Fatima Articles and Talks

A call to prayer, repentance and trust in the triumph of the Immaculate Heart

What is the message behind the three-part Secret told by Our Blessed Virgin Mary in Fátima? What is the real meaning behind them? Is the Secret of Fatima meant to frighten us or lead us to God? During World War I, three children, Lúcia dos Santos (10) and her cousins Francisco (9) and Jacinta Marto (7), reported six apparitions of a lady "brighter than the sun" in Cova da Iria, Fátima. They were young, simple children chosen by God through Our Blessed Virgin Mary for a special mission. In the third apparition on July 13, 1917 , according to venerable Sr. Lúcia, the Blessed Virgin Mary entrusted them with a three-part prophecy. While two of the three-parts Secret were published in 1941, the Vatican kept the final part of the Secret confidential until the turn of the millennium. The Secret- Part 1: The Vision of Hell " …she opened her hands…the light seemed to penetrate the earth and we saw, as it were, a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers... floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke.... amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair …we looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly and so sadly: You have seen hell, where souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace. The war is going to end, but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI " The first part of the Secret was a terrifying glimpse of hell that lasted only a moment but left a permanent mark on the children. One may think that the children were too young to see scary things, such as hell, but it was important for them to know and to learn how bad things could be prevented, even the war could be prevented. Obviously, they wouldn’t be able to see the vision of hell without supernatural power; only by God’s grace were they able to understand the vision. They understood that their prayers and sacrifices could prevent people from going to hell. This first part of the Secret served as a dramatic, urgent call to the world. It framed the entire Fátima message not as a selected theological puzzle, but as a direct warning about the spiritual danger of human action, emphasizing the reality of damnation and the urgent need to save souls. Although sin and suffering are real, our Blessed Mother assures us that the faithful can have hope because victory comes through Jesus when we remain faithful to God's grace. In Catholic theology, this wasn't just a scary tactic. It was presented as a wake-up call to the reality of human free will and the spiritual consequences of actions. The vision served as the method for the children’s message to the world: a desperate plea for prayer and conversion to prevent souls from falling into this state of separation. It is not meant to discourage humanity but to prevent them from perishing. The Secret- Part 2: World War II and the Rise of Russia “ To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread errors throughout the world, causing 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.” Our Blessed Virgin Mary added a most hopeful message. She said, “ In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world .” Part two of the Secret was a geopolitical prophecy. It accurately predicted the end of World War I but warned of a worse conflict if humanity did not stop offending God. Notice that it moved directly from the spiritual realm into the drama of modern history. What does Our Blessed Mother mean by “ God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart ” and “ In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph ”? Why devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Because the Immaculate Heart of Mary is pure, holy, humble and spotless; her Heart is totally dedicated and open to God’s will. Mary's heart, unlike Jesus' Heart, is fully human. As the most perfect of God's creatures, Mary loved God as completely as possible and shared a uniquely close bond with Jesus through her roles as both mother and disciple. Therefore, her Immaculate Heart is stronger than any weapons and guns of all kinds. She will protect and save the souls from the grasp of the evil ones. Her humility is so great that the devil cannot prevail against her. The message of Our Lady of Fátima has inspired generations by offering hope during times of hardship, war, persecution and personal struggle, and reminding people that God's plan leads to redemption. It also calls us to pray, make sacrifices, and work for the salvation of others. We live in a world of a self-centred culture that prioritises personal comfort and only does what makes us feel good. This mentality is contrary to God’s way of love. Therefore, the message of Our Lady is to help us to focus on a life of love, self-sacrifice, and prayer for the grace to care more deeply for others. The Secret- Part 3: Persecution and the Pope “ …we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: “Penance, Penance, Penance!” And we saw in an immense light that is God: “something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it”, a Bishop dressed in White “we had the impression that it was the Holy Father”. