DURING HER SEPTEMBER 13 VISIT, The Virgin Mary asked Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia to persevere in their prayers and filled them with anticipation as they waited and prepared for some spectacular events that She said were to take place during her next visit on October 13:

“Continue to pray the rosary in order to obtain the end of the war.  In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world.”

She had kept all of her promises to this point, She had comforted them, and revealed many extraordinary things; thus, they had no reason to doubt Her when She promised a visit by Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus, Himself accompanied by a special blessing for the entire world.  These future events, however, were most likely to be private revelations, like the others had been.  But, then Our Lady spoke several words that must have sparked joy in their souls. Until this time, despite crowds in the tens of thousands, it was only the three who experienced the supernatural phenomena; many, including their own parents, members of the clergy, regional press agents, and government officials either were or remained skeptical of the whole series of events reported by the children. NOW, however, now the Lady was promising a miracle, a miracle not for their eyes only, but a PUBLIC MIRACLE.  The public nature of this miracle was plainly revealed in the words “so that ALL may believe.”

“In October, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe.”

As the three persevered in their prayers throughout September, news of the promised miracle was circulating throughout the broad Iberian countryside. A public miracle announced by the Mother of God to take place on October 13 caught everyone’s attention. On October 12, 1917, World War I was raging at a fever pitch.

The British army was stretched out along a six mile front making slight progress, German advances were being checked along the entire French front; pounding wind and rain however put a halt to any further advances on either side. Despite this torrential down pour from the evening of October 12 and into the very next day right up until the time of the apparition, an immense crowd (a crowd consisting of faithful devotees and skeptical mockers among them atheists and Masonic press agents and government officials) undeterred by the horrendous weather gathered and made their way for miles by foot to the Cova de Iria.

The children had to rise and leave home early on the stormy morning of the 13th.  With the August imprisonment still fresh in their minds and the hush of threats circulating in the air, they were accompanied by a vanguard of family and friends to protect them from the swarming multitude and agents of liberalism sweeping Europe Spain and Portugal. Around noon time when Our Lady finally did appear, She told them that it was Her wish that a chapel be built there in her honor and asked them to pray the rosary every day. She also assured them that the war was going to soon end. She also instructed the children that people who were asking for cures must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins.

“What do you want of me?”

“I want a chapel built here in my honor. I want you to continue saying the Rosary every day. The war will end soon, and the soldiers will return to their homes.”

“Yes. Yes.”

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“Will you tell me your name?”

“I am the Lady of the Rosary.”

Again, looking very sad, She said:’

“Do not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already much offended”

After this, She opened both hands and make them reflect on the sun. She then ascended toward the luminous disc while continuing to reflect Her own light directly onto it.

Then Lucia cried out for everyone to look at the sun.

Although the rain had stopped, ominous clouds continued to obscure the sun, which suddenly burst through the darkness as a soft spinning disk of silver.

“Look at the sun!”

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The “Miracle of the Sun” Witnessed by 70,000 on October 13, 1917

A reporter for the Lisbon newspaper “O Dia” wrote:

“…The silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy grey light, was seen to whirl and turn in the circle of broken clouds… The light turned a beautiful blue, as if it had come through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral, and spread itself over the people who knelt with outstretched hands… people wept and prayed with uncovered heads, in the presence of a miracle they had awaited. The seconds seemed like hours, so vivid were they.”

Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra, was present and was frightened by the spinning sun.  Afterward, he wrote:

“Suddenly I heard the screams coming from thousands of throats, it must have been about 2 PM..I looked in the same direction as all the other pairs of eyes and saw the suns as a disk, sharply outlined, sparkling, glowing, and painless fro the eyes to gaze at. The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible…all the colors in the atmosphere changed. All the objects around me took on the color of an amethyst.”

 

Dr. Manuel Formigão, a priest and professor at the seminary at Santarém, had attended an earlier apparition in September, and had questioned the three children on several occasions.  Father Formigão wrote:

“As if like a bolt from the blue, the clouds were wrenched apart, and the sun at its zenith appeared in all its splendor. It began to revolve vertiginously on its axis, like the most magnificent fire wheel that could be imagined, taking on all the colors of the rainbow and sending forth multicolored flashes of light, producing the most astounding effect. This sublime and incomparable spectacle, which was repeated three distinct times, lasted for about ten minutes. The immense multitude, overcome by the evidence of such a tremendous prodigy, threw themselves on their knees.”

