First Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima

 

 

On May 13th, 1917, three young shepherd children named Lucia dos Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto were tending their family's sheep in a field called the Cova da Iria, near the village of Fatima in Portugal. While playing together, they saw a bright flash of lightning, even though the sky was clear. They thought it was going to rain and started to gather their sheep to go home. Suddenly, they saw another flash of light, and in the middle of it, a lady appeared to be hovering above a small oak tree.

 

The lady was dressed in a long, flowing white robe with a gold cord around her waist and a white veil that covered her head and shoulders. She had a rosary in her hands and a light radiated from her entire being. The children were initially frightened, but the lady reassured them by saying, "Do not be afraid. I will not harm you."

Lucia, the oldest of the three, asked the lady who she was and where she came from. The lady replied, "I am from heaven." Lucia asked her what she wanted, and the lady said, "I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of each month at this same hour. Then I will tell you who I am and what I want." She also asked the children to pray the rosary every day to bring peace to the world and end the war.

After this, the lady disappeared, and the children were left in awe. They ran back to their village and told their families and friends what had happened. At first, many people didn't believe them and thought they were making it up. But as the children continued to go to the field each month, more and more people started to believe them, especially after some of the messages the lady shared with the children started to come true.

In subsequent apparitions, the lady continued to share messages of prayer, sacrifice, and devotion to God, and asked the children to spread the message to the world. She also revealed three secrets to the children, which were later published by the Catholic Church.

Today, the Cova da Iria has become a major pilgrimage site, and millions of people from around the world visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima each year to pay their respects and pray to the Virgin Mary.

In summary, the first apparition of Our Lady of Fatima was a significant event that changed the lives of the three young shepherd and has continued to inspire and touch the hearts of people around the world for over a century.