Our Lady of Fatima
Virgin Mary's apparitions to shepherds in Portugal calling for peace.
Patronage
Portugal, the World, peace, families, the conversion of sinners, Carmelites
Virtues & Traits
Biography
Our Lady of Fatima refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared to three shepherd children—Lúcia Santos, Jacinta Marto, and Francisco Marto—in Fatima, Portugal, beginning on May 13, 1917. Over six consecutive months, the Virgin Mary appeared to the children with messages of prayer, penance, and consecration, emphasizing the rosary as a weapon against evil and promoting world peace. The children reported receiving visions and messages concerning the conversion of Russia and world peace. The final apparition on October 13, 1917, was witnessed by approximately 70,000 people who reported seeing the sun spin dramatically in the sky. The Church officially recognized these apparitions in 1930, and Fatima became one of the world's most important Marian pilgrimage sites. Pope John Paul II attributed his survival of an assassination attempt to Our Lady of Fatima's intercession.