Fatima /1c M . pct4\‘ IAA © Daprato Thomas McGlynn, O.P. The cover shows the statue of Our Lady of Fatima made under the direc- tion of Sister Dolores , ( formerly Lucy dos Santos, sole survivor of the three children of Fatima ), in Portugal, Feb- ruary 1947. The image represents Our Lady as she appeared in June in the second of the six apparitions of 1917. when she revealed her Immaculate Heart. His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, blessed this statue on March 4, 1947 and at the same time gave his blessing to all those who are working to promote the mes- sage of Fatima in the United States. Revisors : James J. McLarney, O.P., S.T.Lr., S. T. D. Joseph C. Taylor, O.P., S.T.Lr. Imprimi potest: Terentius Stephanus McDermott, O.P., S.T.Lr., LL.D. Imprimatur : f* Michael Josephus Ready, D.D. Episcopus Columbensis July 14, 1947 Copyright, 1947, Rosary Press, Somerset, O. Deaddiffed FATIMA Fatima, (pronounced Fah-ti-ma ) is a small village on a mountainous plateau in the center of Portugal near which at a spot known as the Cova da Iria the Blessed Virgin appeared in 1917 in a series of six apparitions to three shep- herd children, Lucy dos Santos, 10, and her cousins Francis Marto, 9, and Ja- cinta Marto, 7, brother and sister. PROOFS OF THE APPARITIONS On July 13, 1917 Lucy predicted a miracle promised by Our Lady to be per- formed on October 13- The prediction attracted a crowd of 70,000 of all classes and of various degrees of belief and un- belief. All the Lisbon newspapers were represented. At Lucy’s words, "Look at the sun," the crowd saw a torrential rain stop suddenly and the clouds split apart, revealing in a blue sky the sun, at which they could gaze without eye strain. The sun began to whirl on itself and to descend toward the earth; as it did the earth and atmosphere and all objects on the earth underwent many changes of color. Then quite suddenly the sun stopped in its downward course Page Three and returned to its normal position and brilliance. Hundreds of miracles, both physical and moral, have occurred since at Fati- ma, usually in connection with the great pilgrimages on the anniversary days of the apparitions (the 13th of each month from May to October). After a canonical investigation of seven years the apparitions were declared worthy of credence by the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima in his pastoral letter of 1930. The Holy See has indicated its recog- nition of Fatima in many ways, notably by the participation of Pope Pius XII in the silver jubilee of the apparitions through a radio address to the Portu- guese nation on October 31, 1942, in which he consecrated the world and Russia in particular to the Immaculate Heart. MOTIVE OF THE APPARITIONS AT FATIMA Our Lady appeared at Fatima to call mankind to penance. By showing hell to the children she warned the world of the eternal damnation awaiting those who persist in sin. She foretold World War II and further afflictions as tempo- Page Four ral punishment of sin. ”Do not offend Our Loid any more; He is already much offended,” she pleaded at the last ap- parition. Lucy states that the motive of the apparitions is ”the conversion of sinners and the return of souls to God.” THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA All the wonders of Fatima are in- tended to emphasize the message of Our Lady. This is the substance of that mes- sage: in order to save souls and to put an end to the chastisements now being visited on the world by divine justice "Our Lord wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart." DEVOTIONS OF FATIMA The object of the devotions of Fatima and the means of obtaining for the world the mercy of God is the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The devotional practices by which we have access to the Immac- ulate Heart and which were repeatedly insisted upon by Our Lady are THE ROSARY and COMMUNIONS OF REPARATION. THE ROSARY AND FATIMA In every apparition Our Lady urged frequent use of the Rosary in the words, "Say the Rosary always.” In the final Page Five apparition she identified herself as "the Lady of the Rosary." Lucy considers the Rosary "of greatest value not only according to Our Lady’s words at Fatima but according to the effects of the Rosary one sees through- out history." FIRST SATURDAYS This is the devotion in which the faithful make amends to God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary BY RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF EACH OF FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, going to Confession, say- ing five decades of the Rosary, and meditating for fifteen minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary. The Confession may be made within eight days before or after the Communion. This devotion was mentioned by Our Lady in promise in 1917 and explained in detail to Lucy in 1925. To those who make the Communions of Reparation on the Five First Satur- days, Our Lady has promised assistance at the hour of death with the graces necessary for salvation. FATIMA AND RUSSIA As the seeds of atheistic communism Page Six were being sown in Russia the divine answer was being conveyed to the three children by Our Lady at Fatima. She predicted in 1917 that "Russia will spread her errors throughout the world fomenting wars and persecutions against the Church. Many will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; and many nations will be destroyed." At Fatima Our Lady asked for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart. She concluded the message of July 13, 1917, with the words: "In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me; Russia will be converted; and there will be a period of peace." THE CHILDREN OF FATIMA During the June apparition Our Lady told Francis and Jacinta that she would come soon to take them to Heaven. Both lived the remainder of their lives in a spirit of prayer and sacrifice for sinners. Francis died in 1919 and Jacinta in 1920. Lucy was told at the same ap- parition that she must remain on earth to spread devotion to the Immaculate Heart. She entered the Congregation of St. Dorothy in 1925 and is now a re- ligious of that community in Portugal. Page Seven PRAYERS OF FATIMA Note: Our Lady taught the children two prayers at Fatima. She asked that the first be said after each decade of the Rosary. In 1916 an angel had appeared to the children at a hilltop known as the Cabeco and had taught them two other prayers. The folio icing is trans- lated from Lucy’s manuscript. PRAYER (To be recited after each decade of the Rosary) O my Jesus, forgive us. Deliver us from the fire of hell. Draw the souls of all to Heaven, especially those in greatest need. (Taught by Our Lady at Fatima, July 13, 1917) PRAYER (Our Lady said of this prayer: "Say many times, especially whenever you make any sacrifice,”) O Jesus, it is for Your love, f.>r the con- version of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immacu- late Heart of Mary. (Our Lady at Fatima, July 13, 1917) Page Eight PRAYERS TAUGHT BY THE ANGEL I My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love You. I ask Your pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love You. II Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore you profoundly, and 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 indifferences with which He is of- fended, and by the infinite merits of His Most Holy Heart and of the Immaculate | Heart of Mary I ask You for the conver- sion of poor sinners. (Fatima at the Cabeco in 1916) | AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY Immaculate Heart of Mary, most per- I feet receptacle of the fulness of God’s i grace, Heart most loved by God and | most loving of Him, Heart most ten- derly devoted to men and to their sal- vation, Heart made most sorrowful by | Page Nine our sins, Heart joyful in our charity, I consecrate myself entirely to thee. O Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the fire of love which burns in thee, may all my sins be consumed and all my affec- tions purified. Let me by true penitence draw out the painful thorns with which I have pierced thee. May something of that divine fire of love which fills thee enter into my heart so that my service of thy Son may be complete. In lasting devotion to thy Immaculate Heart may I be willing to share its sorrows now, so that seeing thee in Heaven I may possess some of the blessed joy which thy Son imparts to it. Immaculate Heart of Mary, I am thine in sorrow and in joy, in time and in eternity. Amen. Page Ten BOOKS ON FATIMA Walsh, Our Lady of Fatima, Macmillan Ryan, Our Lady of Fatima, Newman De Oca, More About Fatima, Newman Windeatt, The Children of Fatima, Grail Barthas-Fonseca, Our Lady of Light, Bruce Medeiros-Hill, Jacinta, Catholic Book Farnum, The Oak Tree Lady, Declan- McMullen De Marchi, The Crusade of Fatima, Kenedy