100 Years of Grace

PLUS 70th Anniversary of Our Lady’s 1917-2017 FATIMA ANNIVERSARY ISSUE OF SOUL Blue Army • 12TH CENTURY – The village of Fatima is named after a Muslim princess who converted to the Catholic faith and married the Christian knight Goncalo Hermingues. Fatima and the hand of Mary

Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula in the extreme southwest • 28, 1907 – of Europe. Its Christian roots go Lucia dos Santos is born back to the first century, when the apostle St. James traveled over • JUNE 11, 1908 – Spain and Portugal. In the eighth century, Francisco Marto is born the Muslim Moors invaded the Iberian Penin- • MARCH 11, 1910 – sula and took control of Portugal and Spain. Jacinta Marto is born The Portuguese won a decisive victory over the Moors in 1139, which they attributed to • JUNE 28, 1914 – the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Archduke Franz Ferdinand They also prayed for her intercession to re- of Austria-Hungary is sist the Spanish invasion in the 14th century assassinated. and was successful under the inspiring lead- ership of St. Nuno Alvares in 1385. In 1646, • JULY 28, 1914 – Austria-Hun- King John IV and all his people promised gary declares war on Serbia, their fidelity to the most holy Virgin under setting off global conflict the title of the Immaculate Conception, and proclaimed the Mother of God the Queen • AUGUST 1, 1914 – Russia en- and Patroness of Portugal. ters World War I against Ger- of Fatima takes its name from a many and Austria-Hungary Muslim princess named after Muhammad’s • 1915 – 9-year-old Lucia sees first and most beloved daughter, Fatima. a figure in white suspended When the last of the Moors were leaving in midair Portugal, she was captured by the Christian knight Don Goncalco. They fell in love and • SPRING 1916 – The Angel she converted to the Catholic faith. She was of Peace appears to Lucia baptized under the Christian name Oure- and her cousins Jacinta and ana, and the two were married. She died Francisco within a year of their marriage, and Don Goncalco decided to become a Cistercian • SUMMER 1916 – The Angel of monk at Alcobaca. Later he was sent to a Peace appears a second time, small priory, and took the remains of his announcing himself as the wife with him and named the place Fatima Angel of Portugal in her memory. (Fatima for Today, Rev. Andrew Apostoli, pp 10-12) • FALL 1916 – The Angel of Peace appears a third time

6 Soul | World Apostolate of Fatima U.S.A. | Our Lady’s Blue Army The Story of Fatima

uring World War I, Pope Ben- edict XV made repeated, but Dforlorn, pleas for peace. Finally, in May 1917, he made a direct appeal to the Blessed Mother to intercede for peace in the world. Just over a week later, Our Lady began to appear at Fatima, Portugal, to three shep- herd children: Lucia dos Santos, age 10, and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, ages 9 and 7. However, it was in the previous year, 1916, that the children had their first su- pernatural encounters with an Angel as a means of preparing them to receive the Queen of Heaven.

The Angel of Portugal Second Angel Apparition In the spring of 1916, as the three shepherds Later in the summer, the Angel appeared again tended their sheep in a property called Old Chou- to the children near the well behind Lucia’s home. sa, a drizzling rain began to fall, so they climbed He gently reproached them, “What are you doing? the hill to find shelter in the crevices of a rock. Pray, pray very much. The most holy Hearts of Je- Suddenly a strong wind began to shake the trees. sus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer They looked up and saw coming toward them a prayers and sacrifices to the Most High.” dazzlingly beautiful young man, seemingly made Lucia asked how they were to make sacrifices; he of light, who told them, “Do not be afraid. I am said, “Make of everything you can a sacrifice and the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.” offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until by which He is offended, and in supplication for his forehead touched the ground and had them the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down repeat three times: “My God, I believe, I adore, I peace upon your country. I am its Guardian Angel, hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do the Angel of Portugal. Above all, accept and bear not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not with submission the suffering which the Lord will love You.” send you.” Then, rising, he said, “Pray thus. The Hearts of The three shepherds then began to sacrifice many and Mary are attentive to the voice of your things that gave them pleasure and offer them in supplications.” Leaving them absorbed in a super- reparation for sins. natural atmosphere, the Angel disappeared.

