St Joseph is the great foster father of Jesus, specially chosen by God the Heavenly Father for this special vocation. He is called to protect, guide and provide for the needs of the Holy family, for Jesus and Mary. He cares for Jesus as a small child and into adulthood. This unique gift of fatherhood and his own life lived in holiness, exemplies the providential care of a loving father . St Joseph was tasked with nurturing Jesus’ growth in wisdom and stature before God and men. St Joseph was a Jewish man, from the root and stock of King David yet was a poor man humble in stature putting the needs of Jesus and Mary first. He selflessly accepted the cross of preventing Mary’s scandalisation through accepting her as his wife, believing she was with child of the Holy Spirit, as revealed by God through an angel in a dream. As head of the Holy family, he can teach us and impart to us the virtue of holiness . St Joseph the wonder worker and terror of demons can become the great protector and head of one’s own family helping it to become an icon of the Holy Family, in a unity of loving communion, reflecting the Love of The Holy Trinity. Our act of consecration to St Joseph helps us faithfully to preserve family life from the assaults of Satan, who is intent on the destruction of family life as a very means to undermine the Church. Never has there been a greater need to protect family life in our day and share the Catholic Faith and Catechism to nurture children for the Kingdom of God - and help the Gospel spread to the ends of the earth for mankind’s salvation and sanctification. ‘“After Our Lady had disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament, we beheld St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. St. Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When, a little later, this apparition disappeared, I saw Our Lord and Our Lady; it seemed to me that it was Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner as St. Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and I saw Our Lady once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.” -Sr. Lucia in speaking about the sixth apparition at Fatima (the Miracle of the Sun)” ‘According to some who have studied the apparitions at Fatima, the vision of the Holy Family—with the peaceful St. Joseph and the Child Jesus—seems to contrast with the events of the “Miracle of the Sun,” in which the sun whirled about out of control in the sky just moments later. According to Msgr. Joseph Cirrincione, ” . . . the future event which both scenes foreshadow, has to do with fatherhood . . . St. Joseph was holding the Child Jesus and both were blessing the world, while Our Lady of the Rosary looked on. I see in that peaceful scene a reminder of what we pray in the Litany of St. Joseph, ‘Head of the Holy Family, Pray for us.’ And in the convulsions of the sun, I see an ominous foreshadowing of the consequences for the world which are sure to be felt if the true fatherhood of the family are rejected by mankind.”’ (Online: https://www.goodcatholic.com/st-joseph-and-the-lesser-known-fatima-apparition/ ) One way to restore fatherhood in the human family is to partake in a 33-day consecration to St Joseph. This may begin on 15th February ending on 19th March 2026, the Feast of St Joseph. One can use the Consecration prayers put together by Fr Donald Calloway MIC (See 33 days prayers following the links below) Through our own consecration one may embrace St Joseph as exemplar father figure and head of our families, as he is head of the holy family. Through his intercession we may come to know more fully the Love of Our Heavenly Father, in and through His Beloved Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. May Our families become icons of The Holy family reflecting The Divine Love of The Holy Trinity, a communion of self emptying sacrificial love outpoured. Amen, Lord Faithful King DAY 1 - WHY CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH? DAY 2 - THE LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH “Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Stockbridge, MA USA.”
The current article is written with the inspiration of the book “Fatima for Today”: the urgent Marian message of hope written by Fr Andrew Apostoli. In addition to this, it is informed by my last pilgrimage to Fatima in August 2025. In this article, my mission, is to explain from a young person’s point of view how relevant is the vision of Hell given by Our Lady is in today's world. In her First apparition, back in 1917, our Lady showed the little Shepherds a vision of Hell so that they remind humanity that is real. This message is particularly relevant nowadays and I thank the opportunity the trustees of the World Apostolate of Fatima, England and Wales, have given me to express a personal reflection and some fruits of prayer. When I first started reading the book last August, I felt discomfort. However, I was aiming to prepare myself for going to Fatima on a Pilgrimage. So, I had to continue to read. The preconceived worldly ideology of freedom was a discomfort. However, I decided to throw myself into it. As a result, I was given the grace of being touched by the message of our Lady. Particularly her words “many souls go to Hell because there is no one to pray and sacrifice for them”. This taught me that, beyond discomfort, there is hope. We are constantly told that the world is broken beyond repair (e.g., climate collapse, endless wars, social divisions). Our Lady of Fatima acknowledged the suffering within the darkness. In her motherly way, she showed the little Shepherds how to continue to fight for the souls, for her children. She urged them to pray, offer sacrifices and to convert every day. She offered protection by the consecration to her immaculate heart. Taking the words from Fr Apostoli, “Simply denying that there is a hell does not make it go away”. In her apparition, our Lady of Fátima reminded us through the Little Shepherds, and their vision of hell, what it means to live without God´s love. Hell exists, after our death, and while alive. The called Deceiver, and Accuser by Fr