Organization: University of Missouri-Columbia Campus Computing, 314-882-2000
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Date:         Tue, 13 Oct 1992 07:54:09 CDT
From:         CCCAMPER@MIZZOU1.BITNET
Subject:      The Story of Fatima, Part 1

Today is the 75th anniversary of the final public apparition at
Fatima, which included the great solar miracle. Because I grew up
never having heard of Fatima, let alone it's message, (as a Lutheran)
and because so many Catholics I know have never heard the story,
I offer it to you today. It may not be "required" by the Church,
but it certainly seems worthy of study to me.

In Portugal in 1910 a revolution overthrew the monarchy and brought
to power a clique (Marxist-leaning anarchists) who vowed to
within two generations stamp out religion in a very Catholic
country. Many priests were driven out of the country and those
who remained were not allowed to wear clerical dress. Government
offices took over the great monasteries and abbeys, and some
became barracks. Holy days were secularised and marriage was
declared a mere civil contract. By 1916 there was an acute shortage
of priests, but Fatima, a village about 80 miles from Lisbon,
still was among the fortunate to have a resident pastor.
Fr. Emmanuel Ferreira was an austere, devout yet rather inflexible
man. His parishoners were hardworking peasants who raised
olives, grain, figs and sheep in the rocky fields.

The nearby tiny hamlet of Aljustrel was home to Lucia Santos, a
devout and lovable young girl who was popular with her friends.
Nearby were her cousins Fransisco and Jacinta Marto. Fransisco
was a tolerant and goodnatured boy and his sister was lively but
also a gentle and sweet child.