Special Commemorative Issue | www.bluearmy.com 7 • MARCH 1917 – Russian Third Angel Apparition government collapses In the fall, the three shepherds were with their sheep near the cave where the Angel had first • APRIL 1917 – The United appeared. They prostrated themselves and began to States enters the war pray the prayer that he taught them. Suddenly they were enveloped by an intense light and saw the An- • MAY 5, 1917 – Pope Benedict gel holding a chalice with a host suspended above XV urges the world to invoke it, from which drops of blood fell. The Angel knelt the Mother of Mercy for down beside them with his face to the ground, peace which the shepherds followed, and prayed:

“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, I offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And through the merits of His most and the , I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners.”

First appari- • MAY 13, 1917 – Then rising, he gave the host to Lucia, tion of Our Lady of Fatima at and the chalice to Francisco and Jacinto the to drink. He said, “Take and drink the Body • MAY 13, 1917 – Eugene Pacelli and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by (Pope Pius XII) is consecrated ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimes a bishop and console your God.” He fell prostrate again and repeated this prayer three times. The shepherds, • JUNE 13, 1917 – Second appa- immersed in prayer and absorbed by this experi- rition of Our Lady of Fatima ence, did not notice the Angel had left them. They did not tell anyone about the Angel, feeling an interior necessity to keep quiet about these events.

The Mystery of the Host A question arose as to where the Angel would have gotten the host and chalice. After all, he was not a priest who could have consecrated them. However, a possible explanation surfaced in a town 18 miles from Fatima. The parish traditionally cele- • JULY 13, 1917 – Third appari- brated the feast of St. (the archangel) on tion of Our Lady of Fatima — September 29. After the procession the pastor took three-part secret revealed to the lunette holding the host from the monstrance the children and with his chalice locked them in the tabernacle, keeping the only key. The next day when he opened • AUGUST 13, 1917 – The Fati- the tabernacle the large host was missing and the ma shepherds are kidnapped chalice had been moved. Greatly distraught, the by Administrator Arturo de poor priest reported this to his bishop and for the Santos, a leading Freemason rest of his life agonized over somehow misplacing the host. Then several months before he died, with- • AUGUST 19, 1917 – Fourth out explanation, he told friends he was no longer apparition of Our Lady occurs troubled by this matter. in near the village of

