The Story of Fatima, A New Historical and Devotional Résumé of Fatima. by Fr. Joseph Cacella, Imprimatur 1949
The Story of Fatima, A New Historical and Devotional Résumé of Fatima. by Fr. Joseph Cacella, Imprimatur 1949
Resume of Fatima
By Rev. Joseph CoeeUa
HOW TO MAKE A NOVENA TO
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
g
There is no hard and fast rule as to the
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The only thing that is essential is to say at
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least five decades of the Rosary every day for =
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I nine days in succession. If you say Lve decades |
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each day, then on the first day you should |
l meditate on the Joyful Mysteries, on the second I
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day the Sorrowful Mysteries, and on the third j
i day the Glorious Mysteries. Then for the next =
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three days of the novena, repeat in the same |
i order, and again, on the last three days. In
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! this manner you have said the whole Rosary
will I
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(fifteen decades) three times in making the no-
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vena.
^ In pages of this booklet will be found
other
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meditations on each and all of the fifteen mys- i
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! teries. It would be well to follow these thoughts I
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for your meditation on the mysteries, unless jj
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Rosary visits, and confession every two weeks
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may suffice for the obligation of confession, c
HIS EMINENCE
FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN
*
For the many kindly acts of and courtesy,
friendship, this little dedicated to
brochure is
VI/
Nihil Obstat:
JOHN A. GOODWINE, J.C.D.
Censor Librorum
Imprimatur:
* FRANCIS CARDINAL SPELLMAN
Archbishop of New York
VI/
t
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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The Place and the Participants .. 1 ,
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Second Angelic Apparition 3
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Third Angelic Apparition ..... 3 /
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Second Apparition — 7 1
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Third Apparition — 8 ^
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The Fourth Apparition 11 /
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The Fifth Apparition 11
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The Sixth Apparition 12 i,
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The Multiple Vision .. 15 1
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Recapitulation 16 /
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The Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary 17 i,
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Conditions for Making the Five First Saturdays 18 1
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What Are You Doing About Fatima?. 19 ij
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Our Blessed Mother 19 '•
Commentary :. 20 [
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Popes and the Rosary 23
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 24 i.
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REPORT ALL FAVORS RECEIVED
!;
THRU THE INTERCESSION OF
OUR LADY OF FATIMA
INTRODUCING OUR NEW BOOK
“THE STORY OF FATIMA” !
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Dear Friend in Our Lady of Fatima: 1
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you, in this compilation, that of the devo- ;
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best for the Immaculate Heart would
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severe and numerous inconveniences and 1
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\\
For your convenience, the compila- 1
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private use, as well as many suitable
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prayers for the devotion. Short medita- |
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tions on the Mysteries of the Rosary
are given to better enable you to make |
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the First Saturdays. 1
Heart, i|
it/
\ humble work.
l, — —
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PRAY THE ROSARY
THE STORY OF FATIMA
By Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph Cacella
ANGELIC REPARATION
Ever solicitous for the welfare of her earth-
ly children, Mary wished to prepare the way
for her apparitions by sending an Angel to
the scene that she had elected to visit. The
1
intended scene of her visitations was Fatima.
Thus, in the second year of the first World
War, the future Seers of Fatima were attend-
ing to the sheep of their parents on a nearby
hill called Cabego. They could neither read nor
write, but they knew their prayers through
the constant teachings of truly Christian par-
ents.
On this spring day as the noon-day Angelus
bell tolled, they knelt, as was their custom,
and recited the Rosary. A violent gust of
wind caused them to raise their heads, and
they beheld a beautiful white cloud approach-
ing. Suddenly it assumed a human form, re-
sembling a statue of snow, which the sun
made transparent, like crystal. As the form
drew nearer, the children recognized it to be
a young man of superhuman beauty. It was
the Angel of Peace — the advance guard of
Our Blessed Mother’s apparitions with her
Message to the world.
The Angel calmed the frightened children,
telling them not to be afraid: “I am the Angel
of Peace”, he said, “Pray with me.” Then
kneeling, he placed his forehead on the ground,
repeating the following prayer three times:
“MY GOD I BELIEVE, I HOPE, I LOVE
THEE. I ASK PARDON FOR THOSE WHO
DO NOT BELIEVE, NOR ADORE, NOR
HOPE, NOR LOVE THEE.”
Rising the Angel said: “PRAY THUS, THE
MOST HOLY HEARTS OF JESUS AND
MARY WILL ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE
TOUCHED BY YOUR PRAYERS.” The An-
gel then disappeared.
Subject to a supernatural impulse, the chil-
dren imitated the Angel, and repeated the
words that they had heard him say. So im-
pressed were they, that they remained pros-
trated in prayer for many hours. This appari-
tion was kept a strict secret by the children.
2
It remained a secret until it was revealed by
Sister Lucy a few years ago.
SECOND ANGELIC APPARITION
In July or August of 1916, as the three shep-
herd chidren were playing near the well in
Lucy’s Garden, the Angel suddenly appeared
to them saying: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING
HERE? PRAY, PRAY MUCH! THE HOLY
HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY HAVE
DESIGNS OF MERCY ON YOU... CONTIN-
UALLY OFFER UP PRAYERS AND SAC-
RIFICES TO THE LORD.”
Lucy then asked the Angel how they would
make sacrifices, to which he replied: “YOU
CAN MAKE SACRIFICES OF ALL THINGS.
OFFER THEM IN REPARATION FOR ALL
THE SINS THAT OFFEND GOD, AND BEG
OF HIM THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS.
