OUR LADY OF FATIMA'S "PEACE PLAN FROM HEAVEN" OUR LADY OF FATIMA'S "PEACE PLAN FROM HEAVEN" Six times, from May through October Nihil Obstat: of 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary ap­ FINTAN G. WALKER, PH. D. peared to three little shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal, to give to the world Censor Librorum a "peace plan from Heaven." Today, the world is fiUed with hate, strife and greed. Humanity is threatened with atomic war, Imprimatur: with its accompanying suffering, misery, + PAUL C. SCHULTE . death and destruction such as has never Archbishop of Indianapolis been seen before ln the entire history of mankind. The only hope for averting these dis­ January 15, 1950 asters lies in the fulfillment, by a sufli­ cient number of people, of the requests made by the Mother of God at Fatima. These simple requests, if heeded in time, will eliminate all wars, cure the mental and spiritual ills of mankind, and will bring about a lasting, peaceful mode of life that will lead all to Heaven and Tenth Printing, August 1951 eternal happiness with Almighty lJ.od. The "peace plan from Heaven" forms the only hope for true peace in the world today. 1,000,000 copies printed. Part I - THE STORY OF FATIMA On a cool spring. day ·in 1916, Lucy dos Table of Contents Santos, age 9, and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marta, ages 8 and 6 respectively, took their parents' sheep to pasture in a place not Part I - The Story of Fatima 5 far from their homes· in the mountain viliage of Fatima, Portugal, about 90 miles north of Lisbon. It started to drizzle, and the children Part II - Subsequent Important Events 14 sought shelter in a nearby cave. Suddenly across the field, a white globe of light ap­ Part Ill- Fatima and the United States peared, moving over the open space toward the and the Future 19 cave. The three children stared in awe as they saw in the center of the light a beautiful Part IV- Putting the Peace Plan Into young man in flowing white garments. Action 24 The stranger began to speak: ''Fear not_. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me." Kneeling on the ground, he bowed low and recited this prayer three times, with the chil­ dren repeating it after him: "0 my God, I (NOTE: Parts ! ·and II are based upon the believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask book "The Children of Fatima" by Mary. pardon for those who do not believe, do not Fabyan Windeatt, and published by The Grail.) adore, do not hope and do not love You." In mid-summer, as the children were to­ gether, the angel came again, and said, "Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer The cover picture is a photograph of Jose Ferrara prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most Thedim' s statue of The Immaculate Heart of Mary, as Our Blessed Mother appeared during the June High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and apparition to the Children of Fatima. It was on this occasion that she showed the children her Im­ offer it as am act of reparation for the sins by maculate Heart, and begged that the world make which God is offended, and as a petition for reparation for its sins. the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way . I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Accept and bear with sub- 5 mission all the sufferings the Lord will send lightning cut the air-then another. Fearing yau." a storm, the children quickly gathered the The angel came again in the fall of that sheep to get them home. Then their glances same year, this time bearing a golden chalice fell upon a small holm-oak tree directly in in one hand and a Host above it in the other. their path. A dazzling light hovered over the The amazed children noticeq that drops of topmost branches, when-wonder of wonders­ blood were falling from the Host into the what should they behold but the form of a chalice. Presently, the angel left both sus­ lovely lady standing atop the tree in the light, pended in mid air and prostrated himself on her feet hidden in a shimmering cloud. She the ground, saying this beautiful prayer: "Most was like the. angel, only far more beautiful. Holy Trinity-Father, Son and Holy Spirit­ She wore a long white dress, and the mantle ! adore you profoundly. I offer you the most over her head and shoulders reaching to her precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of feet was edged in burnished gold. Her hands Jesus Chris·t, present in all the tabernacles of were joined before her breast, and from the the world, in reparation for the outrages, right hand hung an exquisite rosary of white sacrileges and indifferences whereby He is of­ pearls. As Lucy later described her, "She was fended. And through the infinite merits of His a lady more brilliant than the sun." Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart After telling the children not to be fright­ of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of poor ened, the vision said: "/ come from Heaven. I sinners." want you to come here at this same hour on the Such was the prelude to one of the most re­ 13th day of each month until October. Then markable messages ever to be given from I will tell you who I am and what I want." Heaven to earth- the "peace plan" of Our She also told them to say the Rosary every Lady of Fatima. day, and to bear all the sufferings God would send them. THE LADY MORE BRILLIANT THAN THE SUN In June the Lady appeared again. There were about 70 people present, though only the On Sunday, May 13, 1917, slightly more than children could see the apparition. She told the a year after the angel's first visit, the children youngsters that many souls go to hell because were pasturing their flocks as usual. This time they have no one to pray and make sacrifices they were in a rather barren hollow, known as for them. She said Francisco and Jacinta the Cova da Iria (Hollow of Irene), which was would soon leave the world for Heaven. Hold­ about a mile from their homes. It was noon ing out her heart, surrounded by thorns which of a clear, sunny day, when suddenly a flash of pierced it from all sides, Our Lady told Lucy: 6 7 terror. All were on fire within and without "God wishes you to remain in the world for their bodies, and neither devils nor damned some time because he wants to use you to es­ souls seemed able to control their movements. tablish in the world the devotion to my Im­ They were tossing about in the flames like maculate Heart. I promise sal1mtion to those fiery coals in a furnace. There was never an who embrace it, and their souls will be loved instant's peace or freedom from pain. by God as flowers placed by myself to adorn Looking with compassion at the pale and His throne." trembling little ones, the vision spoke to them: "You have seen hell, where the souls of poor THE CHILDREN SEE HELL sinners go. To save them, God wishes to es­ During her appearance in July, Our Lady, tablish in the world the devotion to my Im­ maculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, in answer to Lucy's plea, promised that in many souls will be saved and there will be October she would work a great public miracle peace." so that all might believe and know who she was. Again the Mother of God told the chil­ VISION FORETELLS OF WORLD WAR II dren to sacrifice themselves for sinners, and to AND COMMUNISM say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: "0 my Jesus, I offer· "The war (Firs·t World War, then raging) this for love of Thee, for the conversion of is going to end. But if people do not stop of­ poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins fending God, another and worse one will begin committed agains·t the Immaculate Heart of in the reign of Pius the Eleventh. When you l'Yiary." shall see a night illuminated by an unknown As she spoke these words, Our Lady light, (January 25, 1938), know that this is stretched out her hands, and bright rays came the great sign that God gives you ·that He is forth which seemed to penetrate into the going to punish the world for its many crimes earth. All at once the ground vanished, and by means of war, hunger and of persecution the children found themselves standing on the of the Church and the Holy Father. brink of a sea of fire. As they peered into this "To prevent this, I shall come to ask the con­ dreadful place, the terrified youngsters saw secration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart huge numbers of devils and damned souls. The and the Communion of Reparation on the five devils resembled hideous black animals, each first Saturdays. If my requests are granted, filling the air with despairing shrieks. The Russia will be converted and there will be damned souls were in their human bodies and peace. If not, she will scatter her errors seemed to be brown in color, tumbling about throughout the world, provoking wars and constantly in the flames and screaming with 9 8 persecu·tions of the Church.