8 Soul | World Apostolate of Fatima U.S.A. | Our Lady’s Blue Army 1917: The Lady who “No, my daughter. Are you suffering a great deal? Don’t Came from Heaven lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will May Apparition be your refuge and the way that On May 13, the three children took their flocks will lead you to God.” out to pasture in the area known as the Cova da The Lady opened her hands Iria. After lunch and the , they suddenly saw and for the second time a bright flash of light, followed quickly by another communicated the rays of flash in the clear blue sky. that same immense light and They looked up to see, in Lucia’s words, “A lady, they saw themselves in that clothed in white, brighter than the sun, radiating a light — Jacinta and Francisco light more clear and intense than a crystal cup filled in the part that rose toward with sparkling water lit by burning sunlight.” The heaven; Lucia in that which children stood there amazed, bathed in the light that was poured out on the earth. surrounded the apparition. The Lady smiled and In the Lady’s right hand was a said: “Do not be afraid, I will not harm you. I come heart encircled by thorns that from heaven.” She asked them to come to the Cova pierced it. They understood this was the Immacu- for six months on the 13th day of the same hour. late Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of human- Later, she would tell them who she was. ity and seeking reparation. Then the Lady said: “Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you as an act of reparation for the con- version of sinners?” Lucia replied for all three, “Yes, we are willing.” “Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort.” The Holm Oak Tree When she said these words, the Lady opened her The holm oak tree hands and streamed a “light so intense that its rays on which Our Lady penetrated our hearts and innermost souls, making stood was about us see ourselves in God.” The children fell to their four feet high at the knees repeating, “O most Holy Trinity, I adore You, time of the appa- my God, my God, I love You in the most Blessed ritions. Witnesses Sacrament.” claimed they could She ended the visit, “Say the Rosary every day to see the leaves of the obtain peace for the world and the end of the war,” holm oak become and began to rise serenely towards the east until she depressed when the disappeared. children were speak- ing to the apparition and return to their normal position after it was over. The original tree was stripped bare of June Apparition its leaves and branches by the pilgrims. Its stump is still As the children came to the Cova on June 13, about preserved beneath the statue of Our Lady at the 50 people assembled with them near the holm oak in Fatima. Another large holm oak that grows next to the tree. The children saw a flash of light followed imme- original is today protected by a fence. diately by the apparition of the Lady; she addressed After the August apparition, Jacinta had cut off the Lucia, “I want you to come on the 13th of next branches of the holm oak where Our Lady had placed her month, to pray the Rosary every day, and to learn to feet. She enthusiastically showed the branches to Lucia’s read. Later, I will tell you what I want.” mother. That afternoon the branches disappeared and She then asked the Lady to take them to heaven. no one knew what became of them. Shortly before the “Yes, I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon. You are beatification of the shepherds, Sister Lucia was handed to stay here for some time longer. Jesus wants to a case with relics of the seers, including small particles of use you to make me known and loved. He wants to Jacinta’s holm oak branches. She learned that on August establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate 19, 1917, Jacinta’s father hid the branches and kept them Heart. To those who accept this, I promise the sal- always with him until he delivered them to the vice postu- vation of their souls and they will be loved by God lator for the cause of the shepherds. like flowers placed by me to adorn His throne.” Lucia inquired sadly: “Am I to stay here alone?”

Special Commemorative Issue | www.bluearmy.com 9 • SEPTEMBER 13, 1917 – Fifth apparition of Our Lady of July Apparition Fatima On July 13, the three children arrived at the holm oak tree. Even more people gathered in the Cova that day. • OCTOBER 13, 1917 – Sixth Our Lady said: “I want you to come here on the 13th of next month apparition of Our Lady of and to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima, of the Sun order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only occurs before 70,000 wit- she can help you.” nesses in the Cova da Iria Lucia then asked who she was and for a miracle so everyone would • NOVEMBER 7, 1917 – Bolshe- believe she was appearing. “Continue to come here every month. In viks, led by Vladimir Lenin, October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a seize power in Russia miracle for all to see and believe.” And the Lady continued: “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say • JANUARY 17, 1918 – many times, especially when you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for Pope Benedict XV restores love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins the Diocese of Leiria committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” (which includes Fatima)

• JULY 16-17, 1918 – The of Hell — First Part of the Secret Tsar Nicholas II and As she spoke these words she opened her hands. The are executed light seemed to penetrate the earth and we saw, as it were, a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in • FALL, 1918 – Francisco and human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened Jacinta Marto contract the and burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, deadly influenza now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within • SEPTEMBER 20, 1918 – Padre themselves, together with great clouds of smoke, now falling Pio receives the back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, • NOVEMBER 11, 1918 – which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The de- World War I ends mons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repel- lent likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. Terrified and as if to plead for succor, we looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so sadly: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you 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 illumined by an unknown light, know that Jacincta following the this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to vision of Hell. punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, • APRIL 4, 1919 – and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. Francisco dies from influenza

• APRIL 29, 1919 – First Capelinha, “Chapel of The Request for the — Apparitions,” is built at Second Part of the Secret “To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to the site of the apparitions my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First • FEBRUARY 20, 1920 – Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted and there Jacinta dies from tuberculosis will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world and bronchial pneumonia causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihi- • JUNE 13, 1920 – The first lated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father statue of Our Lady of Fatima, will consecrate Russia to me and she will be converted, and a period of sculpted by José Thedim peace will be granted to the world.”