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of roughhewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross, there were two Angels, each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God. “To save souls” has become the central theme of the first and second sections of the “secret,” while the important expression of the third section is the threefold appeal: “Penance, Penance, Penance!” The third vision emphasizes its call to prayer and penance. By these spiritual exercises, we can overcome the evil one who constantly spreads its poison in the world. In the vision, we see how Our Blessed Mother powerfully protected her spiritual children from the hands of the enemy, …with the splendour that she radiated towards him from her right hand … This vision also foretold how the Militant Church was and still is in constant battle against the Evil One. She is going through a time of violence, destruction and persecution. According to the vision, the last century was a period of martyrdom, hardship, and persecution for the Church, marked by world wars and numerous local conflicts that subjected humanity to previously unseen forms of violence and cruelty. Throughout the centuries, the figure of the Pope has played a special role. We see in this vision the Pope climbing the hill, symbolising different Popes, who constantly strive to march forward amidst the sufferings and persecution of the Church, which leads to the Cross. Besides the image of the Pope, we also see beneath the arms of the Cross two angels gather up the blood of the martyrs , and with it they give life to the souls making their way to God . In the Sacred Scriptures, blood is referred to as belonging to God. Only God has the right to take a human’s life. Sadly, some of those who were and who are in authority continue to shed the blood of innocent people to satiate their power and greed. The deaths of Christian martyrs are seen as spiritually united with the death of Christ. Their suffering and sacrifice are understood as sharing in Christ’s Passion, so the martyrs’ blood is symbolically viewed as flowing from the cross alongside Christ’s blood. In this way, their deaths become part of and connected to his sacrifice. Tertullian says, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians.” As from the side of Christ, the Church was born; similarly, the martyrs’ deaths bear fruit for the future life of the Church. Although the vision of these three secrets looks rather distressing at first, it concludes with the image of hope; hope that in the end God's love and mercy will triumph, that death has no power over Life. The believers are called to remain faithful and persevere in their faith and hope in God. The purpose of the secret is to prevent humanity from perishing and to live with God in eternity. Throughout the centuries, God chose and continues to choose simple and pure souls as His instruments to silence His enemies. Written by Sr. Mary Goncalves, F.D.C. Daughters of Divine Charity (Filae Divinae Caritatis F.D.C) (An international Congregation, active in the Diocese of East Anglia since missionaries from their Congregation arrived in England from Vienna, Austria, in 1914) Sr. Mary joined the Order in 2014 and made her final vows in August 2023. The Charism of the Congregation is to make God’s Love visible through education, social work, and pastoral care, focusing on fulfilling the needs of the present day.

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The first apparitions at Fatima unfolded in the radiant joy of the Easter season. They echo beautifully and profoundly the three great solemnities that crown this sacred time: Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity. Each reveals a facet of God’s saving love, and each resonates with the message entrusted to the shepherd children. Ascension lifts our hearts to God through prayer, sacrifice, and hope. Pentecost pours out the Holy Spirit, whom Our Lady invites us to welcome through the daily Rosary. The Holy Trinity draws us into the very mystery of divine love. Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity form a single movement of God’s gift to humanity. Each Solemnity reveals, in its own way, the fullness of God’s plan: to raise us, heal us, and invite us into his own life. Ascension: Christ Exalted, Humanity Raised Christ’s Ascension is not His departure but His exaltation of human nature itself. In the Summa Theologiae , St Thomas Aquinas writes that Christ ascended “to prepare the way for us,” lifting our humanity into the very presence of God. The Ascension is therefore not absence but promise: Where Christ has gone, we are called to follow and it accomplishes three main things: • It increases our faith , because we now believe without seeing. • It strengthens our hope , because Christ has opened heaven to humanity. • It directs our charity , because our hearts are drawn upward to God. This upward movement of the soul echoes the message of Fatima. When the Angel of Peace appeared to the children in 1916, he taught them to adore God with profound humility, an act that lifts the heart toward heaven. The Ascension reminds us that Christian life is always oriented toward God, and the Rosary is that ladder of contemplation that draws us upward, mystery by mystery. Pentecost: The Spirit Who Perfects If the Ascension lifts humanity to God, Pentecost brings God’s own life into humanity. St Thomas Aquinas, "Pentecost is that moment when the Holy Spirit is given to the Church 'as the soul is given to the body'." The Spirit animates, unifies, and sanctifies. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that Mary was present in the Upper Room, a detail, profoundly significant. Mary, who had once conceived Christ through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, now stands among the disciples as the Spirit descends again, this time to overshadow the disciples and be revealed and vivified publicly at Pentecost. Thus, Pentecost becomes, in a sense, a new Annunciation: The Spirit comes upon Mary and the disciples, so that Christ may be made present in the world through their witness. There is also the theological explanation when we talk of the birth of the Church. The Church is born from the pierced side of Christ on the Cross, where blood and water flow forth (Jn 19:34). The Fathers, especially St Augustine sees this as the Sacramental origin of the Church: The blood signifying the Eucharist and the water signifying Baptism. From the new Adam’s side, the new Eve, the Church is brought to life. Pentecost is the public manifestation and empowerment of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descends upon the Apostles and sends them forth in mission. What was conceived sacramentally on Calvary, at Pentecost is revealed and vivified publicly. Pentecost also resonates deeply with Fatima. When Our Lady first appeared on 13 May 1917, she asked the children to pray the Rosary daily “to obtain peace for the world.” Peace is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the restoration of relationship between God and men, ending the separation caused by sin. The Rosary is a school of the Spirit, forming hearts to be capable of receiving and spreading divine peace. Each ‘Hail Mary is an invitation for the Spirit to overshadow us, forming Christ within us, just as He formed Christ in Mary. Pentecost is not a historical event, but a living reality. Pentecost and Fatima together remind us that renewal begins with the Spirit poured into receptive hearts. In this way, the Holy Spirit: • Perfects our understanding , enabling us to grasp divine truth. • Strengthens our will , empowering us to live virtuously through its various fruits. • Unites the Church , making many members one Body in Christ. Trinity Sunday: The Mystery of Love Itself Trinity Sunday crowns the Easter season as this mystery is not abstract; it is relational, explains St Thomas. The Father sends the Son, the Son reveals the Father, and the Spirit unites us to both. Everything God does in the creation, redemption and sanctification, flows from this inner life of His love for us. Few modern witnesses illuminate the mystery of the Trinity as profoundly as Venerable Sister Lucia of Fatima, whose encounters with heaven in her vision of the Trinity, continue to guide the faithful today. Sister Lucia recounted the first apparition of Our Lady at Fatima on 13 May 1917 as a light “clearer than crystal” and “more brilliant than the sun”. This first early experience prepared Sister Lucia for what would become one of the most significant mystical graces of her life: the vision of the Most Holy Trinity at Tuy, Spain in 1929.

Whenever Our Lady has appeared on earth, whether at Fatima, in Lourdes, or to our holy father St Dominic in 1208, she has told us to pray the Holy Rosary. On the 13th May 1917, Our Lady appeared on a small Holm Oak tree to three little shepherds in the Cova da Iria in Fatima. She asked the children to pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of war. As such, the Holy Rosary must not remain an ornament, or a sentimental gift, or a pretty necklace that hangs by our bed. It must be taken in our hands, just as Our Lady does. Mary leads us, and asks us all of us to pray the Rosary every day, just as she asked the little children. When Lucia, the older of the three shepherd children, asks if Francisco will also go to heaven, our Lady replies “He will go there too, but he must say many Rosaries.” In October 1917, Our Lady says: “I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue to pray the Rosary every day.” So many times, Our Lady gives us this instruction in her various apparitions throughout the world. Why pray the Rosary, because Our Blessed Mother knows what is best for every single one of us, and as every mother, she wants the best for her children. Mother Mary told us to pray the rosary every day. The Rosary is not a set of beads, not just a set of Biblical meditations, but above all, a means of prayer. It has to be prayed, which means that it connects us to God, who is the object of our prayers. Mary guided Sr Lucia and conversed with her. Mary is conversing with us too and guiding us to Jesus whenever we pray the Rosary. In 1208, St Dominic had the privilege of being the first person to receive the prayers of the Rosary from Mary. He learned how to pray the Rosary, and thus how to ponder the mysteries of Christ’s incarnation, his life, his saving work. Our Lady came to St Dominic in a dream, and she told him that the Rosary is the “weapon, the Holy