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Political Events Happening in Russia at the Time of the Miracle of the Sun

At the same time Miracle of the Sun was occurring, so too was the Great October Socialist Revolution in Russia. Commonly referred to as the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution led by Vladimir Lenin, it culminated with the seizure of state power by armed insurrectionists in Petrograd.

According to Leon Trotsky, October 13 is the correct anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution that brought the communists to power in Russia. This is probably true because according to the International Communist League:

“Basically, in what one might call a “cold insurrection,” the Bolshevik-led Soviet took control of the armed bodies of men out of the hands of the Provisional Government. By October 13, the Soldiers’ Section of the Petrograd Soviet voted to transfer military authority from Headquarters to the Military Revolutionary Committee. In other words, the Soviet now had the state power in all but name.”

Leon Trotsky confirmed the startling fact that the  October Revolution was initiated on October 13, 1917. On October 13, 1932, he wrote:

“The October Revolution is finishing its fifteenth year. This simple figure gives evidence to the entire world of the gigantic force which exists in the proletarian state. No one, not even the most optimistic among us, foresaw such vitality.”

 

“The leaders and the masses saw in the October upheaval only the first stage of the world revolution. The thought of an independent building-up of Socialism in isolated Russia was, in the year 1917, neither defended nor sustained nor clearly formulated by anybody” (Prinkipo Letter, October 13, 1932).

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While the communists were seizing power in Russia under cover of darkness, as Our Lady had foretold in July, Jesus, Mary and Joseph were blessing the world at Fatima. They were in the process of leading it back to God through the Eucharist, Holy Rosary and Scapular as if cognizant of Our Lady’s 13th century prophecy to Her servant, St. Dominic:k

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“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the world.”

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Final Appearance of Our Lady After Miracle of the Sun

 

Following the Miracle of the Sun, Our Lady then disappeared into the depth of heaven and in Her place Saint Joseph and the child Jesus appeared accompanied by the Virgin Mary now robed in white with a blue mantle as Mother of the Holy Family. Saint Joseph and Jesus then made the sign of the cross over the world and disappeared. Then Jesus reappeared with Our Lady of Sorrows.  Jesus blessed the world.

Finally, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel appeared holding the Carmelite brown scapular in her hands. During this time no words were spoken. Lucia, later said:

“Our Lady never looked so beautiful as when She appeared in Her Carmelite Habit.”

The very fact that She was holding a Brown Scapular and wearing the Carmelite habit tells us that She is emphasizing the spirituality of Mt. Carmel and wants Her children to wear the scapular! Our Lady seems to be confirming Carmelite mystical theology reaching back across the ages to the prophet Elisha and Elijah who routed the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. By holding out the brown scapular at the culmination of so great a miracle, She is calling attention to the importance of Carmel and the brown scapular necessary for spiritual battle against modern day prophets of Baal.

Lucia asked Our Lady why She held out the Brown Scapular, to which She replied:

“I want all my children to wear it.”

This prompted Lucia to proclaim that

“OUR LADY WANTS EVERYONE TO WEAR IT. IT IS THE SIGN OF CONSECRATION TO HER IMMACULATE HEART.”

This would be the last apparition seen by Jacinta and Francisco. However, as indicated in May, 1917, Our Lady wished Sister Lucia to remain on earth to spread devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.  Consequently, Our Lady would appear to Sister Lucia at least five more times in 1925, 1926, 1929, 1930 and 1931 as she had promised the previous May.

In summary The Fatima message of Our Lady had an Apocalyptic Warning of War; mankind’s self-destruction and the threat of Judgment to befall the world. But, She also gave a message of Hope and Peace – The “Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart” and an “Era of Peace”.