10 Soul | World Apostolate of Fatima U.S.A. | Our Lady’s Blue Army The Call to Penance — Third Part of the Secret Obeying an order from her bishop, Sister Lucia wrote the last part of the secret on January 3, 1944. It was not made public until the year 2000, after the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco:

“At the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire, but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated toward him from her right hand. Pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ We saw an immense light that is God, something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it, a bishop dressed in white (we had the impression it was the Holy Father), and other bishops, priests and men and women religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork tree with the bark. Before reaching there, the Holy Father passed August Apparition through a big city half in ruins, and half On August 13, the children were kidnapped by the mayor trembling with a halting step, afflicted of Vila Nova de Ourem, Arturo Santos, and interrogated with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the about the secret. Despite threats of death, they refused to souls of the corpses he met along his way. divulge it. Within a few days they were released. Having reached the top of the mountain, The following Sunday, August 19th, Lucia and Francisco on his knees at the foot of the big cross he were together at a place called Valinhos, near Aljustrel, when was killed by a group of soldiers who fired they recognized that the Lady was approaching, so they sent bullets and arrows at him, and in the same for Jacinta. The Lady spoke to Lucia: “I want you to continue way there died one after another the other going to the Cova da Iria on the 13th and to continue praying bishops, priests, men and women religious, the Rosary every day. In the last month, I will perform a mira- and various lay people of different ranks cle so that all may believe.” and positions. Beneath the two arms of the She asked that the money left by pilgrims be used to build a cross there were two Angels each with a chapel there in her honor. crystal aspersorium in their hand, in which Looking very sad, the Lady then said: “Pray, pray very much, they gathered up the blood of the martyrs and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, be- and with it sprinkled the souls that were cause there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.” making their way to God.” She also reported that because of their imprisonment, “The promised miracle in October would not be as great.” With Our Lady said, “Do not tell this to that she rose into the air and moved towards the east before anyone. Francisco, yes, you may tell disappearing. him. When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: ‘O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all September Apparition souls to heaven, especially those who are On September 13 very large crowds converged on Fatima in most need.’” She then disappeared off from all directions. When the apparition began, Our Lady into the distance. spoke to Lucia: “Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain

Special Commemorative Issue | www.bluearmy.com 11 according to Lucia’s descrip- the end of the war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our tion, is placed at the Capelinha Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Carmel. St. Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your • JUNE 15, 1921 – Our Lady sacrifices. He does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but appears to Lucia a seventh only to wear it during the daytime” (the children wore a rope time and tells her to follow tightly tied around their waist as a way to offer penance). the path the bishop wants Lucia then put forward some petitions for cures, and was told: her to take. She departs to “Yes, I will cure some, but not others. In October I will perform a school in Porto led by the a miracle so that all may believe.” Then she began to rise and Dorothean Sisters, taking the disappeared. name Maria das Dores

October Apparition The prediction of a public miracle caused intense speculation throughout Portugal, and people from all over the country de- scended by the tens of thousands on the Cova despite the terrible storm that lashed the mountain country around Fatima. Many pilgrims walked barefooted, reciting the Rosary as they went, all crowding into the area on October 13. By mid-morning heavy rain began to fall. The children reached the holm oak around noon and then saw the customary flash of light as Our Lady appeared. Lucia again asked what she wanted: “I want to tell you that a chapel is to be • OCTOBER 13, 1921 – built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue First Mass is celebrated always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and at the Capelinha the soldiers will soon return to their homes.” Lucia made requests for cures, conversions and other things. • FEBRUARY 6, 1922 – Pope Pius XI elected Our Lady responded, “Some yes, but not others. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins.” • MARCH 6, 1922 – Four bombs The Lady grew very sad and said: “Do not offend the Lord our explode at the Capelinha, God anymore, because He is already so much offended.” Then, blowing off the chapel roof. opening her hands, she made them reflect on the sun and as she A fifth bomb near the holm ascended, the reflection of her own light projected on the sun oak tree does not go off. itself. After she disappeared, as the people witnessed the great miracle • APRIL 3, 1922 – Joseph Stalin which had been predicted, the children saw the visions foretold is named general secretary during the September apparition. of the Communist Party; he establishes totalitarian rule in Russia by the end of the The Great Miracle 1920s The greatest miracle to occur since the resurrection is also the • MAY 3, 1922 – Bishop Jose only miracle ever precisely predict- Alves Correia da Silva opens ed as to date, time of day and loca- an official inquiry into the tion. It is popularly known as “The events at Fatima Miracle of the Sun” and October 13, 1917 has come to be known • DECEMBER 20, 1922 – The Union of Soviet Socialist Re- as “The Day the Sun Danced.” The publics (USSR) is formed miracle was viewed by 70,000 or more people at the Cova that • JANUARY 21, 1924 – day, and is reported to have been Vladimir Lenin dies seen from as far as 25 miles away. Doubters and skeptics had become believers. Even the secular • OCTOBER 24, 1925 – newspaper O Seculo’s chief reporter, Avelino de Almeida, who had Lucia joins the Dorothean written satirically before, now reported affirmatively, and stood by Sisters in Spain his story later on in spite of harsh criticism.

