Today May 13, marks the 100th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children Jacinta, Lucia and Francisco in Fatima, Portugal.
On Sunday May 13th, 1917, the children were pasturing their flock as usual. They were playing when suddenly a bright shaft of light pierced the air. The Lady spoke to them and said: “Fear not! I will not harm you.” “Where are you from?” the children asked. “I am from heaven” the beautiful Lady replied, gently raising her hand towards the distant horizon. “What do you want of me?”, Lucia asked. “I came to ask you to come here for six consecutive months, on the thirteenth day, at this same hour. I will tell you later who I am and what I want.” The Lady was none other than Mother Mary. There were six Marian apparitions to the shepherd children from May 13 to Oct. 13, 1917. All of these apparitions took place on the 13th of the month except for the August apparition. However it was Mary’s final appearance, on Oct. 13, 1917, that became the most famous.
An estimated 70,000 people were in attendance at the site, anticipating the Virgin’s final visit and with many fully expecting that she would work a great miracle. As everyone gazed upward, and saw that a silvery disc had emerged from behind clouds, they experienced what is known as a ‘sun miracle.’ Not everyone reported the same thing; some present claimed they saw the sun dance around the heavens; others said the sun zoomed towards Earth in a zigzag motion that caused them to fear that it might collide with our planet. Some people reported seeing brilliant colors spin out of the sun in a psychedelic, wheel pattern. The whole event took about 10 minutes.
The message of Fatima highlights many central truths and devotions of the Catholic faith: the Trinity, the Eucharist, penance, the Rosary and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. There is special emphasis on the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which is a refuge of maternal love for all faithful and a sure path that leads to God. In the end, Mary’s Immaculate Heart will triumph because Mary is full of God’s grace and is all pure. She has the heart of a mother who cares for her children and wishes them to be saved by her divine Son, Jesus. Although 2017 marks the centenary year, it is understood that the Fatima apparitions began with the three apparitions of the Angel of Peace in 1916 and extended beyond 1917 with subsequent apparitions given to Sister Lucia dos Santos in Spain. However Fatima is one of the most significant of all Marian apparitions. Along with Guadalupe and Lourdes, it is one of three Marian apparitions honored with a feast day.
While May 13, 1917 was the day of the first Fatima apparition, May 13, 1981, was the day when St. John Paul II survived an attempt on his life in St. Peter’s Square. Pope John Paul II credited his survival to the intervention of Our Lady of Fatima. The assassin’s bullet that narrowly missed killing the Pope now is inserted in a crown of Our Lady housed at the Fatima shrine. It is estimated that some 4-5 million people visit Fatima each year, and more are expected for the centennial year. Pope Francis will canonise two of the three shepherd children namely Jacinta and Francisco today.
