Saint of the Day for 13 May: Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima
Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima: Messages, Miracles and Meaning of the Apparitions of 1917
Name
Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima
Title
Appearance
Recurrence
13 May
Martyrology
2004 edition
Prayer
Mary, Mother of Jesus and of the Church, we need You. We long for the light that radiates from Your goodness, the comfort that comes to us from Your Immaculate Heart, the charity and peace of which You are Queen. We entrust to You with confidence our needs that You may succor them, our sorrows that You may soothe them, our ills that You may heal them, our bodies that You may make them pure, our hearts that they may be filled with love and contrition, and our souls that with Your help they may be saved. Remember, Mother of goodness, that to your prayers Jesus refuses nothing. Grant relief to the souls of the departed, healing to the sick, purity to the young, faith and concord to families, peace to mankind. Call the errant back to the straight path, give us many vocations and holy priests, protect the Pope, the bishops and the holy Church of God. Mary, hear us and have mercy on us. Turn your merciful eyes upon us. After this exile show us Jesus, blessed fruit of your womb, O merciful, O pious, O sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.
Official website
www.fatima.pt
Roman Martyrology
Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima in Portugal, whose contemplation in the locality of Aljustrel as Mother most clement according to grace, ever solicitous for the difficulties of men, calls crowds of faithful to prayer for sinners and to the intimate conversion of hearts.
The Saint and Mission
The Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima is emblematic for her message of conversion and prayer, given to the three young shepherd children in Portugal in 1917. These apparitions are not only manifestations of faith but also direct calls to action for the Church and the whole world. Mary, appearing at Fatima, emphasizes a mission of urgent reconciliation and penance, calling the faithful to devote themselves to reciting the Rosary and making sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. This Marian message represents an ongoing mission of spiritual renewal, aimed at preventing wars and human suffering through a call to conversion of heart and intense prayer. In this sense, the Fatima apparitions emphasize individual and collective responsibility in building a more peaceful and just world, reflecting the belief that actions of faith can indeed influence the course of world events. The mission intrinsic to the Fatima message continues to resonate today as a persistent call to hope, peace and divine mercy, reaffirming the power of prayer and sacrifice in a world still struggling with divisions and crises.
The Saint and Mercy
The Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima deeply embodies the concept of divine mercy, a central theme in her 1917 apparitions. Through her messages to the three shepherd children, Mary stressed the importance of prayer, repentance and conversion as means to obtain heavenly mercy and prevent human tragedies. Her request that they pray the Rosary daily and dedicate themselves to the Immaculate Heart was an invitation to meditate on the life of Christ and Mary herself, reflecting on how mercy permeates every aspect of the Gospel. Our Lady of Fatima also showed special concern for sinners, urging the faithful to pray for their conversion, thus emphasizing that God’s mercy is always available to those who sincerely repent. This message is not only a call to prayer, but also a reminder that mercy can change hearts and renew the world. In this, Mary of Fatima serves as a bridge between humanity and the divine, mediating a flow of grace that has the power to transform suffering into hope and despair into joy.
Hagiography
It was May 13, 1917, when Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, three boys aged 10, 9 and 7 from a small town named Fatima in Portugal, saw on a holmoak tree “a lady all dressed in white, brighter than the sun…