Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fátima refers to the Marian apparitions that appeared in 1917 to three shepherd children — Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta Marto and Francisco Marto — in the village of Fátima, Portugal. Between May 13 and October 13, the children reported that a “Lady brighter than the sun” appeared to them on the 13th day of each month, giving messages of prayer, penance, and conversion. She asked for devotion to her Immaculate Heart, encouraged daily recitation of the Rosary, and revealed visions of heaven, hell, and the trials the world might face if people did not turn to God.

The most famous moment of these apparitions was the “Miracle of the Sun” on October 13, 1917, witnessed by tens of thousands of people, where the sun appeared to dance in the sky, radiating extraordinary light and movement. Our Lady’s messages emphasized repentance, prayer for sinners, and trust in God’s mercy. The Church eventually recognized these apparitions as worthy of belief, and devotion to Our Lady of Fátima has inspired millions worldwide to seek holiness, conversion, and reconciliation with God. Her feast day, May 13, invites the faithful to honor her maternal guidance, imitate her virtues, and entrust themselves to her intercession.