12 Soul | World Apostolate of Fatima U.S.A. | Our Lady’s Blue Army EYEWITNESSES TO THE pace to another, and changed blue, yellow, all col- ors! Then we see the sun come toward the children, toward the tree. Everybody was hollering out. Some start to confess their sins. Even my mother grabbed me to her and started to cry, saying, ‘It’s the end of Miracle of the world.’ I could see like the sun almost on top of my shoulder ... As soon as the sun went back in the right place, the wind started to blow real hard, but the trees didn’t move at all. In a few minutes, the the Sun ground was dry, even our clothes had dried.” Father Joaquim Lourenco, canon lawyer of the Diocese of Leiria, was a schoolboy at the time: “I feel r. Jose Garrett, a professor at the University of Coimbra, ob- incapable of describing what I saw. I looked fixedly D served: “Shortly after one o’clock there arrived the children at the sun, which seemed pale and did not hurt my … It was almost two o’clock … the sun had triumphantly broken eyes. It suddenly seemed to come down in a zigzag, through the clouds. I turned to this magnet that was attracting the menacing the earth. Terrified, I ran and hid myself eyes of everyone and could see it as a clear-cut, sharp-edged, bril- among the people, who were weeping and expecting liantly shining disc and it did not hurt to look at it … The phenom- the end of the world. There was an unbeliever there enon must have lasted for about 10 minutes, during which there who had mocked the ‘simpletons’ who had gone to were two brief interruptions when the fierce sun threw out more Fatima. He now seemed paralyzed from head to foot, brilliant and flashing rays, and which forced one to look away. The and lifting up his arms, fell on his knees in the mud, pearly disc suddenly began to move. It spun on its own axis at a crying out to God.” breakneck speed. Suddenly a cry was heard, like an anguished Maria Celeste da Camara e Vasconcelos, sister shout, from all those people. The sun, maintaining the velocity of of the Baron of Alvaiazere: “I expected that all was its rotation, dislodged itself from the firmament and full-bloodedly a fancy of the poor children and that we would see advanced on the earth, threatening to crush us.” nothing. The sun began to spin with circles of every color. It was like a wheel of fireworks, and coming Dominic Reis, who was 17 at the time, said, “We down to the ground. (I was) stupefied!” got there around noontime. There were soldiers and Mario Godinho, from a distinguished Portuguese they tried to stop us from going down into the Cova. family. “I could look straight at the sun without diffi- I was slightly wounded by one of the bayonets. And culty. It was like a disc of dimmed glass illuminated now it was raining harder. There was a good three from behind, moving around and around, and then inches of water where I stood. And then suddenly gave the impression of falling down. I saw that sun as the rain stopped. The sun started to roll from one I never saw it again. And then I believed.”

Special Commemorative Issue | www.bluearmy.com 13 “The appeal of the Lady of the message of Fatima is so deeply rooted in the

Gospel and the whole of Tradition that the Church feels that the message

imposes a commitment on her…For this very reason the evangelical call to

repentance and conversion, uttered in the Mother’s message, remains ever relevant. It is still more relevant than it was 65 years ago. It is still more urgent.”

(POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II, HOMILY, MASS OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA, FATIMA, MAY 13, 1982)