 

 

 

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FOLLOWING THE AUGUST, 19 VISIT, the children continued with their prayers and sacrifices. Then on September 13, accompanied by a crowd of approximately 30,000 they entered the Cova and approached the Holm Oak tree upon which Our Lady had been appearing to them; in unison with the throng of 30,000 they began to pray the rosary. Shortly afterward, they saw the flash of light indicating the imminent approach of Our Lady who then appeared on the Holm Oak.

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Dialogue Among the Virgin Mary and the Three Children

Repeating some of what She had told them in August, She added the future visit in October of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and conveyed to them God’s satisfaction with their reparation sacrifice for sinners adding a motherly correction that reminds the reader of the “Little Way” of St. Terese.  The children were to make sacrifices, but sacrifices within reason. One is reminded here also of St. Dominic Savio who had the renowned Saint John Bosco for his spiritual adviser and guide. Don Bosco taught Dominic that obedience is greater than sacrifice. He taught him that  small penance performed under spiritual direction is much greater than prolific penance imposed on oneself without the guide of a spiritual director or in disobedience to a spiritual director. Don Bosco taught Dominic that among sacrifices, the most pleasing for a “schoolboy” is the sanctification of daily duty performed with humility and love as if one were serving God in all things, with every thought, word, and deed. Dominic imbibed these words turning them into a personal motto:

“I can’t do big things but I want everything to be for the glory of God.”

Saint John Bosco recalled the incident that prompted him to teach this lesson to the young Dominic, who was himself to become a saint.”

“During the autumn and winter he (Dominic) managed to escape having extra blankets for his bed, so that during the cold of January he had only the summer coverings on his bed. This was discovered, because, one morning he was unwell, and had to remain in bed; and when the Director (John Bosco speaking in third person) came to see him, he saw at once that he had insufficient covering for that severe weather. “Why did you do this?” the Director asked, “did you want to die of cold?”

 

“Oh, I shall not die of cold,” he answered. “When in the stable at Bethlehem, or hanging on the Cross, Our Lord had less to cover Him than I have now.” He was then forbidden to undertake any penance at all without express permission; and this command, though difficult, was obeyed.”

 

“Later on I saw that he was in some difficulty. He said he could not reconcile the command of the Gospel to do penance, with the prohibition he had received. “The penance God wishes from you,” I said, “is simply obedience. If you obey, that will suffice for everything.”

“Can you not allow me to do some other penance?”

“The only penance you are to do, is to bear patiently all that God sends you in this life.”

“But those things must be put up with by necessity.”

“Very well,” I replied, “whatever you have to suffer by necessity, offer it to God, and it will become a virtue, and meritorious in the sight of God.”

“This counsel comforted his misgivings and he was never disturbed in that way again” (The Life of Dominic Savio).

Since John Bosco was a  prodigious devotee of the Virgin Mary, it is not surprising that he taught the same Marian spirituality that Our Lady, Herself, was communicating to the children at Fatima:

“Continue to pray the rosary in order to obtain the end of the war.  In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world.  God is pleased with your sacrifices.  He does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but only wear it during the daytime.”

“I have the petitions of many for your help. Will you assist a little girl who is deaf and dumb?”

“She will improve within the year.”

“And the conversions that some have asked to have brought about? The cures of the sick ones?”

 

“Some I will cure, and some I will not.”

She repeats, in motherly expectation what She said confided to them the previous month:

“In October, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe.”

A stated in the previous article referring to the September visit, the Virgin Mary is referring to the Miracle of the Sun.  As in all Her visits, the Blessed Mother is aware of the future. As “Daughter of the Father”, “Mother of the Son”, and “Spouse of the Spirit”, She is “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), the grace that  comes from the Holy Spirit who overshadowed Her giving birth to the Son of God:

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

St. Maximilian Kolbe’s meditated upon these scriptures for a life-time and concluded that the Virgin Mary is the fulcrum upon which all of salvation hinges, she is the Sanctuary of God, the new Temple in which His glory dwells. She is finite created pure immaculate love of all creation, the image of the Holy Spirit who is infinite Uncreated Immaculate Love of the Holy Trinity. There is only one Uncreated Immaculate Love and only one created immaculate love, I am not speaking here about the love of man for God – of that there are many examples – I am speaking about “immaculate love”. The Virgin Mary who is the Mother of God is the only created immaculate love in the entire universe – the only created exemplar of that species of love!

