The statue in the photo above, is the replica of the statue of Fatima, made from the same wood as the Fatima statue... the wood harvested from the very area of Fatima where the blessed mother appeared to the little saints of Fatima, Lucia - Jacinta - Francisco. This statue is what we call "the Miracle Statue". I want to share a letter we found of my late Grandmother's. Written over 40 years ago, only discovered this year, a week before today, this 100th anniversary of Fatima. In this letter my grandmother recounts a story she has told us many times. The replica statue of Fatima, was traveling to our church, my grandmother had a rosary that was severely tangled. The tangles so tight, no one could undo them, and feared if they tried more, the rosary would break. It was a special rosary to her and she did not want to cast it aside. So she kept it in her purse, but rarely used it. On the day of the pilgrim statue visiting, my grandmother pulled this rosary out for the first time in a while, said a few prayers, then went up to this special statue made from the wood of the place our Blessed Mother appeared to the Fatima children, rosary in hand, and touched the statue with it. Then she went back to her seat. When she went to put the Rosary away, it slipped from all of its knots, every last tangle, and was once again perfect. The rosary never knotted again, even when my uncle tried to get it to knot out of curiosity. The Rosary, which so easily tangled before, would never take a another knot. It would always slip loose. The rosary was passed around to various family members in times of need or poor health with true faith in God knowing that nothing was beyond him, and that our Mother Mary was our greatest intercessor on our behalf. In the letter, she mentions St. Bernadette. This was an oversight (mistake) on her part, we believe. From as far back as I can remember, she always recounted this as the Fatima statue. And she related this story to me many, many, many, many, many times. I remember she even told me the story not long before she passed away. Just to be sure, I asked my mother today (this happened before I was born), and my mother said my grandmother always told her it was the Fatima statue, and even described the statue in detail, to be exactly as this statue appears, down to her bare feet. So we think she wrote a bit absentmindedly in a rush to explain the rosary when loaning it to a cousin who was in need. I, myself, have called St. Bernadette "the visionary of Fatima" many times when not really thinking. She is as famous for Lourdes as the children are for Fatima, so it's an easy mistake to make if you're not thinking. I have also checked into it, and I can not find records of a Lourdes statue making a pilgrimage to her church around this time. So in the letter she made a mistake... the statue she writes of, where her small miracle occurred, was in fact the Fatima statue, which made it's pilgrimage back to the church where she once saw it, and for the first time, I got to see this miracle statue with my own eyes, and it was exactly as she always described it. Pray for me little saints of Fatima, Pray for all of us poor sinners who long for the relationship with God that you had. I have made some corrections and redactions to the letter for privacy reasons. Otherwise, this is the letter my grandmother quickly wrote to a cousin (a nun) who wanted to borrow the miracle rosary.
Please click on each photo in order to enlarge to a readable size.
Please click on each photo in order to enlarge to a readable size
A call to prayer all ye who believe in God. Hold fast your Rosaries and pray for God's love and mercy.
Today Jacinta and Francisco Marto have been made saints.
The two little visionaries were witness to the apparition of our Blessed Mother on this day, 100 years ago, along with their cousin Lucia Dos Santos.
From now until October, we are reminded to pray the rosary more fervently every day, paying special attention to the 13th of each month leading to the anniversary of the miracle of the sun which occurred October 13th of 1917.
Little Jacinta and Young Francisco, pray for us holy little saints of Fatima, that our eyes may be opened and our hearts softened to our Father in heaven. May we be able to discern the secrets our Blessed Mother entrusted to you, and may we find the bravery you showed in your childhood when you offered your sufferings to God in reparation of sinners and a conversion back to his most Holy Sacred Heart.
On this day in 1917, the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to three young children in Fatima, Jacinta, her brother Francisco and their cousin Lucia. These apparitions would occur every 13th of each month at the exact time, until the miracle of the sun which occurred on October 13th of 1917.
They were entrusted with important secrets directly from God, and were asked if they were willing to suffer for the conversion of souls and reparation of sins that offended God most Holy. They willingly agreed, for even so young, their hearts were full of love for God.
Mother Mary told Jacinta and Francisco that they would not be long for the world, they would soon enter heaven.
Francisco died in 1919 at the age of 10, his sister would pass at the age of 9, 10 months later, just as the Holy Mother said. They were not afraid for they knew their sufferings were for the good of God's people, and that they would be in heaven after their sufferings were done.
The two were canonized on this day, May 13th 2017... 100 years after the first apparition of Mary appeared to them.
It's a Joyous occasion in deed. We are coming on the 100th anniversary of when God sent Mary to three innocent children who would be willing and open to hear God's messages and warnings.
This event was not only investigated thoroughly by the church and proven to be true in the eyes of the church, but over 70,000 witnessed the miracle of the sun which occurred in October of 1917. (To learn about the apparitions of Mary, read my blog HERE and Part 2 HERE if you haven't already.)
The apparitions first happened May 13th, 1917 by three children, Lucia with her two cousins Francisco and Jacinta. (ages 10, 9 an 7). On May 13th of 2017, we will not only mark the 100th anniversary of Fatima... but Francisco and Jacinta will be canonized (officially recognized as saints by the Catholic Church), since the church has been able to agree that miracles attested to the intercessions of the young visionaries from heaven, were true.
Lucia has not yet been canonized, but Pope Benedict waved the 5 year waiting period required by ecclesiastical law to start her beautification process.
About the Fatima apparitions:
Our blessed mother appeared the three visionaries with messages from God. She was a beautiful woman with a kind but sad smile. She was dressed in white and had a rosary hanging from her arm, her hands folded in prayer.
