Our Lady of Fátima

Our family was blessed to go to Fatima, Portugal, where Our Lady of Fatima appeared 100 years ago.

The Mother of God appeared to three shepherd children six times in 1917 so they could warn the world of upcoming trials and tribulations.  The three children were, siblings Jacinta (age 7) and Francisco Marto (age 9) and their cousin Lucia Dos Santos (age 10).  The general message of Fatima is requests for prayer, reparation, repentance, and sacrifice, and the abandonment of sin.

As Our Lady told the children, Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven at a young age while Lucia would be taken later so that she could live to spread the love of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart.  Francisco died in 1919 (age 10) and Jacinta died in 1920 (age 9), and Lucia in 2005 (age 97).

Brian and I read Fatima in Lucia's Own Words before going and it is a very powerful read.  (You can read more about the story of Our Lady of Fatima's apparitions and three "secrets" here.)

Francisco and Jacinta were declared Saints on May 13, 2017.

St. Franciso and St. Jacinta
Francis and Elliana

Franciso and Jacinta's home

Francisco and Jacinta's backyard

Picture of the three shepherd children

Lucia's home

Sheep next to Lucia's home

Statue marking the spot where the Angel of Peace visited the three children
to prepare them for Our Lady's apparition

Another location near their home where the Angel of Peace visited

Here Our Lady appeared and said, "Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners."

Stations of the Cross constructed on the path between the children's house and
The Chapel of Apparitions -- they're about 15-20 minutes apart (walking)

Hungarian Calvary at the end of the Stations of the Cross

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
with the tombs of Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia inside

Chapel of Apparitions

The image of Our Lady of Fatima -
our prayer petitions were placed here

The Basilica at night

Inside the Basicila

Tombs of St. Jacinta and Lucia

Tomb of St. Francisco

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!  

St. Jacinta, pray for us!

St. Francisco, pray for us!