In the spring of 1916, Fransisco (born 6/11/08) and Jacinta (3/11/10)
accompanied Lucia (3/22/07) while she took her sheep to pasture.
One day they saw a dazzling globe of light, like a tiny sun,
glide slowly towards them. It became more and more brilliant and
finally became the shape of a transparent boy who appeared about
14 years old. Lucia later described him "more brilliant than crystal
pierced by rays of the sun". He told them not to be afraid, he
was the Angel of Peace. Then they knelt down with faces to the
ground and prayed with him, at his invitation "My God, I believe,
I adore, I hope, I love Thee. I ask pardon for those who do not
believe, nor adore, nor hope, nor love Thee." Rising, he said,
"Pray like that. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the
voice of your supplications". And he faded away.
  During this apparition and those to follow, Fransisco only
saw the apparitions, Jacinta saw and heard, and Lucia saw, heard
and conversed.
  Later that summer the angel returned and encouraged them to pray
even more. "The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on
you. Offer up prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High".
..."Make everything you do a sacrifice and offer it to God in
reparation for the countless sins by which He is offended and in
supplication for the conversion of sinners. In this way, you will
bring peace to your country. I am its Guardian Angel, the Angel of
Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission all the
sufferings the Lord may send you."
  With these words the children were infused with an understanding
of suffering and sacrifice and it became very clear to them how
those things appealed to God. Despite their young ages they began
to offer sacrifices to God daily. They would also spend hours
prostrate on the ground repeating the angel's prayer.
  The angel returned several months later and offered the children
the Blessed Sacrament. He recited the following prayer before
doing so "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore
Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul
and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, really and truly present
in every tabernacle of the world in reparation for the countless
outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended.
And through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg Thee to convert poor sinners."
  These apparitions were not revealed until 1937. Lucia was forbidden
earlier by her spiritual directors to do so, it is thought perhaps
because it may have detracted from Our Blessed Mother's appearances
and messages.
  The children spent much time together in prayer and silence through
the following winter. On Sunday, May 13, 1917, the Feast of Our Lady
of the Blessed Sacrament, Lucia led her sheep to a large hollow
known as the Cova da Ira. They were reciting the rosary when there
was a brilliant flash of light. There was a second flash and suddenly
they beheld a Lady standing just over a small holm oak. "She was
more brilliant than the sun," Lucia said later, "and she radiated
a sparkling light from her person clearer and more intense than that
of a crystal filled with glittering water and transpierced by the
rays of the most burning sun."
  "Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm", she said gently.
  "Where are you from?" asked Lucia.
  "I am from Heaven".
  The Lady wore an immaculate white mantle, bordered by a stronger
light that fell to her feet. A star shone prominently from the hem
of the sun-like robe and from her hands hung a rosary of great
brilliance. She asked the children to return the 13th day of each
month until October, and said that afterwards she would return
one more time. She asked the children if they would offer themselves to
God to accept sufferings that He may send to them that they could
offer reparation for countless sins which offended Him and conversion
of sinners. They agreed. The Lady then opened her hands and an
intense light streamed onto the children and overwhelmed their souls
in God. They threw themselves on the ground and cried "O Most Holy
Trinity I adore Thee! My God, my God, I love Thee in the Most Blessed
Sacrament!"
  When the children related the experience to their families and the
villagers they were treated very badly. They were ridiculed, spat
upon and humiliated. Lucia's mother especially believed her daughter was
lying and punished her repeatedly for refusing to deny her story.
  On June 13 there were a few dozen of the curious who went along to
the Cova da Ira for the predicted apparition. Everyone saw a small white
cloud of light float down and rest just over the little holm oak.
This time the Lady told them to pray the rosary every day and asked
Lucia to learn to read. When Lucia told her she wished she would take
them to Heaven with her she replied that she would take Fransisco and
Jacinta soon, but for Lucia "Jesus wishes to use you to make me better
known and loved. He wishes to establish in the world devotion to my
Immaculate Heart." Lucia was saddened to be left on earth but the
Lady promised to never abandon her.
  Just before leaving, the Lady opened her hands and the children
were again engulfed in the "light" that seemed to overwhelm them
in God. They also saw in her hand a Heart ringed and pierced by
thorns. They understood this to be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
grieved by the sins of the world and seeking reparation.
  As the Lady left the bystanders could hear a sound "like a rocket"
and the holm oak stay bent over for hours, as if her clothing had
lain on it.
  This time the children were not met with the same degree of disbelief
but Lucia's mother still was convinced her daughter was lying. Finally
she had the parish priest intervene and he warned them it may be the
work of the devil. Lucia decided to stay away as she wanted to do
what was right.
  However, on July 13 Lucia suddenly changed her mind and was drawn
to the Cova da Ira with Jacinta and Fransisco. About 5000 people had
gathered this time for the apparition. Lucia commanded them to close
their umbrellas being used as protection against a fiery hot sun
when they saw a small white cloud come to rest over the holm oak.
The air became much cooler and the brightness of the July sun lessened.
  The Lady told Lucia "I want you to come here on the 13th next month
and to continue to pray the rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of
the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of
the war, for she alone can help."
  Lucia asked the Lady who she was, and to perform a miracle so
others might believe. The Lady promised to tell her in October and
also to perform a miracle. After hearing petitions of some of the
people her face grew very grave and she told Lucia "Sacrifice your-
selves for sinners and say often, especially when you make some
sacrifice: O my Jesus, this is for love of You, for the conversion of
sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the
Immaculate Heart of Mary". She then opened her hands and the light
streamed onto the children and they were given a vision of hell.
They were terrified. Lucia later described "We could see a vast sea
of fire. Plunged in the flames were demons and lost souls, as if they
were red-hot coals, transparent and black or bronze colored, in human
form, which floated about in the conflagration, borne by the flames
which issued from them, with clouds of smoke falling on all sides
as sparks in a great conflagration without weight or equilibrium,
amid shrieks and groans of sorrow and despair that horrified us and
caused us to tremble with fear. The devils could be distinguished by
horrible and loathsome form of animals, frightful and unknown, but
transparent like black coals that have turned red-hot."
  The Lady then said "You saw Hell where the souls of poor sinners
go. In order to save them, (Elizabeth note: this was a vision of
hell, she was not proposing to act to *remove* those who already
were in hell)God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my
Immaculate Heart. If people do what I ask, many souls will be saved
and there will be peace. The war is going to end. But if people do
not stop offending God, another, even worse, will begin in the reign
of Pius XI. When you see a night illuminated by an unknown light,
know that it is the great sign that God gives you
that He is going to punish the world by means of a war, hunger and
persecution of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent it, I
shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate
Heart and the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. If
people attend to my requests, Russia will be converted and the world
will have peace. If not, Russia will spread its errors throughout
the world, fomenting wars and persecutions of the Church. The good
will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and
various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart
will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me; it will
be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to
the world. In Portugal, the dogmas of the Faith will always be kept..
(Here follows the 3rd secret that was not revealed) Do not tell
anyone. Fransisco (who could not *hear* her) yes, you may tell him.
When you say the rosary, after each mystery say: O my Jesus, forgive
us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell and lead all souls to
Heaven, especially those most in need."
  Telling Lucia she had nothing further for her that day, there was
a "thunderclap" that shook the air as if by an earthquake and she
was gone. The little cloud over the holm oak disappeared.
  It was significant that the children were given a vision of hell in
an age when many regard this as superstition beneath modern man. Jesus
stressed the existence of hell 15 times. As society has drifted
further away from God's law, more and more sin is committed that is
not even regarded as sin and therefore there is no thought of repentance
On December 10, 1975 the Bishop of Fatima stated at Pontevedra:
  "In the light of the Fatima message, sin is not a phenomena of the
sociological order, but is, in the true theological concept, an
offence against God with necessary social consequences. Perhaps no
other century as the century we live in has had a life so sinful.
But there is something new added in the sins of this century: the
man of today, more sinful than those who came before him, has lost
the sense of sin. He sins, but laughs and even boasts of his sin..."

( To be continued )
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