Day 7 - 11 May / 11 October

In Fatima… The children did not see the Lady on the 13th August because that morning they were kidnapped by the Administrator of Ourem, Arturo Santos - a Mason and atheist who did not want to have his authority in the area undermined by these “religious incidents”. He arrived that morning in Aljustrel in his carriage. He told the children that he wanted to witness the apparitions, as he was like a doubting Thomas, who could not believe until he saw for himself. He offered to take them to the local parish priest and then to the Cova da Iria. The children agreed and got into his carriage. They headed towards the church, but then the carriage suddenly changed direction and sped to Ourem (about ten miles from Fatima).

Meanwhile back at the Cova da Iria a huge crowd had gathered. There was great concern when the children did not appear, although news arrived that the children had been kidnapped. There was uproar as people were furious. However suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder and all fell silent. Lightning flashed and then a thin white cloud floated down from the sky and settled on the holm oak tree. All were amazed to see everything  around them shimmering with colours of the rainbow. Then the little cloud rose into the sky and disappeared. This led many present to believe in the authenticity of the apparitions. 

Meanwhile, the alarmed children arrived at Arturo Santos’ house in Ourem. He hoped to convince them to reveal the secrets entrusted to them by the Lady and to declare publicly that the apparitions were a hoax. He tried to do this firstly by winning their trust through kindness - they were welcomed warmly by his wife who had prepared a delicious meal for them and invited them to play with her own children (she was actually a pious Catholic, who had to conceal her faith from her husband). But when the Administrator questioned them they refused to give in to his demands. They spent that night at the Santos home. 

The next day, Santos changed his approach. He took the children to the local police station and jail where he locked them up with some criminals. The children were scared but kept their spirits up through prayer - their courage moved their cell-mates, who joined the children in praying the rosary (Francisco even told one of them to remove his hat while he was praying!). Santos was convinced that their stay in a dark prison cell with dangerous thugs would break the children’s resistance. He then interrogated them about the secret revealed to them by the Lady, and even threatened them with a horrible death by being thrown alive into boiling oil. But again they stood firm, determined that they would rather die than reveal the secret.

Santos thought that they were so steadfast because they were together so he decided to separate them, question them individually and break them one by one. He started with Jacinta, the youngest and, he hoped, the weakest link. He tried to frighten her in various ways - he even called a guard and asked if the boiling oil was ready. The guard reported that it was. Finally he pretended that the seven-year-old girl was being led out to be boiled. Yet she, shaking with fear, said that she preferred to die. Francisco and Lucia were subjected to the same ordeal and also stood firm. Realising that he would not be able to break them, Santos released them and took them back to Fatima the next day - August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption.

The following Sunday, 19th August, Lucia was grazing her flock near the hamlet of Valinhos, close to Aljustrel. Francisco was with her and his elder brother João. Around 4pm, Lucia sensed the approach of the beautiful Lady. There was a flash of light and Lucia sent João to fetch Jacinta who arrived just in time for the second flash and the appearance of the Lady on another holm-oak sapling.  

Lucia asked her usual question, “What do you want of me?” 

The Lady replied, “I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the 13th, and to continue praying the Rosary every day. In the last month, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe. Although the miracle would have been greater if you had not been arrested.”

Lucia then asked: “What are we to do with the offerings of money which people are leaving at the Cova da Iria?” 

The Lady replied: “Have two procession carriers made. One is to be carried by you and Jacinta and two other girls dressed in white; the other one is to be carried by Francisco and three other boys. The money from the carriers is for the “festa” of Our Lady of the Rosary, and what is left over will help towards the construction of a chapel which is to be built here.” 

Lucia then asked, “I would like to ask you to cure some sick persons.” “Yes, I will cure some of them during the year.” 

Then, as Lucia noted, looking very sad, the Lady said, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.”

There was no light from the Lady’s hands on this unscheduled Apparition; she simply rose and disappeared towards the east.

Reflection…  In 1908 the Freemasons seized power in Portugal, passing a number of anti-religious laws and boasting that within two generations Catholicism would be eliminated from Portugal.  The persecution of the Church in Portugal was a foretaste of the trials set to batter the Church in the whole 20th century - in which more Christians were martyred than in all previous centuries combined. The three children have their own experience of this, each facing up to the Administrator’s threats with the confidence of the martyrs who preferred to lose their lives rather than to offend God. The Lady had warned them that they would suffer much if they were faithful to their mission and we can see how quickly these words were fulfilled. 

In our modern world we struggle to see the sense and value of suffering - God does not will suffering upon us but he can allow it so that a greater good can come out of it. How can we be purified by this suffering?