Introduction

Portugal, in 1917, was a cauldron of political and religious thinking. Godless forces had taken the reins of government, and the Church was represented as a bulwark of superstition. The new thinking, emboldened by the Great War, was all for destroying her influence but it reckoned without the faith of the peasantry, and the concern of heaven, for in this year our blessed Lady stepped in to console, advise, admonish, promise, plead and leave a spiritual perfume that continues to draw millions to the fields where she set her feet.

She came to instigate a revolution and chose the most unlikely candidates imaginable to implement it - three illiterate children from a one-street backwater. These children had little except the values of family, the certainty of faith, and their innocence. It is on these foundations that the Blessed Virgin fashioned them for divine purposes.

Today two of them are among those beatified by Holy Church, indeed, the youngest ever to be honoured. Their joint feast day is observed on February 20th, The third is still alive at time of writing (May 2000), a 93 year old cloistered nun in the Carmel of Coimbra.

But if the choice of peasant children as heaven's messengers is a paradox, that is in keeping with the Message of Fatima itself because heaven's values are opposite to ours. If you can accept that, read on. Indeed, read on even if you find believing difficult.

Contents

Introduction 5

What Happened at Fatima 6

The Stirring of Wings 6

The unfolding of the wings 8

Angel at prayer 10

The Lady 13

From May to June 23

Wednesday, June 13th 1917 25

From June 13th to July 13th 1917 29

Friday, July 13th 1917 31

Monday, 13th August 1917 39

Sunday, 19th August 1917 45

From August to September 1917 47

Thursday, 13th September 1917 48

Saturday, 13th October, 1917 52

The miracle of the Sun 56

Francisco, 11 June 1908 - 4 April 1999 60

Jacinta, 11 March 1910 - 20 February 1920 66

Lucia, 22 March 1906 75

Footnotes 86

Sources 88

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