Fatima Prayers

On March 25, 2026, the World Apostolate of Fatima invites everyone to join a Global Prayer Day for Peace in Ukraine and in the World.

The message of Walsingham is centred upon the Annunciation and as part of a community dedicated to Our Lady of Walsingham in a particular way, the Annunciation therefore forms a central part of our spirituality. As we journey towards the great Feast of the Annunciation it is an opportunity to ask for the grace to give our own fiat, our own yes, in imitation of Our Lady’s. The novena for the Annunciation is the perfect opportunity to seek these graces as outlined below. And not only for ourselves, but also on behalf of all those who do not believe which was an important aspect of the visions at Fatima. The importance of giving our yes goes back to the core of our identity as men and women created in the image and likeness of God, to fully and freely assent to his love and live in it always. That is the ultimate yes, and all the little and large ‘no’s we utter take us out of this eternal commune of love. The times we utter a ‘no’ are times where we are actually being untrue to a fundamental component of who we are made to become. That is why Mary is so important to have as a model of what it is to live in that fullness of life which Christ offers to us each day. But how do we get to this point? To give our yes in each and every moment sounds all very well, but in the nitty gritty of daily life it can be such a challenge to give our own yes. Tensions within a family, that overbearing manager at work, the death of a loved one, illness, the loss of a job...from the bigger crosses to the little splinters life presents us with, giving our yes can be a great challenge! And yet this is the only way in which we can experience what try and authentic joy is. It is only by giving our full and total yes to God that we can live in the authentic joy and peace God desires for us, as Pope St John Paul II wrote: “that joy and true peace which all ardently hope for, even in our times, only springs forth in full acceptance of the divine will.” Firstly, let us remember not to conflate joy and happiness. Happiness is simply a feeling, like pleasure, and therefore it is transient. On the other hand, joy is a grace and one of the fruits of the Spirit. The consequence of this is that it is not something which can be taken away by circumstances but, in a mysterious manner, can endure even amidst times of difficulty and suffering. Joy comes from a place of freedom where, like Mary, we can place ourselves wholly into his hands, trusting in his timing, his providence and his goodness which can permeate even the most insurmountable and debilitating of circumstances. We see this reflected in Mary at the Annunciation, she could have protested that it was better for God to wait until she was married for the Word to become Flesh in her, it was a bit inconvenient to decide to do it now when it could become such a scandal. Surely that would damage his plan? Another time may be better. And for goodness’ sake, of all times to call for a census when heavily pregnant! Talk about bad timing… Hence why Mary was chosen to be the Mother of God and not us! She was able to receive everything from God’s hand as willed by Him. There is a valuable, if challenging lesson contained within this. Are we able to accept the reality of our situation in life as coming from God’s hand? To accept that he can work in and with all things, people, places and situations. This is a challenge as we all hold within us an ideal which can oftentimes be very far removed from the reality of our life! That is not to say we should do away with our ideals, but to remember that our life is primarily one of growth in faith, hope and charity and that all else is ultimately secondary to this. This may not be immediately apparent. Mary was not omniscient, all-knowing as God is, she was not able to see clearly God’s wider plan and vision, but she trusted. Remember that it wasn’t until she was later with Elizabeth, that she sang her song of praise and thanksgiving in the Magnificat. We can only trust when we have that deeper certitude that God truly is a God for us all-loving and can unfailingly write straight on the crooked lines of our life. Therefore, another attribute of joy that we can learn from the Annunciation is that it can also take time for it to reach its flowering and maturity. I It is like the seed in the Gospel of Mark sown by the farmer: “night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how,” (Mark 4:27). Joy can take time to come to its full fruition and oftentimes appears unlooked for. Finally, it is important to also consider how we must live our life with intentionality and an awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit resting over each moment. Mary at the Annunciation models this so beautifully, she was able to receive the message from the Angel as truly being that of God and to dynamically grasp the opportunity presented in this moment. It should cause us to reflect on how aware we are of God’s voice seeking us out in every moment. Or are we just on autopilot and allowing ourselves to be carried along by the current of life? It can be challenging to live with that greater degree of intentionality and responsiveness rather than just reactiveness. And yet this is the only way to truly grasp the height, the depth, the breadth of God’s love which is with us in each moment. So let us pray for one another as we journey through