Feast of the day may 13, 2025

Our Lady of Fatima is a title given to the Virgin Mary based on her appearance to three shepherd children in the town of Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. The Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to three children in the small village of Fatima in Portugal. She appeared six times to nine-year-old Lucia, and her cousins Francisco, age 8, and Jacinta, age 6, from May through October.

The first message she delivered was a call to prayer and penance. She asked the children to pray the rosary daily and to offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. She also warned of the dangers of World War I, which was raging at the time, and predicted that another even more devastating war would follow if people did not turn away from sin. She also requested us to pray the following prayer at the end of each mystery or decade of the Rosary: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.”

In subsequent appearances, Mary shared more messages, including a vision of hell and a call for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. She also revealed secrets to the children, which were eventually made public by Lucia after much hesitation and delay.

Later, Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets. The first was a vision of Hell, and the second was a prophecy of the end of World War I and the beginning of World War II, and the need for Russia to convert to Christianity. The third secret is about the Holy Father being killed with bullets and arrows by soldiers at the foot of a cross, and many other people dying as well.

The apparitions at Fatima have been the source of inspiration and devotion for millions of Catholics worldwide. Many have made pilgrimages to Fatima to honor Our Lady and to seek her intercession.

On the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima, Catholics remember the messages of Mary and renew their commitment to prayer, penance, and conversion. They also celebrate the miracle of the sun, which was witnessed by thousands of people on October 13, 1917, and is seen as a confirmation of the authenticity of the apparitions.

Our Lady of Fatima has since become a beloved Marian devotion of protection and hope for those suffering, offering comfort through times of uncertainty. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church’s worldwide calendar in 2002.

Reflection

The message of Fatima may be summed up in these words. Our Lady asked for penance, which she explained as fidelity to our everyday duties... for an offering of our sacrifices and sufferings for the conversion of sinners... daily recitation of the rosary... the devotion of the five first Saturdays... and consecration to her Immaculate Heart.

Above all, the messages of Fátima reveal the ongoing need to make reparation for the sins and sacrileges committed against the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and to pray for the conversion of poor sinners. Daily sacrifice and penance, offered with prayer and profound faith, do more good than we could ever imagine. As we honor these most glorious apparitions today, reflect upon your own willingness to make reparation for the sins of the world through your daily sacrifices. “Make of everything you can sacrifice and offer it to God…” Doing so will not only appease the Justice of God, it will also bring about the salvation of many souls.