Apostoli, will make a fake deal with you to then make you feel ashamed, accused and will convince you there is no chance for redemption, that you are beyond forgiveness. Nowadays, as a young person living in our modern society, we exalt freedom. But what is freedom? And how do the messages from the apparitions in Fatima frame the concept of freedom? Our Lady of Fatima’s gentle approach was to trust children to convey her message to the world that struggles to this day to accept her messages. True freedom isn’t doing whatever we want it is choosing what leads to life, even when it is difficult. It is choosing true love offered from God and from Jesus instead of false love such as attachments and dependencies that the Devil, the Cheater, offers. From this perspective, why would we continue to choose to sin, to choose imitations of real love, the source of life? Because we are humans, we carry the aftermaths of original sin. So, what to do now? First, remember our identity, our true being we are, all of us, beloved Children of God. It is time to remind some Bible passages such as Isaiah 43, where God promised he had called us and he will always remain with us. He impels us to not be afraid, to trust that we are loved for who we are. That there is nothing wrong with us. He exhorts us to reclaim this true identity and break free from the slavery suggested by the Devil. Secondly, in the gospels of Luke (Lc 5, 27-32) & Mathew (Mt 9, 10-13) Jesus emphasises the importance of love and kindness and mercy and reminds us that yes, we are all sinners, but that is the reason, Jesus Christ came for all of us, to save us with his mercy and save us from the lies of the Devil that make us believe God wants to punish us. God also exhorts us to become like little children when listening to him. Our Lady of Fatima confirmed this by choosing the little Shepherds who were kids with very little education, and still, they were chosen by our Lady. This should help us to take some perspective of our current situation. What is essential in our lives? Where are we putting our worth? Where is the Devil lying to us? In addition, we can do as our Lady did: refuse to let darkness have the final word. Mary’s message is simple but radical: evil is real, but it is not all-powerful. Our Lady of Fatima’s message was never about fear but about love, and hope. What moves me most about our Lady of Fatima is that Mary respects human freedom. She doesn’t force belief, repentance, or love. She warns, invites, and waits. Hell exists not because God is cruel, but because love cannot be forced. Finally, I now know how to contribute to the Salvation of souls. To ease suffering in a heavenly way. A way that transcends human forces. It is a humbling experience of union with Christ. Through, Our Lady we can offer our sacrifices. It is a reality that we all suffer in our daily life, we sometimes choose to, other times we don’t. In those moments, our Lady of Fatima exhorts us to say the following prayer: “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially when you make a sacrifice, ‘O Jesus, this is for love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'” This prayer was conveyed to Sr Lucia of Fatima on the 13th of July 1917. In conclusion, we have been desensitised to the Devil, and consequently, to recognising Hell is real and how the small choices can tear us apart from the love of God and make us experience hell on earth. Let’s follow Our Lady’s and the little Shepherd’s example. Let’s come back to the essentials, let’s turn our eyes to the real source of life and wonder. The message of Our Lady of Fatima is still very relevant nowadays, pray and pray the Rosary, repent, repair, and don’t be afraid, evil is real, but it is not all-powerful, GOD IS.
Statue of our blessed virgin Mary in Pontevedra, Spain.
One of the most striking and often misunderstood moments of the Fatima apparitions is the vision of hell shown to the three shepherd children Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta on 13 July 1917. Our Lady allowed them to glimpse this terrifying reality not to instil fear, but to awaken consciences to the gravity of sin and the urgent need for conversion. Immediately after the vision, Mary offered hope, pointing to prayer, penance, and reparation as the path to salvation. The Church has consistently taught that the reality of hell highlights the dignity of human freedom and the seriousness of our moral choices. St. Augustine expresses this clearly: “God created us without us, but He did not will to save us without us.” The Fatima message echoes this truth by reminding us that while God’s mercy is infinite, it must be freely accepted through repentance and a transformed life. Our Lady’s call to reparation is profoundly maternal. She invites us to unite ourselves to the redemptive suffering of Christ for the salvation of souls. Pope St. John Paul II emphasised this when he said, “The message of Fatima is a call to conversion and repentance, like the Gospel itself.” Reparation—offered through prayer, fasting, sacrifices, and the faithful acceptance of daily trials—becomes an act of love that consoles the Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pope Benedict XVI further reminded the Church, “A humanity that excludes God from its horizons ends up destroying itself.” The vision of hell, therefore, is a merciful warning, calling the world back to God before hearts grow cold and faith is lost. It urges believers not to remain passive, but to become active participants in Christ’s saving mission. It is my great joy to be involved in the activities of the World Apostolate of Fatima. I deeply appreciate your devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and your generous commitment to living and spreading her message. I pray that all your work may come to full realisation for the greater glory of Our Lord and for a deeper, more fervent veneration of our Blessed Mother, who tirelessly leads souls to her Son and invites the world to peace through conversion. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all! “Ad Majorem Resurgentis Gloriam”- “Ave Maria”