this novena and pray for the grace to imitate Mary at the Annunciation with a greater depth and fervour in our daily lives. May Mary, through her prayers and example, draw us closer to her Son who longs to be born into our lives anew in each moment and thereby give us the joy which we were created for. 16th March - Novena Day 1: For Growth in Faith Welcome to the first day of our novena to Our Lady of Walsingham, it is a great joy to be journeying together to the Feast of Annunciation on the 25 th March. We unite ourselves in prayer with all others joining in with this novena which we offer especially for the reconversion of this nation, for those who have fallen away from the faith and all those particular intentions we carry in our hearts. REFLECTION Today we pray for a growth in faith. As Christians we are called to look at the world from a different perspective, to see life with a broader vision, that is, through the eyes of faith. It is remembering that faith is not a matter of feeling. It is something deeper than our senses, emotions and even thoughts. It is a firm certainty in God’s love and His promises, though we may feel fear, doubts and anxieties, we still turn to Him in trust and surrender, even as Mary did from the time she gave her ‘yes’ at the Annunciation, to that ‘yes’ at the foot of the Cross. PRAYER Let us turn in prayer to Our Lady of Walsingham. Mother Mary, we ask for your intercession for us, for the grace to walk by faith and not by sight. To persevere in our respective callings especially when in the midst of darkness and sorrow, recognising that God’s love can be found in all things if we have the eyes to see. We ask for your intercession, heavenly mother, for a transformation in the way we see the world. To see others and ourselves through God’s eyes, having faith in His infinite love for us in all our poverty and weakness, and so come to the fullness of life which can only be found in and through faith. And now in a moment of silence we place before you our intentions…. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All you saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen. 17th March - Novena Day 2: For Growth in Obedience REFLECTION Oftentimes, we may think of obedience as something more reserved for religious who take a vow promising this. However, obedience to God, to the Church and to those in legitimate authority over us is important. There are also particular obediences found in each state of life. Married couples to their spouses, children and work commitments, a priest to his Bishop and parish, a religious to their superior and rule of life, to give some brief examples. Mary never disobeyed God, not in thought, word or deed but was wholly and totally available to Him in every moment. As she said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” the servant of the Lord. She was able to offer herself completely in obedience because she had a heart ready and willing to be formed by the action of the Holy Spirit in every circumstance. Obedience is one of the hardest things for us to live well, as it often involves going against our natural likes and inclinations. But the grace is there and waiting for us, a grace God earnestly desires to give us all. Each of us is presented with so many opportunities each day to be obedient to the voice of God, to give up our will in exchange for doing and living in His. It can take time and patience to discern what this is in our daily lives. But the more we pray and ask for grace, the clearer it will become. PRAYER And so, we turn to you, Our Lady of Walsingham, to ask for an increase in the virtue of obedience. We pray that you may intercede for us that we may have a greater willingness to be taught and formed by the Holy Spirit in each moment, along with the grace to correspond at an ever deeper level to the Father’s will. We ask for hearts and minds which are humble, ready and willing to be formed and shaped by the Father’s loving hand, so that in imitation of you, Our Blessed Mother, we can declare in joy and sorrow: ‘Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word!’ One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of Britain, pray for us. Amen. 18th March - Novena Day 3: For Growth in Humility REFLECTION Today we pray for an increase in the grace of humility. St Bernard says that humility is “the foundation and guardian of all the virtues,” and time and time again the saints and the Church declare that humility is to be the bedrock and cornerstone on which we build our spiritual lives. Humility means to see ourselves as God sees us, that is, with unconditional love and kindness. True humility does not fill us with sadness, misery or despair, but rather causes us to rejoice in our nothingness, our poverty and littleness recognising that God in His mercy will lift us up and do all things for us. As Mary rejoices in her Magnificat, “He looks on His servant in her lowliness…the Almighty works marvels for me…He casts the mighty from their thrones and raises the lowly.” Humility enables us to step back and give God the freedom to work in our lives as and when He wills. PRAYER Our Lady of Walsingham, we ask that today and always you may clothe us in humility, the virtue through which you became Mother of God. Mother of Jesus and of us all, bring us to union with Christ who was truly humble of heart. Let our lives be lived in union with Him and with you, ready to accept the daily crosses of life which are meant to draw us closer to God. In