 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
The oldest of the seers, was 10 years old when the apparitions occurred
in 1917. She was the youngest child in her family, and was the cousin of
Jacinta and Francisco. She had a vivacious temperament and loved to
dance. Lucia was attacked by the public, by priests, and by her own family
for revealing that she had visions of Our Lady. In 1917, Our Lady told
Lucia that She would be taking Jacinta and Francisco to heaven very
soon, but that she (Lucia) would have to remain on earth a while longer
because “God wishes to use you to spread in the world a devotion to My
Immaculate Heart.” Lucia was sent, with much secrecy, to the
Dorothean Sister of Vilar, near Porto for her education. In 1928, she
made her profession to this order, even though her true desire was to be
a cloistered Carmelite. While a Dorothean nun, both in Tuy and in
Pontevedre, Spain, she received apparitions of Our Lady. In 1948, Lucia
entered the Carmelite Order of St. Teresa in Coimbra, Portugal, where
she remained until she died on February 13, 2005. Sr. Lucia now lies next
to her cousin, Blessed Jacinta, in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
in Fatima.
Born on June 11, 1908, was a strong boy of few words, who dressed simply
and had the traits of humility, patience and sensitivity. He enjoyed
playing the flute. Francisco did not initially see Our Lady, until he began
to pray the rosary. After that, he always saw Her, but never heard Her
or spoke to Her. Francisco was known as the consoler of God, and he was
saddened because the sins of the world hurt Our Lord so much. Instead of
going to school, he would stop at the Parish Church and kneel in front of
the tabernacle to keep Jesus company and to console Him. Francisco died
on April 4, 1919 in his home in Aljustrel. His Father later recalled that
“Francisco died smiling”. Francisco is buried in the Basilica of Our Lady
of the Rosary in Fatima. Both Francisco and Jacinta were beatified on
May 13, 2000 by Pope John Paul II in Fatima.
At first, when Francisco’s body was exhumed from the cemetery in
Fatima, all that was evident were bones. His Father recalled that he
could identify his son, Francisco, from his little rosary that he
recognized and was still in tact.
The youngest child in her family, and the sister of Francisco, was the
youngest of the three shepherd children. She was only 7 at the time of the
apparitions of Our Lady in 1917. Jacinta was able to hear and see Our
Lady, but never spoke with Her during the 6 major apparitions. Jacinta was
a sensitive child, and made many sacrifices for the conversion of sinners
because there was no one to pray for them. During the hot months of
summer, she would not drink water and gave her lunch to the poor children
as a form of sacrifice. After the apparitions in 1917, Jacinta fell ill with
bronchial pneumonia and tuberculosis, and there in Estefania Hospital in
Lisbon, as Our Lady told her, on February 20, 1920, she died alone. She was
originally buried in Ourem and later in 1935, her body was exhumed, found
to be incorrupt, and was buried in the Fatima Cemetery. In May 1951,
Jacinta’s body was moved to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in
Fatima.
