By Jimmy Akin
National Catholic Register, May 13, 2025 / 04:00 am
May 13 is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Fátima, arguably the most prominent approved apparition of the 20th century. It became famous the world over, particularly for its three-part “secret.”
Here are nine things to know about this Marian apparition.
1. What happened at Fátima, Portugal?
A young shepherd girl, Lucia dos Santos, said she experienced supernatural visitations as early as 1915, two years before the famous appearances of Our Lady of Fátima.
In 1917, she and two of her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, were working as shepherds tending their families’ flocks. On May 13, 1917, the three children saw an apparition of a lady from heaven. She told them, among other things, that she would return once a month for six months.
At her third appearance, on July 13, Lucia was shown the secret of Fátima. She reportedly turned pale and cried out with fear, calling Our Lady by name. There was a thunderclap, and the vision ended.
The children again saw the Virgin on Sept. 13.
In the sixth and final appearance, on Oct. 13, a dramatic outward sign was given to those gathered to witness the event.
After a rainstorm, witnesses from as far as 40 miles away reported seeing the sun dance, spin, and send out colored rays of light.
2. What happened after the main apparitions?
During the chaos of World War I, a Spanish flu epidemic spread globally, claiming an estimated 20 million lives. Among the victims were Francisco and Jacinta, who succumbed to the illness in 1919 and 1920, respectively. Lucia, on the other hand, entered the convent.
In 1929, Lucia had another mystical experience where she saw the Trinity and the Blessed Virgin Mary, who instructed her to ask the Holy Father and all bishops to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart for its salvation.
In 1930, the bishop of Leiria declared the Fátima apparitions authentic.
3. How was the “secret” of Fátima written down?
Between 1935 and 1941, Sister Lucia wrote four memoirs of the Fátima events as directed by her superiors.
Welcome to our blog where we delve into the intriguing story of the secrets of Fátima. In the third memoir, Sister Lucia recorded the first two parts of the secret, hinting at a third part that she was not yet allowed to reveal by heaven. Adding to the mystery, in the “Fourth Memoir,” she mentioned a sentence about the preservation of the dogma of faith in Portugal.
This sentence sparked speculation about a possible great apostasy being the subject of the third part of the secret. Sister Lucia took great care in writing the secret, ensuring not to omit anything important. When the “Third and Fourth Memoirs” were published, the world learned about Our Lady’s request for the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart by the pope and bishops.
In 1942, Pius XII consecrated both Russia and the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary but without the involvement of the world’s bishops. In 1943, Sister Lucia was directed by the bishop of Leiria to put the third secret in writing, but she waited until 1944 to do so, sealing it in an envelope not to be opened until 1960.
The secret remained with the bishop until 1957 when it was requested by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where it was read by Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. John Paul II later read the third part of the secret after surviving an assassination attempt in 1981. Stay tuned for more updates on this intriguing story!
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