our families and communities may we come to better imitate the Holy Family in their humility, recognising that when we are weak, then we are strong. We ask for a greater understanding of our own nothingness, that each day He may increase and we decrease so that we may learn to be truly emptied of our own selves in order to be filled with all the fullness of God. We now pause for a moment in silence to surrender our particular intentions for this novena into your hands… One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of England, pray for us. Amen. 19th March - Novena Day 4: For Growth in Detachment REFLECTION On this 4th day of our novena to Our Lady of Walsingham, we reflect on and pray for a growth in detachment. In our communities’ Book of Life it says that “the spirit of detachment…is one of the characteristics of the anawim of the Lord. The anawim of the Old Testament were the poor of every sort who depended totally on God for whatever they needed… So we trust in God’s love for us, revealed in whatever He sends from moment to moment. In times of suffering, the anawim remained faithful and awaited the good things of the Lord to fill their emptiness… They delighted in the Lord because they were rooted in Him.” All that we have and are comes from God, there is nothing we have that has not already been given to us as St Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. PRAYER Mary Our Mother, we ask your intercession that we may be granted a spirit of greater detachment. Help us to become evermore surrendered to the will of the Father and so to stand before Him with hands open, ready to surrender our own wants and preferences so that He may be able to give us what He desires as He knows what we need. We ask for a discerning heart, to see more clearly the things in our life which hold us back from a deeper relationship with Christ and that which draws us closer to Him. May we learn more in each moment to seek God’s will and not our own so we too can say with you, ‘Fiat, your will be done in me!’ We now pause for a moment in silence to surrender our particular intentions for this novena into your hands… One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen. 20th March - Novena Day 5: To Give Our Fiat More Totally and Freely REFLECTION Throughout this time of novena, we have reflected a great deal on what it means to give our ‘yes’ to God. Mary models for us how to give our own yes more totally and freely. This is something which does not take place overnight. We can only give a ‘yes’ to God in the larger things in life if we have already given our ‘yes’ in the smaller things. Be it holding back a sharp word, a small act of sacrifice and denial, setting aside those few minutes for prayer when we would prefer to be elsewhere…All of this builds up an interior disposition so that, day by day, we can grow towards giving a freer and more total yes. And in all this to also have patience with ourselves for those times when we fall and to remember that God is infinite in His mercy and forgiveness. PRAYER Mary, our mother, sister and guide, we ask today for an increase in grace to give our own fiat, our yes, to the will of God in all circumstances. As we journey deeper into the mystery of God’s will and His love for us, we ask for the grace to stay faithful to our yes to Him; and to time and again, repeat our ‘fiat,’ not just for ourselves, but for all those who fail to give praise and glory to the Trinity. Our Lady of Walsingham, intercede for us, that our wills, minds and hearts may become increasingly united and transformed into that of your Son, so we can declare our own ‘Fiat’ to the Father’s Will. We now have a moment of silent prayer, giving to Our Lord those intentions we carry in our hearts… One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen. 21st March - Novena Day 6: For Growth in a Spirit of Thanksgiving REFLECTION Today, on our 6th day of this novena to Our Lady of Walsingham, we pray for a growth in a spirit of thanksgiving and gratitude. This is a disposition which takes time to cultivate, especially in today’s world which seems to constantly be searching for more and more, not taking time to be and savour what we have been given already. Our Lady of Walsingham shows us that in order to live joy authentically, we must first have hearts which can sing a song of thanksgiving for all God has done, the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the twists and turns, recognising God turns everything to our good. As we learn to do this more and more each day, we too can enter into the song of the Magnificat with Mary, knowing that God has done all things for us and His goodness is without end. PRAYER Our Lady of Walsingham, today we ask for your prayers for us for an increase in a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving. We pray for fresh eyes, minds and hearts to perceive and give thanks to the Father for the gift hidden in every moment and circumstance. We ask that our lives would be transformed evermore into a constant song of thanksgiving to the Lord for all that He has done for us and for all that He is. We now have a moment of silent prayer, giving to Our Lord those intentions we carry in our hearts… One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen. 22nd March - Novena Day 7: For An Increase in Joy REFLECTION As we have said many times throughout this novena to Our Lady of Walsingham, the message of Walsingham is all about joy! This is why Our Lady asked for a replica of the Holy House to be built there, because she desires us to share in that joy, that fullness of joy only God can give. Pope Francis talks in His exhortation ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ that the mark of a Christian ought to be joy – for “with Christ – joy is constantly born anew.” But joy cannot be forced or obtained through sheer willpower and gritted teeth. