The New Saints of Fatima

Lúcia Santos (left) with her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, 1917

On 13th May, 2017, the 100th Anniversary of Our Blessed Mother Mary’s first appearance to the three little shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, canonised Blessed Francisco Marto (died, aged 10, in April, 1919) and Blessed Jacinta Marto (died, aged 9, in February, 1920), the two youngest children. They are the youngest non-Martyrs ever to have been Canonised, that is, declared Saints in Heaven, and, therefore, listed in the Litany of the Saints and worthy of worldwide public veneration. The eldest of the children, Lúcia, was told by Mary that she was to remain on earth in order to spread devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart. She became a Religious Sister, first of all with the Dorothean Sisters, in Spain and died, aged 98, Sister Lúcia of Jesus, a Carmelite Nun, at Coimbra, Portugal, on 13th February, 2005. Her many writings are essential and inspiring reading.

These children showed very clearly what it is to truly love God and offered sacrifices in atonement for those who, sadly, had deserted Him. They were, in spite of their tender years, persecuted for their faith, even being put in prison and threatened with death if they did not reveal certain secrets told to them by Mary; to read of these secrets, see www.catholicexchange.com/three-secrets-fatima-revealed, among many other websites. Through their steadfast love for, and trust in God and His Mother, who told them that they would, indeed, go to Heaven, they refused to be coerced into revealing anything. God would do this in His own Good Time. As a result of this courage they are, among other things, Patrons of people made fun of for showing their piety, i.e. loving reverence, towards the Faith. Today, as we know, around the world, there are many literally still giving their lives for their faith. However, even if one is not called upon to die (and most of us will probably not), one must be prepared, these days, to encounter anything from misunderstanding to concerted opposition for publicly upholding the teachings of the Church, particularly in the area of Morality; some of our Brothers and Sisters round the world have been known to risk their livelihoods because they have ‘dared’ to stand firmly with God. Saints Francisco and Jacinta are to be heartily recommended as Patrons for adults and children alike! God grant us Courage to live Holy lives! Mother Mary, protect us! Saints Francisco and Jacinta, pray for us!
 
If you cannot, physically, visit Fátima, you can, via the internet, join in with the Pilgrims; there is a live feed from the Capelinha (Chapel of the Apparitions) www.fatima.pt/en/pages/online-transmissions. Mass, is often offered there, in languages from around the world; The Rosary is said at 6:30pm every day except Sunday, when it is at 4pm. Very often, particularly on the 13th of the Month, the ‘major’ liturgies are televised; see them online or via satellite on EWTN. It is heartening, too, in an increasingly Godless age, to see often extensive coverage of these liturgies on the Portuguese National Channel, RTP1, also available via internet and satellite. Mind you, Our Lady did tell the children that the Faith would always be kept in Portugal