Our Lady of Fatima

Biography

Our Lady of Fatima commemorates apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children—Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto—in Fatima, Portugal, between May and October 1917. The children reported six monthly visions during which Mary reportedly requested devotion to her Immaculate Heart and promoted Rosary recitation for world peace. The messages emphasized repentance, reparation, and Russia's conversion to Christianity. On October 13, 1917, an estimated 70,000 people witnessed an inexplicable solar phenomenon coinciding with the final apparition. The Church approved the apparitions in 1930, and Fatima became a major pilgrimage site. The messages, addressing twentieth-century concerns about atheism, war, and secularism, resonated globally. Our Lady of Fatima emphasizes Mary's maternal protection, the power of prayer for peace, and God's mercy available through devotion to her.