The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1960-03-11
FATIMA Portugal

The Bishop of Leiria still
has not given any indica-
ton exactly when the
final Fatima secret will
be revealed.
BISHOP JoAo PEREiRA
Venancio Of Leiria, whose
diocese includes Fatima, stat
ed last year that the sealed
account written by Sister Lucy
would definitely be opened
before the end of 1860. Sister
Lucy, now a Carmelite nun,
is the sole survivor of the
three children to whom the
Blessed Virgin appeared in
1917 at Fatima.
Many here believe that the
secret will be revealed either
May IS, the anniversary of
Mary's first appearance to the
three Portuguese children, or
October Is, the anniversary
of the final apparition.
SOME BELIEVE THE the
secret will be made public in
Rome rather than at Lelrla
or at Fatima. They maintain
that Bishop Pereirs Venancio
may open the envelope con.
tanning the secret, but that ne
will send it to Rome for
scrutiny by Vatican officials
before releasing its contents.
The Bishop himself has said
nothing on these matters.
In fact, when he stated that
the envelope containing the
secret would be opened be-
fore the end of 1860, the
Bishop did not say definitely
that its contents would be
made public.
IN THE MEANTIME, Sister
Lucy, who wrote the account
of the secret, continues her
normal life in the Carmellte
c~loister at Coimbra. She de-
clines increasing demands for
interviews concerning the
message. Her sister, now Mrs.
Maria dos AMOS, who visit
ed Sister Lucy recently, said
she is in very good spirits
and exceptionally cheerful.
Mrs. dos AMOS still lives in
the cottage where Lucy was
born in Aljustrel, just a mile
from the great shrine that has
arisen at the site of the APP
partitions.
RELIC ioUs ACTIVITIES
here have increased. New
statistics for the shrine re
veal that a half million Com
munions was dispensed at
Fatima in 1859. Some 1880
persons stated in the sane
tuary retreat houses in the
course of the year, and there
were 81 registered pilgrim
ages in all. Thirty-five OF
these were foreign.
I'M ALL, 3,9o5 Masses were
celebrated in the chapel over
the site where Our Lady APP
peared, and 1881 we're offer
ed in the basilica and the
ehspels attached TO the san
tuary. A total of 1855
Masses were offered in the
converts and monastery
chapels here. Communion was
given 319, 800 times al the
sanctuary and 1860 times
In the converts and mon
astery chapels.
There were 836 marriages
nj the sanctuary and 1903 bap-
tisms. One death is listed In
the statistical review.
The figures show that
whereas organized pilgrimages
have additionally been made
TO Fatima for the 18th day of
the summer months-the an
niversaries OF the 1917 events
there has been a large in
crease in the number of pill
grimages at other times of
the year. This is attributed
TO the large increase in
lodging facilities, especially
the new religious houses
which serve as pilgrims hos
tells.
SHRINE AUTHORITIES be-
iieve that because of wide
spread interest in Sister
Lucy's written account of the
final part OF the Fatima secret
there will be q still greater
increase in the number of pill
grims in 1860. A major OBJ
servance takes place May II
and 10, the 43rd anniversary
OF Mary's first appearance.
His Eminence Giacomo Cardi-
nal Lercaro, Archbishop OF
Bologna, Italy, has accepted
Bishop Pereira Venancio's in
vitation to preside al the serv-
ices TO be held then.
Meanwhile, it was recalled
here that not even Bishop
Pereira Vensncio's predeces-
sor as Bishop here, the late
Bishop Jose Alves Correia da
Silva, had seen the document
written by Sister Lucy. Bishop
Correia ds Silva was the con
fidant and friend OF the nun
TIE FULL ACCOUNT n,