13/05/2026
It all began in 1917 in a small village in Fátima, Portugal, during a time of global turmoil — World War I was raging, and political upheaval was shaking nations. In the midst of this, three young shepherd children — Lucía dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto — were tending their sheep when something extraordinary happened. On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them for the first time.
The children described seeing "a Lady all in white, more brilliant than the sun… indescribably beautiful," standing above a bush. Following the initial event, the children reported seeing the vision five more times, once each month through October.
Before Our Lady appeared, the Angel of Peace had visited the three children in 1916 amidst World War I. These apparitions offered a catechesis of grace and sacrifice that disposed them to receive the coming of the Holy Virgin with a depth of commitment that far exceeded their years or education.
In order to forestall the damnation of many souls and God's chastisement, Our Lady of Fátima offered as a solution the devotion to her Immaculate Heart, the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays for five consecutive months, and Russia's consecration to her Immaculate Heart. These requests have gone largely unanswered by a world that has grown more secular, not less. Wars have multiplied. Moral relativism has invaded culture and even crept into corners of the Church herself. The world still needs peace. We may not be in World War I, but wars, violence, and division still plague our world. People still need conversion. Fátima reminds us that sin is real, but so is God's mercy.