Whenever we spot a block rosary group in different parts of the country, one cannot fail to notice that the image of Our Lady of Fatima is the most commonly seen and a prominent figure in this popular pious activity that is sweeping the nation in modern times. It is not a surprising fact that the messages of Our Lady of Fatima, that of conversion, prayer, and reparation that will lead to true peace on earth, struck a chord with the entire Catholic world since her appearance in 1917 and its formal approval in 1941 which at that time, the world is in the middle of two World Wars.
Our Lady of Fatima became a harbinger of peace throughout the world and she has proven it on several occasions, most specifically in the Philippines during the peaceful popular uprising of 1986 at the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, which is now known as the EDSA Revolution where images of Our Lady of Fatima are prominent as she is the harbinger of peace, the true Queen of Peace.
The Visage of the Queen of Peace
The image of Our Lady of Fatima is one of the most recognizable images throughout the world. The image is that of the Blessed Virgin based on the description of Venerable Sister Lucia dos Santos that is mentioned explicitly in her Memoirs: “A lady, clothed in white, brighter than the sun, radiating a light more clear and intense than a crystal cup filled with sparkling water, lit by burning sunlight.”
The image of the Virgin depicts her standing in the clouds supported by a small oak tree. The Virgin’s Rosary is hanging on her arm and she has a yellow star at the lower part of her cloak near her feet – the Star of Esther, the Old Testament figure where she saved the Jews from a foreign force that happened on the 13th of a certain month in the Jewish calendar that prefigures the role of Our Lady in the plan of Salvation. The expression of the Virgin’s face is one with sadness, care yet seriousness as she gives a message of warning to mankind and its remedy to appease the justice of God to prolong His mercy.
There were three images of Our Lady of Fatima that are enshrined and venerated in Valenzuela City, namely the original altar image (the oldest locally carved image of Our Lady of Fatima in the Philippines), the second image that was given as a gift from the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal and the famed National Pilgrim Image that is one of the 50 images of Our Lady blessed by Pope St. Paul VI for worldwide distribution and figured prominently in the EDSA People Power Revolution of 1986.
The Fatima Events
In 1916, the Angel of Peace appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, while they were tending their sheep on three separate occasions to emphasize the importance of the Holy Eucharist and to prepare them for the upcoming visit of Our Lady that will be fulfilled a year later.
On May 13, 1917, the Virgin appeared to the shepherd children near a small oak tree in Cova de Iria, instructing them to return every thirteenth of the month from June to October 1917, excluding August 13 when they were briefly kidnapped by Arturo Santos, a government official from Ourem. Despite his attempts to end the events, he did not succeed. After their release on August 19 in Valinhos, a few kilometers from Cova de Iria, Our Lady revealed her identity and conveyed her requests.
Throughout the apparitions, she delivered a message of hope for the world, emphasizing devotion to her Immaculate Heart, promising necessary graces for salvation, advocating for the daily recitation and meditation of the Rosary, and stressing the importance of prayers and sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.
During the Fatima apparitions, people flocked to the Cova from different walks of life just to have a glimpse of the Virgin or any phenomenon connected to the apparitions. Some of the spectators, especially atheists and freethinkers who would do anything to discredit the miraculous events – even the family of Lucia dos Santos, especially her mother did not believe that Lucia asked the Blessed Virgin to perform a miracle so that all would believe that she did come to Fatima. Ever gracious to her children, the Virgin promised a miracle that would take place on October 13, 1917 – the last day of the promised visitations.
The Miracle of the Sun
On October 13, 1917, the final day of the apparitions occurred amid heavy rain and impassable muddy roads. Despite the challenging conditions, around 70,000 people gathered at the Cova. During the last apparition, the Virgin revealed her identity as “I am the Lady of the Rosary” and urged the children to pray the rosary daily to bring an end to the First World War and avoid further offenses against God. Suddenly, the Virgin ascended to heaven, and the children witnessed visions of the Holy Family, Our Lady of Sorrows, the Suffering Christ, and the Virgin of Mount Carmel in her full glory. The sun then emerged from the rainy clouds, rotating through the heavens and emitting unprecedented colors. The crowd was astonished, with what they witnessed, prompting fear of the end of the world. Kneeling in repentance, some experienced healing during this event. Miraculously, after the spectacle, both the place and the attendees’ clothes were dry, as if they hadn’t been soaked in the rain for hours.
The news of the miracle spread widely, even reaching anti-religious newspapers that featured the marvel on their front pages. Since the miracle of the sun, pilgrims from Portugal and beyond have continued to flock to the Cova to reflect and fulfill the Virgin’s requests.
The Fatima Secrets
The Fatima events gained widespread attention and controversy due to the Three Secrets revealed by the Virgin during her visit on July 13, 1917. Upon the request of the Bishop of Leiria-Fatima and her superiors, and with the encouragement of the Blessed Virgin, the secrets were later published. The First Secret presented a vision of Hell, depicting an enormous sea of fire where the souls of the damned suffer for eternity. The Second Secret warned of God’s punishment through wars and persecutions, with a specific mention of a worse war during the Pontificate of Pius XI. The solution was to establish devotion to the Immaculate Heart, promising salvation and peace if the instructions were followed.
