On May 13, 1917 a little girl named Lucia and her two cousins saw a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary near an oak tree in Fatima. Lucia warned them to keep their sighting a secret, but her cousin Jacinta told his mother and word spread quickly throughout the village.
The three shepherd children continued to experience Marian apparitions on six occasions through October 1917. In all, Mary imparted three secrets and the world awaited those messages in awe that the Blessed Virgin had spoken to these children in a small mountain town in Portugal.
One of the secrets told to Lucia was that her cousins would enter heaven sooner than she would. Sadly, Jacinta and Francisco died less than three years later in a flu pandemic. Their bodies have been laid to rest inside the church where Lucia would also be buried in 2005. The boys have already been canonized. Undoubtedly, one day Lucia will be, too.
Since that fateful day in May, 1917, millions of people began making a pilgrimage to Fatima. A Marian church and sanctuary were erected there and in 1930 the apparitions were officially declared “worthy of belief.” Undoubtedly, this acknowledgement cemented the idea of these Marian appearances as a miracle, but I don’t think many of the faithful needed that official declaration at all.
I was there on a normal day; not the 13th of any month, and certainly not on May 13th when millions of people flock to Fatima. Even so, I witnessed people making a pilgrimage on their knees from one sanctuary to another, along a marble path past the tree where the children saw the Blessed Virgin.
Near the sanctuary at the Cova da Iria where the tree is fenced off, my guide had told me I could light a candle. I often do so when I travel. I light candles for my late stepfather and father-in-law. But this wasn’t the typical rows of votive candles I expected. In Fatima, they do things quite differently; you buy candles and throw them into the fire.
Many people bought bundles of candles, or tall staff-like candles that they prayed over before tossing them into the raging fires. The entire area smelled heavily of candle wax. It was unlike any other religious shrine I’d ever experienced.
I am not Catholic but I was humbled by the sights I saw at Fatima; the visions of those so devout even now, paying homage to the Virgin Mary and the three shepherd children who saw her there. It was a sight to behold.
How much did you know about the visions at Fatima and the pilgrimages that take place there still?
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I love visiting holy sites for any religion or people. This sounds sweet and powerful. Lucky you to miss the crowds and still have the full experience.
I love visiting different sites, too, and this was such a different experience than I’ve had in other European cathedrals. You’re right — I was very lucky to miss the crowds!
I have never in my life seen people throwing candles on a fire like that – so different than the usual quietly-light-the-candle behavior in churches, must have been a site to see!
I’ve never seen anything like it, either, Andi. The whole place smelled of candlewax and you could feel the heat from the fires as far away as I was standing. Every shop/stall in town was selling candles and you could also buy some there. I didn’t see anyone buy or toss just one…
Nice to have a first-hand account of the site Juliann. And the claims seem to have more credibility than most such sightings, moving statues etc.
Some years back now I drove through Ballinspittle (Cork, Ireland) where the Mary statue ‘moved’ in 1985. People came from all over for a while, but now it’s deserted with the occasional person saying a prayer there.
Interesting. I’m not sure I’d heard about that occurrence. Wish I’d known to investigate when I was in Cork!
I was told this story when I was young, I remember it well. Fascinating and wild about the candles thrown into the roaring fire! Interesting place to experience, thanks for sharing.
I remember hearing about three children having visions of Mary in Fatima, but until I went there, I didn’t realize how little I actually knew about it.
I think religious and how they all worship differently are so fascinating. It is interesting that they throw candles into the fire, in Mayan culture they put different colored candles into the fire depending on what they are asking for.
Oh, I love that!!
I get Fatima and Fata Morgana mixed up in my mind. Good to get some clarity. It’s fascinating to read about all the Marian Apparitions deemed believable.
The messages relayed by Mary were very complex — about the world wars and an assassination attempt on the Pope John Paul II in the future. It was all very strange to me.
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How interesting! I’m not religious myself but I found different religions fascinating. I’ve never seen candles thrown into the fire like that before? I learned something new today!
That’s exactly how I felt! Plus, seeing people on their knees making their way to the sanctuary. It was all something new to me.
I have never heard of Fatima before! But I have visited places in the past due to Catholic miracles and pilgrimages. I grew up in a very religious family so visiting these places almost feels like part of my family history. I wonder what the other two secrets that were imparted to Lucia were?
Oddly, the other two messages had many parts and delved into world politics and an assassination attempt on the Pope.
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