July 2020 Newsletter | AFC Pillar of Spirituality

A Terrifying Vision & Promise of a Miracle: July 13 Fatima Apparition

Listen to Catholic Corps Member Renee Scheu read the story about this apparition:

By now, more people had heard the news that a heavenly lady was appearing to some children in Fatima. So on July 13, about four thousand people came to the Cova with Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta. As they finished praying the Rosary, the Blessed Mother appeared.

Lucia asked her usual question, “What do you want of me?”

“I want you to come here on the thirteenth of next month, to continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you.”

Then Lucia asked the Lady’s name. She also asked for a miracle to prove that the Lady was really appearing.

“Continue to come here every month,” the Lady told the children. “In October, I will tell you who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe.”

After that, Lucia asked the Lady to answer some prayer requests. The Lady said that the requests would be answered. But that the people asking should faithfully pray the Rosary.

Then she told the children, “Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times, especially whenever you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

As the Lady was speaking, rays of light came from her hands and broke open the earth. For a few moments, the children saw a frightening vision of hell. It was a sea of fire that burned the souls and demons trapped in it. With fear, the children looked up at the Lady.

She said, very kindly and sadly, “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.”

“To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved.”

After that, an angel with a flaming sword appeared next to the Lady. He was about to set the world on fire, but the light coming from her hands stopped him. Pointing to the earth, he cried out, “Penance, penance, penance!”

Then the children saw a vision of the Holy Father climbing a steep mountain with a cross on top. Many people were following him: bishops, priests, religious, and lay people. The Holy Father went through a city that was in ruins, praying for the people who had died there. At the top of the mountain, he fell on his knees at the cross and was killed by some soldiers. All of the people following the pope were also killed when they reached the cross. As they died, two angels gathered the blood of these martyrs and sprinkled it on the souls journeying to God.

“Do not tell this to anybody,” the Lady told the children. She wanted them to keep all they had heard and seen that day a secret.

She continued, “When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.”

“Is there anything more that you want of me?” Lucia asked.

“No, I do not want anything more of you today,” said the Lady. Then she left as she had before.

The children were frightened by this vision. But they obeyed the promise they made to the Lady. They did not talk about the vision, even though many people asked them what they had seen. This apparition came to be known as the secret of Fatima. It was not revealed until many years later.

Key Point from the July 13 Apparition

Jesus and Mary call us to help them save souls. What does this mean? It means that we have a key role to play in God’s plan of salvation. Through our prayers and sacrifices, we can repair for sin and lead souls to Christ. God wants our help!