The Third Secret kept in the Vatican Archives for an extended period, depicted an Angel with a flaming sword delivering God’s command to chastise the world. It portrayed a vision of the Pope, bishops, priests, and religious being attacked and martyred, with their blood venerated on a large wooden cross. The secrecy surrounding the Third Secret fueled speculation and controversy.
It’s intriguing to observe the fulfillment of the Virgin’s prophecies, such as the rise of Russian Communism, the global spread, and infiltration of the Church by “Liberation Theology,” the Bolshevik revolution, the Aurora Borealis of 1940, and the Nazi German invasion of Austria leading to the Second World War, all unfolding during the later years of Pope Pius XI’s pontificate. Concerning the Third Secret, Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Ratzinger, offered a commentary suggesting that it symbolizes the crisis within the Church after the Second Vatican Council. The intended renewal resulted in challenges such as a decline in the number of Catholics, seminarians, priests, and religious, as well as the proliferation of Modernist ideologies. These themes are further echoed in the Akita apparitions in Japan during the 1970s, where Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI noted, “The message of Akita is the Third Secret of Fatima.”
The Children after the apparitions
After the apparitions, the children found their peaceful lives disrupted as pilgrims sought to discuss the events with them. Despite feeling exasperated at times, they were obliged to accept prayer requests. Miraculous occurrences resulted from their prayers. Francisco and Jacinta died a year after the apparitions, in fulfillment of the Virgin’s prophecy on June 13. Francisco succumbed to the Spanish influenza, while Jacinta endured prolonged suffering, was hospitalized twice, and eventually died alone in Lisbon. Throughout her suffering, Jacinta remained silent, prioritizing the conversion of sinners. The Virgin visited Jacinta, revealing more about the importance of prayer and conversion. Pope St. John Paul II beatified Francisco and Jacinta in 2000 at the Basilica of Fatima, attended by Sister Lucia. Pope Francis later canonized them on May 13, 2017, the centenary of the Fatima Apparitions, at the same Basilica.
Lucia dos Santos joined the Dorothean sisters at the request of the Bishop of Leiria, Fatima, who received her education from them. The bishop, concerned about privacy, mandated a name change from Lucia to Maria das Dores, a request she willingly embraced. While at the Dorothean sisters’ convent in Pontevedra, Spain, the Virgin appeared to her twice, discussing the Five First Saturday devotion and later the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Tuy, Spain.
Seeking a more secluded life, she requested a transfer to the Order of the Discalced Carmelites in Coimbra, Portugal, assuming the name Sister Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Lucia passed away on February 13, 2005, and her cause for beatification and canonization was expedited, with her being declared Venerable on June 22, 2023.
Recognition of the Church
Formal investigations into the Fatima apparitions occurred shortly after the last sightings, scrutinizing every aspect until the Bishop of the newly restored diocese of Leiria-Fatima officially approved the apparitions in 1930. The original image received Canonical Coronation on May 13, 1946, marking the anniversary of the first apparition.
Various Popes played a role in the Fatima events, including Pope Pius XII, who performed the Consecration of the World to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, considering it “The Greatest Act of his Pontificate.” Pope St. John XXIII revealed and then resealed the supposed Third Secret in 1960, stating, “This is not for our time,” sparking speculation until its full disclosure in 2000. Pope Paul VI visited Fatima, repeating the consecration and meeting with the surviving visionary, among others.
Notably, in contemporary times, the most recent Popes, including Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, have shown a particular interest in the Fatima apparitions. Pope St. John Paul II believed that the Virgin of Fatima saved him when he was attacked on May 13, 1981, in Rome. In gratitude, he visited Fatima, offering the bullet from the assassination attempt to the Virgin, and placing it in her crown. The same Pope returned to Fatima in 2000 to beatify Jacinta and Francisco Marto and reveal the Third Secret. He also consecrated “The People of Russia” to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Rome in front of the original Capelinha image from Portugal. Pope Benedict XVI also visited Fatima and surprised many by stating that “the Messages and Prophecies of Fatima were not yet fully fulfilled.”
Pope Francis dedicated his Papacy to the Virgin of Fatima and requested for the original Capilenha image to be brought to Rome months after his election to the Papacy. He visited the Fatima Basilica in 2017 – the Centennial anniversary of the Fatima apparitions – to canonize Blesseds Francisco and Jacinta Marto making them the first non-martyred children to be canonized in the history of the Church. On March 25, 2022, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis, along with bishops and faithful worldwide, officiated and offered the Solemn Act of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine by name to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in response to the tensions between the two nation.
The Arrival of the Devotion in the Philippines
The devotion and the messages of Our Lady of Fatima arrived in the Philippines in the 1940s through the efforts of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, now currently known as the World Apostolate of Fatima. The first chapter of the Blue Army was held in Mangaldan, Pangasinan until it was transferred to Valenzuela City. Around this time, the first locally carved image of Our Lady of Fatima was donated by Fr. Jose Delos Reyes.
