Fatima More Important now than Ever!

Posted by Dawn

I had the privilege to attend the “Fatima More Important now than Ever” conference organized by the World Apostolate of Fatima and was held in Fatima, Portugal.

2011 is the 94th anniversary
of Our Lady's apparition

I was amazed to learn about how three young shepherd children, Lucia Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto were chosen to spread the message of the importance of prayer. In 1916, the angel of Peace appeared to the children three times to prepare them for the apparitions of Our Lady. In 1917, Our Lady began to appear to the children. They were shown hell and encouraged to pray the Rosary and offer sacrifices and reparations for the people who offended God. Even though they were faced with rejection by all around them, they continued to do everything that Our Lady asked them to do.

Fatima children, 1917

They were drawn to her beauty and the Love and Peace they felt in her presence. The seer children requested a miracle so the people of the town would believe that she was from heaven and Our Lady promised a miracle on October 13, 1917. The miracle was seen by 70,000 people. It is reported to be the greatest miracle since Jesus was raised from the dead. Many came to believe in God as a result of the Miracle. The children lived the rest of their lives by sharing God with everyone they met; they gave away their food, endured many hardships, and offered all their suffering to be united with Christ’s suffering. They especially prayed for souls who had no one else to pray for them. Francisco and Jacinta died about 2 years after the apparitions began. Lucia became a nun and died in 2005 at the age of 95.

Dawn at Fatima

I had the honor of doing my reconsecration to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary in the Capelinha Chapel at Fatima on the Annunciation of the Lord following Mass by Bishop Serafin Silva. He was the confident of Sister Lucia. Another highlight was meeting the relatives of the children and being able to pray on the holy grounds.

As we compare the condition of the world today to the times in 1917, I am amazed at the culture of death and the state of our country. Our world is in a spiritual crisis. People are trying to avoid God. There has been a movement to self and materialization. People are setting their own rules over God’s rules. We need a spiritual solution. To use the words of Cardinal Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI, “To accept the signs of the times means to accept the urgency of penance, conversion, and faith.” History is full of examples of how prayer works!

You are part of the solution for our world. The lesson of Fatima calls everyone to pray the Rosary daily, attend five first Saturdays, offer prayer and sacrifices to our Lord. We need to live our Catholic values daily. As we draw closer to God we are engulfed by His love and Mercy and have the grace to share His love and Mercy with all we meet.

On May 13 we celebrate the 94th Anniversary of Our Lady’s first apparition to the Children. Please pray that now Blessed Francisco and Jacinta may become saints. You can follow this link to learn about the Washington Diocese Division of the World Apostolate of Fatima. You can also make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Maryof the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Washington NJ.

The links provided here will help you find a lot of information about Our Lady of Fatima.  If you would like to see a wonderful movie about the apparations, just leave a comment below and you'll be entered to win a copy of the Ignatius Press movie, The 13th Day.