“In the union of the Holy Spirit with her, not only does love bind these two beings, but the first of them [the Holy Spirit] is all the love of the Most Holy Trinity, while the second [the Blessed Virgin Mary] is all the love of creation, and thus in that union heaven is joined to earth, the whole heaven with the whole earth, the whole of Uncreated Love with the whole of created love: this is the vertex of love” (St. Maximilian Kolbe, Scritti di Massimiliano Kolbe, Rome, 1997.)

She who is full of the Spirit, She who is perfect image of the Spirit, like the Spirit, prepares the children for things that are to come: As Our Lord told the apostles:

“I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you” (John 16:12-13).

This is the work of love integrally united to faith and hope, the love of a mother full of good news and wanting to share it but in a most discreet and prudent manner.

Like a good Mother and teacher, Our Lady is preparing Her children for the October visit and pronounces a public miracle to be performed so “all may believe”.

Our Lady then rose and disappeared into the empyrean.

 

THE FOURTH APPARITION did not occur on the 13th of the month, nor did it take place at the Cova da Iria. Our Lady met the children at Valinhos near their homes in the village of Aljustrel. This meeting took place on the 19th of August because on the 13th the children were kidnapped, interrogated, threatened with death (in an attempt to frighten them into admitting that the apparitions were fabrications), and thrown into jail. The incarceration was protested by villagers and turned out unsuccessful; the children were released on the 15th of August. The Virgin Mary appeared four days later.

Lucia wrote about the apparition:

“I felt that something supernatural was approaching and enveloping us. Suspecting that the Lady was going to appear to us, and feeling sorry that Jacinta would not be there to see Her, we asked her brother John to go and get her. An instant after Jacinta arrived, the Lady appeared.” Once again, She appeared over a holm-oak tree.

Lucia asked her,

“What does your Grace want from me?”

 

“I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the 13th, and to continue praying the Rosary every day. In the last month, I will work a miracle so that all may believe.”

 

“If you had not been taken away to the city, the miracle would have been even greater. Saint Joseph will come with the Child Jesus, to give peace to the world. Our Lord will come to bless the people. Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Sorrows will also come.”

The Virgin Mary is referring to the Miracle of the Sun that She told them would be performed in October, so “that all may believe.”  As in all Her visits, the Blessed Mother is aware of the future. As “Daughter of the Father”, “Mother of the Son”, and “Spouse of the Spirit”, She is “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), the grace that  comes from the Holy Spirit who overshadowed Her giving birth to the Son of God:

“The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

St. Maximilian Kolbe’s meditated upon these scriptures for a life-time and concluded that the Virgin Mary is the fulcrum upon which all of salvation hinges, she is the Sanctuary of God, the new Temple in which His glory dwells. She is finite created pure immaculate love of all creation, the image of the Holy Spirit who is infinite Uncreated Immaculate Love of the Holy Trinity.  There is only one Uncreated Immaculate Love and only one created immaculate love, I am not speaking here about the love of man for God – of that there are many examples – I am speaking about “immaculate love”. The Virgin Mary who is the Mother of God is the only created immaculate love in the entire universe – the only created exemplar of that species of love!

“In the union of the Holy Spirit with her, not only does love bind these two beings, but the first of them [the Holy Spirit] is all the love of the Most Holy Trinity, while the second [the Blessed Virgin Mary] is all the love of creation, and thus in that union heaven is joined to earth, the whole heaven with the whole earth, the whole of Uncreated Love with the whole of created love: this is the vertex of love” (St. Maximilian Kolbe, Scritti di Massimiliano Kolbe, Rome, 1997.)

She who is full of the Spirit, She who is perfect image of the Spirit, like the Spirit, prepares the children for things that are to come: As Our Lord told the apostles:

“I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you” (John 16:12-13).

This is the work of love integrally united to faith and hope, the love of a mother full of good news and wanting to share it but in a most discreet and prudent manner.

Then, looking extremely sad, the Blessed Mother said:

“Pray, pray very much and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell because they have no one to make sacrifices and pray for them.”

The children ask what She wants to be done with money people are leaving in the Cova?