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit, something freely given when we have reached the point of surrender and thanksgiving. When we, like Mary, can stand before God in simplicity with empty hands and allow God to fill us in His time, recognising that He knows our times and seasons better than we know ourselves. As C.S. Lewis’s wonderful book is titled, it is allowing ourselves to be ‘Surprised by Joy!’ So often this grace appears in the depths of our hearts unlooked for, when we have united ourselves more deeply to God’s will. So let us pray for the graces to do what we can to cultivate this spirit of joy, utilising what we have reflected on over the past 30 days, all for God’s greater glory. PRAYER Mother Mary, we ask today and for each day for an increase in joy. Pray that the Holy Spirit may open up our hearts, minds and eyes to a greater sensitivity and awareness of those moments of joy God places in our lives, recognising that it is a gift to all those who seek His will. We ask for the grace to see the beauty of God’s call and of His will unfolding in each moment, and to respond to this with the same joy you experienced at the moment of the Annunciation. Help us today and always, to be eager and ready to respond to the call of the Spirit, and to be evermore open to the joy He brings. We now surrender to God our Father all the intentions we carry with us, especially for those areas of our life in which we need to encounter the joy of the Holy Spirit…. One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen. 23th March - Novena Day 8: To Live Vocationally REFLECTION Mary is our vocational model. Vocation is more than just our state in life, that is, being a husband, wife, priest, nun and so forth, it is recognising that we are ‘called by name,’ chosen by God to show forth His love in the world in a totally unique and unrepeatable way. This is the preciousness, the gift of our life. This living in a vocational manner comes to greater fruition when we see, at an ever-deeper level, that our life is a response to the love of God which He pours out upon us always. It is not necessarily about what we do for Him, it is all about what He does for us . Mary recognised her uniqueness and her value as God’s beloved daughter, that was at the heart of her identity and enabled her to give that resounding ‘yes’ in those moments when it was asked of her. PRAYER So we pray today for the grace to live our lives vocationally, to recognise that we are called and chosen by God, unique and precious in His eyes. Like you Mother Mary we seek, to live in response to the love we have received, to better respond to our call to union with God and for growth in those promises made at our baptism. We pray that in each moment we would be ready to respond with generosity to the Father’s call, however it comes and wherever it leads. We also ask for your intercession for each one of us, for our families, our friends, our coworkers, our communities…We pray for a strengthening of our vocations and for theirs as we draw ever closer to God through your Immaculate Heart. We now give to you our particular intentions for which we ask you to pray…. One Our Father, one Hail Mary & one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen. 24th March - Novena Day 9: For the Word to Become Flesh in us How incredible to now be almost at the end of our novena to Our Lady of Walsingham. We are all so grateful to you for joining us in this journey or prayer and reflection discovering more the message of Walsingham and the way in which we can live out its message. REFLECTION So, at the heart of Walsingham is the message of the joy of the Incarnation, this veneration and celebration of the Word Made Flesh. The more we surrender, the more that the Word will be made flesh in each aspect of our lives, so that more and more we take on the sentiments and the attitudes of Christ. As it says in our communities’ Book of Life: “Our life is to be, “another humanity for Him [Christ], in which He can renew His whole Mystery.” This incarnational journey will hasten the coming of God’s Kingdom in our land and throughout the world.” We are called to bring Him to each and every aspect of our lives, in imitation of Mary to be ‘God bearers’ in our own way. PRAYER As we end our novena to Our Lady of Walsingham we pray that the graces received may be planted deep within us and bear fruit. May we grow in interior freedom and so create that space for the Word to become flesh, to become incarnate, in each aspect of our existence, that each one of us may bring Christ to those whom we encounter. May our heart, mind and will be evangelised, purified, transformed and liberated to live totally immersed in and for God alone, and so become, like Our Lady, a dwelling fit for the Trinity. One Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be. O Mary, teach us always to say yes to the Lord every moment of our life. O Mary, teach us always to give thanks to the Lord every moment of our life. Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us. All you saints and martyrs of this nation, pray for us. Amen.

