Our Lady of Fátima National Day
On May 13, we celebrate Our Lady of Fátima, looking to the Blessed Mother for peace and comfort in times of uncertainty.
According to tradition, on May 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto, near Fátima, Portugal.
The published memoirs of Sister Lúcia in the 1930s revealed two secrets that she claimed came from the Virgin Mary, while the third secret was to be revealed by the Catholic Church in 1960.
The controversial events at Fátima gained fame due partly to elements of the secrets, prophecy and profound revelations allegedly related to the Second World War and possibly more global wars in the future, particularly the Virgin’s request for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.