First Saturday Devotion

The First Saturday Devotion, requested by Our Lady of Fatima, is a monthly act of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It invites the faithful to spend the first Saturday of five consecutive months in prayerful union with Mary, offering love and consolation for the offenses committed against her Son and her maternal heart. The devotion includes going to confession, receiving Holy Communion, praying five decades of the Rosary, and meditating for fifteen minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary in Mary’s company—all done with the intention of reparation. Through this simple yet profound practice, Catholics grow in holiness, deepen their love for Jesus through Mary, and participate in the healing of hearts and the conversion of souls, as Our Lady promised peace and spiritual renewal to those who faithfully keep it.

our lady of fatima first Saturday devotion

  • Origin:

The First Saturday Devotion, also known as the Five First Saturdays, comes from the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 and later to Sister Lucia in 1925 at Pontevedra, Spain. In this private revelation, the Blessed Virgin Mary asked for a specific devotion of reparation to her Immaculate Heart. She described it as an essential part of God’s plan for peace in the world and the conversion of sinners. Jesus also explained to Sister Lucia that the devotion is meant to console the Heart of Mary, wounded by ingratitude and blasphemies.

 

  • Structure: The Four Elements

To complete the First Saturday Devotion, the faithful are asked to practice four acts of reparation on the first Saturday of five consecutive months:

1. Confession

    • You may go within eight days before or after the First Saturday.

    • The key requirement is to make the confession in a spirit of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

2. Holy Communion

    • Receive Communion on the First Saturday itself.

    • It should be done in reparation to Mary's Immaculate Heart.

3. Five-Decade Rosary

    • Pray one full decade of the Rosary (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious Mysteries).

4. Fifteen Minutes of Meditation

    • Spend 15 minutes meditating on one or more mysteries of the Rosary.

    • This is separate from the Rosary itself.

 

  • Purpose:

The purpose of the devotion is:

1. Reparation

To make reparation for the five major offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which Jesus explained to Sister Lucia:

    • Blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception

    • Against her Virginity

    • Against her Divine Maternity

    • Efforts to instill indifference, scorn, or hatred toward her

    • Offenses involving profanation of her holy images and teachings that mislead children

2. Consolation

To console the sorrowful Heart of Mary, united perfectly with the Heart of Christ in humanity’s redemption.

3. Peace and Conversion

Mary promised that this devotion contributes to:

    • Peace in the world

    • Conversion of sinners

    • The triumph of her Immaculate Heart

 

  • Spiritual Value:

The devotion carries great spiritual benefits:

1. Deepening Love of Mary and Jesus

Its meditations draw the soul closer to Christ through the Heart of His Mother.

2. Habit of Monthly Renewal

The practice brings regular reflection, repentance, and spiritual discipline.

3. Promise of Grace

Our Lady promised assistance at the hour of death to all who complete the Five First Saturdays with sincerity.

4. Participation in God’s Plan of Salvation

The devotion unites the individual with the universal work of reparation and mercy.

 

  • When to Practice:

    • Every First Saturday of the Month

    • For the promised grace, it must be done for five consecutive First Saturdays.

    • Many Catholics continue the devotion beyond the initial five months as an ongoing act of love and reparation.

 

  • Promises Attached to the First Saturday Devotion

1. The Grace of Final Perseverance

Our Lady promised:

“I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who practice the First Saturday devotion for five consecutive months.”

This promise means a special maternal help at one’s final hour—strength, faith, repentance, and the grace needed for salvation.

2. Peace for the World (Connected Promise)

Although distinct from the personal promise, the First Saturday Devotion is tied to Our Lady’s broader Fatima promise:

“If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace.”

Widespread practice of the devotion is part of the remedy Heaven offered for the healing of the world.

3. Conversion of Sinners

Our Lady told Sr. Lucia that many souls are lost because there is no one to offer reparation for them.
Those who practice the devotion become instruments for:

    • the conversion of sinners

    • the salvation of souls

    • strengthening the Church and families

4. Special Graces Through the Immaculate Heart

The devotion draws the soul into a deeper union with the Immaculate Heart, which Our Lady described as
the path that leads safely to God.
Jesus told Sr. Lucia that He desires devotion to His Mother’s Heart to be established in the world.

By practicing the First Saturdays, one receives:

    • consolation in trials

    • growth in virtue

    • a stronger love for Jesus

    • protection from temptations

    • a more intimate relationship with Mary as mother and guide