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 DAY 3 - GOD, THE FATHER OF HEAVEN, HAVE MERCY ON US DAY 4 - GOD, THE SON, REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, HAVE MERCY ON US DAY 5 - GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, HAVE MERCY ON US DAY 6 - HOLY TRINITY, ONE GOD, HAVE MERCY ON US DAY 7 - HOLY MARY, PRAY FOR US DAY 8 - SAINT JOSEPH, PRAY FOR US DAY 9 - NOBLE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, PRAY FOR US DAY 10 - LIGHT OF PATRIARCHS, PRAY FOR US DAY 11 - SPOUSE OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US DAY 12 - CHASTE GUARDIAN OF THE VIRGIN, PRAY FOR US DAY 13 - FOSTER FATHER OF THE SON OF GOD, PRAY FOR US DAY 14 - ZEALOUS DEFENDER OF CHRIST, PRAY FOR US DAY 15 - HEAD OF THE HOLY FAMILY, PRAY FOR US DAY 16 - JOSEPH MOST JUST, PRAY FOR US DAY 17 - JOSEPH MOST CHASTE, PRAY FOR US DAY 18 - JOSEPH MOST PRUDENT, PRAY FOR US DAY 19 - JOSEPH MOST COURAGEOUS, PRAY FOR US DAY 20 - JOSEPH MOST OBEDIENT, PRAY FOR US DAY 21 - JOSEPH MOST FAITHFUL, PRAY FOR US DAY 22 - MIRROR OF PATIENCE, PRAY FOR US DAY 23 - LOVER OF POVERTY, PRAY FOR US DAY 24 - MODEL OF WORKMEN, PRAY FOR US DAY 25 - GLORY OF DOMESTIC LIFE, PRAY FOR US DAY 26 - GUARDIAN OF VIRGINS, PRAY FOR US DAY 27 - PILLAR OF FAMILIES, PRAY FOR US DAY 28 - COMFORT OF THE AFFLICTED, PRAY FOR US DAY 29 - HOPE OF THE SICK, PRAY FOR US DAY 30 - PATRON OF THE DYING, PRAY FOR US DAY 31 - TERROR OF DEMONS, PRAY FOR US DAY 32 - PROTECTOR OF THE HOLY CHURCH, PRAY FOR US DAY 33 - HE MADE HIM THE LORD OF HIS HOUSEHOLD, AND PRINCE OVER ALL HIS POSSESSIONS “Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Stockbridge, MA USA.”

33 Day Consecration to The Blessed Virgin Mary 01 January 2026 to 02 February 2026 (Solemnity of Mother of God to Feast of the Presentation)

Prayer is the mainstay of the Christian and Catholic life and so it isn’t surprising to see how, once the Fatima children had experienced the awesomeness and power of the angel of Fatima and the beauty and goodness of Our Lady, they increasingly devoted their lives to prayer. We can learn some important lessons from this and from the Fatima message, generally, for our own prayer lives. The Angel of Portugal, or Angel of Peace, as he identified himself, appeared to the three seers during the summer of 1916, when they were playing on the stone slabs of the well at the bottom of the garden belonging to Lucia’s parents. “What are you doing?” he asked. “Pray, pray very much! The most holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High.” That the angel should have spoken to the children in this way is highly significant. He had previously appeared to them in the spring and invited them to pray with him as follows: “My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You!” – telling them that the Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to their supplications. He appeared again in the fall and taught them a prayer of adoration of reparation for sins against the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, known as The Angel Prayer. Sister Lucia tells us, “His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them. From then on, we used to spend long periods of time, prostrate like the Angel, repeating his words, until sometimes we fell, exhausted.” Later on, during the apparitions of Our Lady, she too, was insistent on the great importance of prayer, calling them to pray the Rosary every day, and relating that Francisco must pray “many Rosaries” before he would be called home to heaven. Following their kidnapping by the local mayor on August 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin implored, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.” From all of this, we can deduce that their vocation was so exalted that a complete dedication to prayer was demanded of them and that this ought to come before everything else. Sister Lucia later wrote that the Blessed Virgin was not just speaking to three little children. Surely, we who seek to follow in the footsteps of the seers, need to make prayer much more the center of our lives. Prayer Makes A Difference When the Blessed Virgin appeared in Belgium in the early 1930s, at Beauraing and Banneux, the message she delivered then also focused on the importance of prayer. During the apparitions, she told the children at Beauraing to “pray, pray very much,” and to “pray always,” while at Banneux, she told the seer to “pray much.” This was in the context of the rise of Nazism in neighboring Germany, with all the terrible evils that it would bring down on the world. It can be difficult to pray, at times, even when we are in a calm and recollected mood – it becomes much more difficult if we are disturbed by a spirit of fear or discontent at what is going on around us or in the news, or on social media. Somehow, we have to be so focused on prayer that it acts as a rock in our lives and prevents the currents of discontent which swirl around us from overwhelming us. The reality is that rather than neglecting prayer we need to realize that, following the teaching of Our Lady, our prayers and sacrifices really do matter and really do make a difference, and also that they enable us to remain steadfast in the Faith, regardless of what is happening in the world. If, as she repeatedly reminded us at Fatima, the Rosary has the power to stop wars and bring about peace, then praying it devoutly can certainly help us to deal with the lesser problems that we have to deal with in everyday life. Sister Lucia is reported to have said, “The Most Holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given new efficacy in the recitation of the Holy Rosary. She has given this efficacy 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.” It’s very easy to get caught up in the idea that the “end times” are upon us, or just around the corner. But Our Lady promised at Fatima that in the end her Immaculate Heart would triumph and that a period of peace would be granted to the world. Therefore, despite the chaos that flares up in our modern world periodically, we are, in a deeper sense, moving onward towards a time of peace, and we ought to concentrate on that rather than on the transitory events of each day. The Fatima seers are our models regarding prayer, and we too must allow ourselves to be led deeper into prayer by the Blessed Virgin, and particularly the prayer of the Rosary. If we do that, we will be truly living the message of Fatima. Donal Anthony Foley

A Novena to Our Lady of Fatima To run from 4th to 13th May or 4th to 13th October A wonderful resource provided by Fr Richard Nesbitt 

A useful Novena to our Lady of Fatima for those who wish to grow in the Devotion. This can be used at any time to support general prayer intentions.

