tens of thousands of people. According to reports, the sun appeared to spin, dance, and radiate multicolored light, astonishing believers and skeptics alike. This event confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions for many and strengthened devotion to Our Lady of Fatima across the world.
Today, Our Lady of Fatima is venerated as a symbol of hope, conversion, and peace. The Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal has become one of the most important Marian pilgrimage sites in the world, drawing millions of visitors each year. Her message remains timeless: a call to faith, prayer, and trust in God’s mercy. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima is celebrated on May 13, inviting the faithful to renew their commitment to prayer and to live out the message of conversion she gave to humanity.