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 Centenary of the Apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima Scott 1652 (2017) The 100th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima was observed worldwide in 2017. Vatican City commemorated these events with the stamp shown above, as well as the postal card set for 2017. On 13 May, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children at the Cova di Ira, Fatima, Portugal. She continued to appear to the children on the 13th of each month until the final appearance on 13 October. The three children were Lucia dos Santos (9) and her cousins Francisco (8) and Jacinta (6) Marto. They also experienced visions in the spring and summer of 1916 through the appearance of an angel who taught them prayers. In 1917, the apparitions occurred again. They included a woman in white trimmed in gold, with a rosary, who was described “as brilliant as the sun.” The children were told to be faithful to the Holy Trinity, to say the Rosary daily, and to pray for the end of the war. The “Lady in White” said that on 13th of October she would perform a miracle so that all would believe and that she would also declare her identity. Subsequently, the Blessed Mother is often referred to as “Our Lady of Fatima.” Her emphasis on the Rosary enhanced the title, “Our Lady of the Rosary.” The initial secret events spread like wildfire soon after the first appearance. The 13 October event is known as the “Miracle of the Sun,” witnessed by 70,000 persons, including newspaper reporters, during which the Sun appeared to move in the sky. The youngest of the “Fatima Children,” Francisco and Jacinto, died in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 (as foretold during the visions). They were beatified by St. John Paul II in 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis on 13 May, 2017. Lucia joined the Sisters of St Dorothy and later became a Discalced Carmelite at Combria, Portugal for the remainder of her life. She died on 13 February 2005 at age 97. Lucia continued to receive private revelations during her life. She published her memoirs in 1935 and 1937 which made the apparitions known to a wider audience. Sister Lucia’s biography revealed two of the three “Secrets of Fatima:” A vision of souls in Hell, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the consecration of Russia as a means to prevent a second and greater world war, and to bring about an era of peace. The Third Secret of Fatima, revealed in 2000, was the death of a pope and the suffering of many religious. Fatima occurred at a time when a socialist republican government ruled Portugal. It was specifically hostile to religion and to events surrounding Fatima. A parish priest befriended the visionaries and encouraged the children to visit the Cova as had been requested.  Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima Fatima, Portugal From Wikimedia Commons In the Public Domain The visions at Fatima were approved in 1930. A large basilica and shrine were built at Fatima. The site today attracts four million pilgrims annually, with the largest groups appearing from May to October. Films recounting the event include The Miracle of Fatima (1952), Apparitions at Fatima (1992), and The Thirteenth Day (2009). Several popes have expressed their devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, including Pius XII, and all popes since 1967 (with the exception of Pope John Paul I) have visited Fatima. In particular, Pope John Paul II visited Fatima one year after the assassination attempt on his life on May 13, 1981. He placed one of the bullets from the attempt in the crown of the statue of Our Lady during the visit of thanksgiving to Fatima on May 12, 1982. 
 
 Papal Travels to Fatima: Pope Paul VI, 1967 (Scott 457, 1967) Pope John Paul II, 1982 (Scott 1236e, 2003) Pope John Paul II, 2000 (Scott 1189, 2001) Pope Benedict XVI, 2010 (Scott 1486, 2011) Pope Francis, 2017 (Scott 1699, 2018) REFERENCES: |