She asks them to use the money for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and towards construction of a chapel to be built in the Cova.

“What are we to do with the offerings of money that people leave at the Cova da Iria?”

“I want you to have two ardors [litters to carry statues] made, for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. I want you and Jacinta to carry one of them with two other girls. You will both dress in white. And then I want Francisco, with three boys helping him, to carry the other one. The boys too, will be dressed in white. What is left over will help towards the construction of a chapel that is to be built here.”

The Lady then ascended to the east.
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Panoramic view of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima with the Chapel of the Apparitions and the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary

 

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NOTES

[1] The Holm Oak is native to Spain.  Another name for this tree in English is “Holly Oak” in reference to the fact that its leaves resemble those of the Holly with jagged teeth to deter grazing animals from stripping its lower leaves bare. The leaves at the top of the tree do not have the serrated edges. Mature trees grow to 20m and develop a huge, rounded crown This tree does not drop its leaves like most other oaks. It is always green with the old leaves falling off shortly after the new ones emerge.

Holm oak is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers are found on the same tree. Flowers are catkins, and yellow male catkins can be seen to hang off the tree in abundance in early spring. After pollination by wind, female flowers develop into acorns.

THE HOLLY OAK, IS AN EVERGREEN WHICH, BECAUSE OF ITS THORNY LEAVES, IS REGARDED AS A SYMBOL OF CHRIST’S CROWN OF THORNS. IT IS ALSO SAID TO HAVE BEEN THE TREE OF THE CROSS AND, THEREFORE, IS SYMBOLIC OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

 

 

THE THIRD APPARITION ON JULY 13, 1917 is a  very detailed revelation in which Our Lady shows the children the horrid consequence of sin and its remedy.

Again, while in the Cove near the holmoak tree, the three children saw the customary flash of light, and a moment later Our Lady appeared.

Again She asks them to continue  coming to this same spot on the 13th of next month.  She also asks them to continue their rosaries in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary and to obtain peace and an end of the war.

They are to pray in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, because, they are told,

“Only she can help you.”

Lucia asks the Woman to reveal herself and to perform a miracle so that everyone will believe that she is appearing to them.

Our Lady stuns them by assuring them that She will clearly reveal who She is and will also perform a (public) miracle for “all to see and believe”.:

“In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe.”

For the moment however, they are to continue making sacrifices for sinners.  To contribute to the efficacy of their sacrifices, She instructs them to say the following whenever they make a sacrifice:

”O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

She does not say “My Heart” but Mary’s Heart”. In effect, She has brought them to see the union and communion of the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts and to augment their consolations to Jesus by including consolations to Mary who suffers for the same outrages, sacrileges, blasphemies and indifferences as Her Son does.

As she spoke to them about the Immaculate Heart of Mary she opened her hands a third time and the rays of light emanating from them seemed to penetrate the earth enabling them to see deeply into it.

THESE VISIONS EMANATING FROM THE LIGHT PROCEEDING FROM HER IMMACULATE HEART ARE KNOWN AS THE FIRST TWO SECRETS OF FATIMA

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The First Secret is a Vision of Hell:

“Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear.”

 

“The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror”

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The Second Part of the Secret:

The children looked to the Woman for consolation; to succor them She said both kindly and sadly:

“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in this world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.”

 

“If what I say is done, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI.

 

“When you see a night illuminated by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions against the Church and the Holy Father.

To prevent this (WWII and the foreboding unknown light), Our Lady tells the children that sometime in the future She shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. The children did not even know that Russia was a country let alone a country about to undergo a violent and momentous Communist revolution and alter its name to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), which would unleash an unprecedented pogrom of the Church and the annihilation and conquest of various nations throughout Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to My Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays.”

 

”If My requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated.

Nonetheless, Our Lady promised an end to all this and a definitive victory associated with Her Immaculate Heart:

”In the end, My Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to Me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved etc. … Do not tell this to anybody. Francisco, yes, you may tell him.”

Finally, Our Lady instructed children to add the following prayer after each decade:

“O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the firs of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.”

Then She disappeared to the eastern sky.