When asked where she came from by Lucia, the woman replied "I come from heaven" and asked if they would offer themselves to God and accept sufferings in reparation for the numberless sins which offend him, and if they would suffer if it would convert souls back to God. Lucia replied yes.
When the children brought the events that happened back to their family, they were not believed. Lucia's mother beat her with a broomstick for lying out of fear of what the police may do to her as the government were prosecuting those of faith who didn't bow to them. She was also afraid this lie was a mortal sin. The children promised they would accept any suffering to help convert people back to God, so they prayed and fasted despite the hardships they faced by those who did not believe them.
Every month on the same day, the beautiful woman would appear to the children at the same time. She gave the children three secrets that were to be released to the Vatican at specific times. Curiosity got the best of even those who did not believe the children, and each time they went to meet the Lady, more and more people followed them. While they could not see the Blessed Mother as her message were for the children, they saw a cloud disappear in the direction the children were speaking when the visitation ended. When Lucia's mother witnessed this, she finally believed and stopped beating Lucia for lying.
During one of the visits, the Blessed Mother told the children something that would shake their families. Jacinta and Francisco would not live much longer. Both were destined for heaven very soon.
In October of 1917, upon the children announcing that there would be a miracle that would occur so all could believe, 70,000 people came to the place they said it would happen. There was a heavy rainstorm that had been going on all day. At the exact time promised, the clouds cleared and the sun was seen spinning in the sky, many beautiful colors coming from it. One writer who witnessed the event described the sun as 'dancing'.
Suddenly, it started to fall from the sky, then zig-zagged back into place when people fell to their knees in fear and awe. While some did not witness these events, they did say that the thick, wet mud became instantly dry, as did their rain soaked clothing.
In April of 1919 young Francisco passed away at the young age of 11. Jacinta would follow her brother a year later. Both suffered greatly, but accepted the sufferings as the blessed Mother asked, for the conversion of souls back to God, and as reparation for the sins that made their Lord sorrowful.
It came to pass as Mary said, when she told the children that Francisco and Jacinta would not be long for the world. They accepted their fate with faith and praise for God, even at so young an age. The undertaker who assisted in Jacinta's burial testified that in all his years, he had never seen anything like the child. Her cheeks were still rosy and her lips colorful. There was a pleasant, flowery aroma that came from the body, he couldn't explain, especially considering she had passed 3 days prior.
In 1935, her body was exhumed so it could be placed in a special grave that was set up for her and her brother. When they opened her casket, she was found to be perfectly incorrupt. She was exhumed again in 1951,31 years after her passing. Her body was still incorrupt.
In later years after the passing of the two visionaries, A lay member of the Franciscan order suffered full body paralysis for over 20 years. for over a decade she prayed for the intercessions of the young visionaries. Then after her usual prayers and intercession requests one night in 1987, she heard a voice telling her "Sit up, you are able to." and she regained use of her upper body. 2 years later the same voice told her to walk, and she was healed.
Her miraculous ability to walk was tested by many doctors including doctors appointed by the Vatican. It defied medical explanation and was thus approved by the church as a miracle. This miracle lifted the main obstacle that held up the children's bid for official sainthood.
Lucia, the third visionary who became a nun when she reached adulthood, allegedly died at the age of 96 in 2005. (I say allegedly, which I will explain in a bit.)
There were three secrets that the Blessed Mother gave the children that needed to come out in specified times.
The first secret was revealed in the 40's. It was a vision of hell. Lucia stated that the vision was so horrible that if the Lady hadn't promised to take them to heaven, they'd have died from terror. After seeing hell, the lady asked the children to consecrate devotion to her miraculous heart.
The second secret was said to be about the consecration of Russia back to God. That if Russia didn't turn to her immaculate heart, the errors of sin would continue to corrupt and spread. From the end of the first world war, there would be a greater, more devastating war as well as the spread of communism.
Lucia's plea to the Pope went unheeded. At the time, the pope received alleged visions, prophecies and revelations, most of which were usually delusions. Because Russia remained unconsecrated to her sacred heart, as the Blessed Mother predicted, Word War II occurred.
The third secret is far more controversial. Something never truly seemed right about it, nor about Lucia. Vatican II had started to overcome the church, and things began to change drastically. Those of us who practice traditional Catholicism (Pre Vatican II), see some of the dangers of the "new thinking" of the church and the Novus Ordo (new order) mass.
It has led many to believe that Vatican II hid the true 3rd secret. It is believed the true secret was about a great apostasy coming to the church. Fearing it would humiliate the church and stop the changes... they faked the third secret decades after it was suppose to be released. It is also believed by many that the real Lucia passed in the late 50s and was replaced by an imposter who the 2nd Vatican Counsel used to explain why they weren't releasing the 3rd secret as Lucia originally demanded. (Lucia became ill with the same influenza that claimed both of her cousins. She wrote the secret down believing her death was coming soon, stating it MUST be revealed in 1960 or upon her death, whichever came first.)
The Lucia most of us grew up knowing didn't even resemble the real Lucia. She looked the same from childhood to adulthood, then suddenly she looked unrecognizable.
This documentary was very eye opening for me, as someone who originally accepted the third secret that was eventually released after the attempted murder of Pope John Paul II. The documentary is 2 hours long, but well worth the watch. If nothing else, it will show you a bit of why many of us Traditional Catholics reject the 2nd Vatican Counsel.
In the video they walk you through the reasons they believe the real secret has been hidden, and why they believe Sister Lucia was replaced by a fake. They show photos that prove their cause as well as give a handwriting analysis of the two Lucia(s). On this 100th anniversary, let us pray that our minds and hearts are open to the true third secret, and pray for our Church and that one day we will no longer be divided. - I say Amen -