The image stands 6 feet tall and it has a unique feature – the Immaculate Heart of Mary which is not commonly seen in the popular depiction of Our Lady of Fatima. This image was crowned on March 6, 1977, by the late Bishop Cirilio Almario. The image is currently enshrined in the main altar of the National Shrine.
The second image of Our Lady of Fatima, known as “the Portugal image”, was given to the National Shrine as a gift from the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal and was brought personally to the Shrine by its former rector, Msgr. Luciano Guerra.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
The first Parish dedicated to the Virgin of Fatima was established in Valenzuela City in 1961 when His Eminence Rufino Cardinal Santos canonically established the current first parish dedicated to the Lady of Fatima and it was first located in the chapel of the Gregorio Araneta Machineries Inc. Chapel until it was moved its present site in Marulas, Valenzuela City in 1974 and completed in 1982.
Since then, the devotees and pilgrims flocked to the parish to seek the intercession of the Queen of Peace until it became the center of devotion to the Virgin of Fatima for years to come. The Parish was later declared the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on June 12, 1976, the eve before the anniversary of the second apparition of Our Lady to the three children.
The arrival of the National Pilgrim Image
In 1967, Pope St. Paul VI blessed 50 statues of Our Lady for global distribution, including one destined for the Philippines. In 1984, Jaime Cardinal Sin brought the image to the country, where it was crowned as the “National Pilgrim Image” during the National Marian Year launch. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines proclaimed December 8, 1984, to December 8, 1985, as a Marian Year, fostering reflection on Mary’s role in the Divine Plan and encouraging faith in challenging times.
The National Pilgrim Image played a pivotal role in history during the 1986 People Power Revolution, contributing to the peaceful overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines. Initially, under the Bahay Maria Foundation, the National Pilgrim Image was permanently placed at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela City on October 17, 1999.
The image continued to tour around the country to bring the message of hope, peace, and prayer throughout the country. The National Pilgrim Image has been central to various local and national events, including the local celebration of the beatification of the Marto siblings in 2000, the Diocesan Pilgrimage of the Diocese of Malolos in 2008, the Centennial of the Fatima apparitions in 2017, and the National Consecration of the Philippines to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 2020.
Ecclesiastical Recognition
During the Centenary Celebration of the Fatima Apparitions, the venerable National Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima received two distinct honors. On February 28, 2011, the Virgin of Fatima was officially recognized as the Patroness of Valenzuela City. Subsequently, on May 13, 2017, which marked the centenary of the Fatima Apparitions, the National Pilgrim Image was granted an Episcopal Coronation which was presided over by the late Bishop Jose Oliveros D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Malolos. For the Episcopal Coronation rites, the Basilica of Our Lady of Fatima in Fatima, Portugal generously bestowed the rosary and the Episcopal Crown upon the image of the Virgin.
On December 19, 2023, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima officially announced that the Dicastery of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted the petition for the Pontifical Coronation of the National Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima. The Coronation rites took place on February 25, 2024, the 38th anniversary of the peaceful EDSA People Power Revolution.
The Unwavering devotion
As soon as the devotion arrived and the message of the Virgin of Fatima was heard, the Filipinos in turn heeded her call for prayer and conversion immediately. Block rosaries are organized all over the country with much fervor and in a short period devotion to Our Lady of Fatima became stronger by the minute. It is interesting to note that shortly after the arrival of the National Pilgrim Image of Our Lady of Fatima to the country, the dictatorial Marcos regime ended due to the peaceful People Power Revolution of 19296 where the Virgin was also present and became prominent at that time.
The key messages of the Lady of Fatima, namely prayer, especially the Holy Rosary as an instrument of peace throughout the world; living chastely in one’s state of life to avoid hell; Eucharistic reparation for all the blasphemies Our Lord received from the people; consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by wearing the brown scapular (as stressed by Lucia that the rosary and the scapular are inseparable) and to practice the Five First Saturdays in reparation for the blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We have to always keep in mind her words for she cares for all of us for she is our Mother so that before the Day of Judgement, we will enjoy the eternal paradise that her Son Jesus promised if we will strive to do good on earth. If we get the gist of the message of Fatima, it is very simple; Return to God.
Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
References:
Borelli, Antonio. 2016. Our Lady of Fatima: Prophecies of Tragedy or Hope – Centennial Edition. The Philippine Crusade for the Defense of Christian Civilization, Inc., Makati Avenue, Makati City.
de Marchi, John. 1956. True Story of Fatima. Catechetical Guild Educational Society, St. Paul, Minnesota.
dos Santos, Lúcia. 1995. Fátima In Lúcia’s Own Words. Translated by the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, The Ravengate Press.
LeBlanc, Marie FSSP. 1995. Marian Apparitions and Devotions. Pauline Publications, New York, USA.
Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. 2011. Grace, Gratitude, and Generosity: The History of the Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. Parish of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Fatima Avenue, Marulas, Valenzuela City.
Perpetual Novena to Our Lady of Fatima. National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Marulas, Valenzuela City.
Photos:
Malabanan, James Benedict C.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima
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