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Our Lady of Fatima
From Catholic to the Max
Feast Day: May 13
Starting on May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children (Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia) a total of six times - one on the 13th of each month following. The Holy Mother asked the children to pray the Rosary daily in reparation for the sins of the world, to spread devotion to her Immaculate Heart, and to make sacrifices for sinners. During one of the apparitions, she added the "Fatima Prayer" to the Rosary, "O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls into heaven, especially those in most need of thy Mercy" and asked that it be said after each mystery. Mary showed the children a vision of Hell to encourage their prayers for sinners and the devotion to her Immaculate Heart. She also gave them three secrets about the world. These secrets were forecasts of what was coming if the world didn't convert and pray. On the last month of appearances, Mary made the sun dance and spin across the sky; it was a miracle witness by the thousands of people gathered at the site. While the crowd saw the miracle, the children saw the Holy Family, Our Lady of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel appear and bless the crowd.
Those were the end of the public apparitions, but the children occasionally saw the Blessed Mother afterwards. It was from these later visions, Lucia was given the Five First Saturday devotion, was told the importance of doing one's daily duties well, and was directed that wearing the Brown Scapular was a sign of devotion to the Immaculate HEart.
Francisco died from influenza in 1919, Jacinta died in 1920, and Lucia died in 2005.
His Girl Sunday has more details about the devotions and prayers which came out of these apparitions.
For a more detailed account, check out this article from EWTN.
Ways to Celebrate:
- Pray a Rosary Daily
- Wear the Brown Scapular
- Eat Portuguese food
- Use fruit (or other foods) to make a sun or a rosary
- Draw a Sun
- Have a dance party (remembering the dancing sun)
- Make a Sun Catcher
- Eat your snack while watching a Fatima video or cartoon on Formed.org