Trinity wants to use to reform the world”. In other words, God wills that the renewal of the world, the turning away from sin and violence and hatred, should happen through a prayerful meditation on the truth and light of the Gospel. Indeed, Our Lady repeatedly promises that God will convert hearts and transform the world through the Rosary for the Rosary is a proclamation of the saving works of God through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Hence Mary told St Dominic, “In this kind of spiritual warfare, the principal weapon has always been the ‘Our Father’ and the ‘Hail Mary’, which are the foundation-stone of the New Testament.” What this means is that the essence of the Rosary is the heart of the Gospel, a proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ. To understand this Good News that changes hearts and converts the world: first, we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us, the prayer that dares to call God ‘Our Father’. We place the words of the Son of God on our own lips. Thus, we are formed by God’s power and grace in the virtues of the Son towards the Father: humility, obedience and trust. Through the ‘Our Father’, we allow ourselves to be transformed by grace and become more and more like Christ, more truly God’s sons and daughters. The ‘Hail Mary’ recalls the pivotal moment in history that changes all of creation. The Gospel today tells of that moment of the incarnation when, through Mary’s obedience and faith, God becomes Man in Mary’s womb. Through her ‘Yes’, joy has filled the whole world. For as Zephaniah says: “Lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the Lord.” Every time, we pray the ‘Hail Mary’, we recall the wonderful work of God claiming this world for Christ, rescuing men and women from Satan’s lies, and making us, co-heirs with Christ to the Kingdom of heaven. For each ‘Hail Mary’ is in fact a proclamation of the victory of God. The more fervently we pray it, with faith in the victory of God, with humble trust like Mary’s, then the more victorious we are, in spiritual battle against the enemies of God. Hence, Sister Lucia, the visionary of Fatima said: “The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or above all spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families…that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” In the month of the Holy Rosary, Our Lady reminds us all of God’s promise. Pray the Rosary every day. Pray the Holy Rosary for peace, and pray it for an end to all evils. Just as the apostles prayed in the Upper Room in Jerusalem with Our Lady, and the Holy Spirit came down in the form of fire, so when we pray the Rosary, we join Our Lady and the Apostles, and the Holy Spirit comes to us. The Spirit of God comes to drive away evil. The Holy Spirit comes to bring healing grace and strength from heaven. And the Holy Spirit kindles the fire of love in our hearts. For our own salvation and the renewal of the world comes from having God’s love in our hearts. Then, like Our Lady, who treasured and pondered the mysteries of God in her heart, we shall also be filled with the grace of God, and we shall know the joy and victory of having God-with-us. (Based on Fr Lawrence Lew’s homily on the Holy Rosary, October 2019) Short Biography: Fr Lawrence Lew, OP, is a Dominican friar of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford. He is the global Promoter General for the Holy Rosary, overseeing the growth and promotion of the Rosary Confraternity for the worldwide Dominican Order. In particular he has a love for Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, and a promoter the message and lessons of Fatima.

May, the month dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, invites us to rediscover the ways Mary continues to draw souls to her Son. Among the most compelling modern witnesses to Mary’s maternal care is Servant of God Rhoda Wise. A humble woman from Canton, Ohio, whose life of suffering became the seedbed of extraordinary grace and continues to inspire the faithful today. At the heart of Rhoda’s life is the Rosary, Mary’s school of trust, perseverance, and intercession. Through it, a remarkable chain of grace unfolded, touching saints, and apostles of the modern age. Rhoda Wise: Suffering Transformed by Grace Born in 1888, Rhoda Wise endured years of debilitating illness, repeated surgeries, and chronic pain. During a hospital stay in early 1939, the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine gave Rhoda, her first Rosary and taught her how to pray it. She was not Catholic, but she was open and grace rushed in. That simple act of charity became the spark of her spiritual transformation. The Rosary became her constant prayer, her comfort in suffering, and the doorway through which Mary would lead her to Christ. Only months later, on June 28, 1939, Jesus appeared to Rhoda for the first time. This first apparition came when she was at her weakest, echoing the moment when Mary received her own intercessory mission at the foot of the Cross. God often chooses the wounded to become instruments of His mercy. From that moment, Rhoda’s home became a place of prayer, healing, and conversion. The grace she received did not remain with her, the grace spread.