1. To understand the set of visions and communications with which Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta were favored, we must first review Catholic doctrine on the communion of saints. The prayers and merits of one person can benefit another. Thus, the prayers, sacrifices and offering of their lives by the three children, especially … Read more
Francisco and Jacinta Marto are the youngest non-martyred children ever to be beatified. They were raised to the honor of the altars not simply because they saw Our Lady but also because they generously heeded her call to prayer, penance, and reparation. They are, thus, the first fruits of the Message of … Read more
The Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima The Fifth Apparition — September 13, 1917 A crowd estimated at twenty thousand observed atmospheric phenomena similar to those of the previous apparitions: the sudden cooling of the air, a dimming of the sun to the point where the stars could be seen, and … Read more
After reading the life of any saint, we close the book exclaiming, “What a great saint! I did not think something like this could exist.” Indeed, as long as it is well written, the life of any saint is a unique marvel full of surprises. The life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous is … Read more
Two of the three Fatima seers, Jacinta and Francisco, died young because of the need for victim souls to give necessary fecundity to Our Lady’s plan. Their lives were proof that nothing great is done without suffering. Indeed, suffering helps those souls who are absorbed with themselves and unwilling to open up. … Read more
On October 1, the liturgy of the Church celebrates the memory of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, “the greatest saint of modern times,” in the words of Pope Saint Pius X. The charm of her “Little Way,” with all its sweetness and mercy, admirably harmonizes … Read more