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NOTES:

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I The Third Secret:

The third part of the secret was not written down until 3 January 1944 “by order of His Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and the Most Holy Mother” . At the time Sister Lucia received the secret in 1917, the Virgin Mary had told her not to reveal it, but because Carmelite obedience requires that orders from superiors be regarded as coming directly from God, Sister was in a quandary as to whose orders took precedence. Finally, in mid-October, Bishop Silva sent her a letter containing a direct order to record the secret, and Lúcia obeyed.

In June 1944, the sealed envelope containing the third secret was delivered to Silva, where it stayed until 1957, when it was finally delivered to Rome.

Finally, it was announced by Cardinal Sodano on 13 May 2000 (83 years after the first apparition of Our Lady in the Cova da Iria), that the Third Secret would finally be released. In his announcement, the cardinal implied that the secret pertained to the 20th century persecution of the Church that culminated in the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on 13 May 1981, which providentially happened to be the 64th anniversary of the first apparition of the Lady at Fatima.

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II Confirmation of the Unknown Light:

On January 25, 1938, bright lights from an apparent aurora borealis appeared all over the northern hemisphere, as far south as North Africa, Bermuda, and California. It was the widest occurrence of the aurora since 1709. People in Paris and other parts of Europe believed a great fire was burning and the fire departments were called. Lucia, the sole survivor of the 3 children, indicated that it was the sign foretold by  the Virgin Mary and so communicated to her superior and the Bishop in letters the following day. Just over a month later, Hitler seized Austria and 8 months later invaded Czechoslovakia. World War Two a “worse war” had begun during the reign of Pope Pius XI as Mary had foretold – She had foretold both the war and the name of the future pope who would be reigning at its outbreak.

PRESS CLIPS FROM NEWSPAPERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD CONFIRMING THE UNKNOWN LIGHT

• “Northern lights disrupt radios in Maine, frighten Europeans” – [Maine Press Herald, January 26, 1938, p. 1]
• “Aurora borealis startles Europe. People flee, call fireman” – [New York Times, January 26, 1938, p.25 ]
• “Magnetic storms playing heck with news wires” – [Dalas Morning News, January 26, 1938, p.1 ]
• “Aurora borealis cutting capers” – [Savanna Morning News, January 26, 1938, p. 1]
• “Borealis over Tennessee valey” – [The Kansas City Star, January 27, 1938]
• “Blame it on the sun” – [Rocky Mountain Herald, January 29, 1938, p.1 ]
• “Europe upset at first aurora since 1709” – [Bismark Tribune, January 26, 1938, p.2 ]
• “Aurora borealis glows in widest area since 1709” – [Chicago Daily Tribune, January 26, 1938, p.2 ]
• “Northern lights give prize show” – [Boston Globe, January 26, 1938, p.1 ]
• “Neon Lights in the sky: Display of aurora borealis viewed on two continents” [Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 26, 1938, p.1 ]
• “Northern lights down south” – [London Times, January 26, 1938, p. 12]
• “Aurora borealis abroad” – [London Times, January 27, 1938]

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III The fate of nations are determined by judgments of God.

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IV Mary does NOT here ask for the consecration if Russia, but announces that  Russia will be converted if he requests are heeded. If not Russia will spread her errors throughout the world. She says that She will come (later) to ask for the consecration of Russia and give Her requests. (This will not be until June 13, 1929).

To prevent WWII She will come in 1929 to ask for Russia’s consecration. If Russia had been properly consecrated in this early post 1929 period, she would have spread her errors throughout the world. But because she was not consecrated to the immaculate heart as requested in 1929, the errors spread way beyond Russia into all parts of th3 world as Our lady had foretold: The more prominent errors included promotion of socialism and the big government, biological, cultural and spiritual evolution, an attack on the traditional family, attack on private property, promotion of materialism, hedonism and atheism and an overall attack on religion manifest in multitudinous forms, sexual revolution and psychological revolution.

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V Despite all the detail given in his third July apparition the children were not exactly sure what Our Lady wanted (other than prayer and sacrifice). She herself had said,

“In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want.”

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VI During the third July apparition Our Lady revealed something She referred to as First Saturdays but She did not tell the children what they are except that they involve the Eucharist and reparation.