These meditations were very popular and can be used at any time of the year, but particularly in run up to 13th May and 13th October. Click here for the amended text of the series of Fatima Novena meditations which Fr Richard Nesbitt Litany of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto Lord, have mercy on us Christ, have mercy on us Lord, have mercy on us God the Father, Creator of the world, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of mankind, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, Perfection of those who are chosen, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us. Immaculate heart of Mary, pray for us. Francisco and Jacinta, children blessed by God, pray for us. Children so dear to the Heart of Our Lady, pray for us. Children so loved by all of us, pray for us. Little Shepherds, in admiration of the glories of creation… Little Shepherds, gazing in wonder at the starry sky… Little Shepherds, fondling your furry white lambs… Little Shepherds, with your clear innocent gaze… Little Shepherds, with your angelic smile… Little Shepherds, with your pure soul… Hearts enchanted by beauty, pray for us. Hearts yearning for truth… Hearts overflowing with love… Amazing wonders of prayer… Wells brimming over with sacrifices… Children totally committed and ready for martyrdom… Francisco, seeker of peace and contemplation, pray for us. You who would console God… You who died smiling… Jacinta, faithful helpmate of the Holy Father, pray for us. You, the apostle of the Immaculate Heart of Mary… You, the friend of sinners… You two, who enjoyed the company of angels, pray for us. Confidantes of our Lady… Living witnesses of her Message… You who loved God so deeply… Watchers beside the Hidden Jesus… Adorers of the Most Blessed Trinity… Stars of light for all human beings… Burning Bushes of the Most High… Flames of love for all eternity… Our Lady of Fatima…Pray for us. Saint Jacinta Marto…Pray for us. Saint Francisco Marto…Pray for us. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, forgive us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Let us pray: O God who granted to our two little Shepherds the grace to become little burning bushes on fire with love for the Holy Father and for sinners, and burning with love for Our Lady and the “hidden” Jesus, grant that we, too, may be other Franciscos and other Jacintas, so that we, too, may burn with the same love and, with them, all meet together again in Heaven around Our Lady in adoration of the Blessed Trinity. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

There is also this lovely Litany of the Immaculate Heart of Mary by Saint John Henry Newman Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us. Heart of Mary, pray for us. Heart of Mary, after God’s own Heart, pray for us. Heart of Mary, in union with the Heart of Jesus, pray for us. Heart of Mary, the vessel of the Holy Spirit, pray for us. Heart of Mary, shrine of the Trinity, pray for us. Heart of Mary, home of the Word, pray for us. Heart of Mary, immaculate in your creation, pray for us. Heart of Mary, flooded with grace, pray for us. Heart of Mary, blessed of all hearts, pray for us. Heart of Mary, Throne of glory, pray for us. Heart of Mary, Abyss of humbleness, pray for us. Heart of Mary, Victim of love, pray for us. Heart of Mary, nailed to the cross, pray for us. Heart of Mary, comfort of the sad, pray for us. Heart of Mary, refuge of the sinner, pray for us. Heart of Mary, hope of the dying, pray for us. Heart of Mary, seat of mercy, pray for us. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. V. Immaculate Mary, meek and humble of heart. R. Conform our hearts to the heart of Jesus. Let us pray: O most merciful God, who for the salvation of sinners and the refuge of the wretched, has made the Immaculate Heart of Mary most like in tenderness and pity to the Heart of Jesus, grant that we, who now commemorate her most sweet and loving heart, may by her merits and intercession, ever live in the fellowship of the hearts of both Mother and Son, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.