I am not a religious person, but I am a spiritual one. I do believe in miracles, and apparitions, and therefore have always been interested in Marian visions. Today I'm going to give you a brief history of perhaps the most profound, and famous Marian vision of them all....the Fatima Visitations.

Lucia Santos (age 10, pictured in the middle) and her two cousins: Francisco (age 9) and Jacinta Marto (age 7) holding their rosaries. Fatima, Portugal. Date 1917.

The Lady Of Fatima is a name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she appeared to three shepherd children at Fátima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on 13 May, which happened to be the Fátima holiday.

Lúcia described seeing the lady as "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal ball filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun."

Marian Art

According to Lúcia's account, the lady who identified herself as Our Lady of the Rosary (Mary) confided to the children three secrets, known as the Three Secrets of Fátima.

When word spread of the children's visions thousands of people flocked to Fátima. Certain people saw this as politically motivated, and no I'm not kidding had the children jailed in order to force them to tell the secrets or confess that they were making it up. They never did. In fact the other prisoners took to caring for the children, and in turn the children led them through prayer.

Private revelations do not form the faith of the Roman Catholic Church and its members are not bound to believe in any of them. However, as a matter of prudence, assent would normally be expected of a Catholic based on the discernment of the Church and its judgement that an apparition is worthy of belief. After a canonical enquiry the visions of Fatima were officially declared "worthy of belief" in October 1930 by the Bishop of Leiria-Fátima.

Whether or not you believe the children actually saw and communicated with the Blessed Virgin Mary they should always be remembered for the strength of their faith even in the face of being sent to a prison, and for giving us all a reason at the very least to contemplate miracles.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a great week ahead!


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For further reading, and some source material:

Our Lady of Fátima

The True Story Of Fátima

Both images used within this entry have an expired copyright.