IN THIS WAY, TRY TO DRAW DOWN
PEACE UPON YOUR COUNTRY. I AM ITS
GUARDIAN ANGEL, THE ANGEL OF POR-
TUGAL, ABOVE ALL, ACCEPT AND BEAR
ALL THE SUFFERINGS WHICH THE LORD
WILL WISH TO SEND TO YOU.”
The Angel then disappeared. From that
moment, Lucy, Francis and Jacinta under-
took to offer to the Lord all that they could
suffer for His sake. Their favorite penance
was remain prostrated for hours, repeating
to
the Prayer of the Angel.
3
Suddenly they found themselves surrounded
by a wonderful brightness, and the Angel ap-
peared to them for the third time.
The Angel held in his hand a Chalice, above
which was a Host. From the Host drops of
blood were flowing. Leaving the Chalice, and
Host mysteriously suspended in the air, the
Angel knelt beside the children and made
them repeat the following prayer three times.”
“MOST HOLY TRINITY, FATHER, SON,
AND HOLY GHOST, I ADORE YOU PRO-
FOUNDLY! I OFFER YOU THE MOST
PRECIOUS BODY AND BLOOD, SOUL AND
DIVINITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,
PRESENT IN ALL TABERNACLES OF THE
WORLD, IN REPARATION FOR ALL THE
OUT RAG ES WHEREWITH HE HIMSELF
IS OFFENDED, THROUGH THE INFINITE
MERITS OF HIS SACRED HEART, AND
THE INTERCESSION OF THE IMMAC-
ULATE HEART OF MARY, GRANT ME
THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS.”
Rising the Angel gave the Host to Lucy,
and the contents of the Chalice he divided be-
tween Francis and Jacinta, saying: “RECEIVE
THE BODY AND BLOOD OF JESUS
CHRIST, CRUELLY OUTRAGED BY UN-
GRATEFUL MEN, ATONE FOR THEIR
CRIMES AND CONSOLE YOUR GOD.”
Prostrating himself on the ground, the An-
gel repeated the prayer: “MOST HOLY
TRINITY, ETC.” The children remained pros-
trated, the Angel having disappeared, and
continued to repeat over and over again the
Angel’s prayer. It was Francis that first re-
covered from the ecstasy. Realizing that
evening was fast approaching, the children
decided to return home. And deep in their
hearts they kept these events a sacred secret.
It is evident that these angelic apparitions
were but an orientation and preparation for
4
the great and wondrous events that were to
follow in the apparitions of Our Lady of Fa-
tima in 1917. Assuredly they directed the
three children in prayer against future as-
saults of that impious modernistic movement
— communism — which professes “not to
believe, nor adore, nor hope, nor love.”
5
THE APPARITIONS OF OUR LADY
OF FATIMA
PLACE: Fatima, Portugal
PARTICIPANTS: A Beautiful Lady from
Heaven, Lucy and her cousins, Francis
and Jacinta
THE FACTS
The events just related occurred during the
second year of World War I. As the world
struggled through a third year of devastation,
destruction and death, His Holiness Pope
Benedict XV issued an earnest appeal for a
world crusade of prayer to Our Blessed Moth-
er. The appeal was issued on May 5, 1917.
Heaven heard and answered this appeal in a
truly wonderful manner, just eight days after
it was issued.
FIRST APPARITION
It is noonday, May 13,
1917. The three shepherd
children, Lucy, Francis and
Jacinta, were tending their
parents flocks at the Cova
da Iria, Fatima, and had
just completed reciting
their Rosary as was their
daily custom, learned
through the teaching and
training of truly Chris-
tian parents, when sudden
flashes of lightning gave indications of a
storm. The children prepared to shelter the
sheep in a nearby cave. Suddenly, another
flash of lightning, brighter than the first
brought them to a standstill, frightened and
trembling. On the foliage of an evergreen
6
oak tree there appeared a “Beautiful Lady”,
all luminous and more resplendent than the
sun. With a gesture of motherly kindness
she assured: “FEAR NOT, I COME FROM
HEAVEN, COME HERE ON THE 13TH OF
EACH MONTH, IN OCTOBER I WILL TELL
YOU WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT.
CONTINUE TO SAY YOUR ROSARY DE-
VOUTLY AS YOU HAVE JUST DONE.”
The “Beautiful Lady” — Our Blessed Moth-
er— Our Lady of Fatima, insisted on the rec-
itation of the Rosary. She even instructed the
three shepherd children on how to say the
Rosary properly. The Rosary is very dear to
the Heart of Mary.
SECOND APPARITION
JUNE 13, 1917 — The
Beautiful Lady again ap-
peared to the children as
she had promised. She
asked them to return on
July 13, and again insisted
on the recitation of the
Rosary every day. She
revealed that she would
soon take Francis and Ja-
cinta, but that Lucy would
have to remain longer on
earth and God would use
her to establish the devotion to the Immac-
ulate Heart of Mary throughout the world.
As before, the Heavenly Lady extended her
hands and brilliant rays shone forth from
them. In front of her, to the right, the chil-
dren saw a heart surrounded with thorns, and
they understood that the Immaculate Heart
of Mary was demanding penance and repara-
tion. The apparition lasted about ten min-
utes, when the Lady disappeared.
7
THIRD APPARITION
JULY 1917. — The
13,
Heavenly Vision appeared
for the third time to the
children, at the appointed
time and place. Again for
the third time she insisted
on the recitation of the Ro-
sary every day, saying:
“YOU MUST RECITE ..
8
der. The devils were distinguished from hu-
man beings by their forms of horrifying and
disgusting animals.
The three children were terrified by the
vision of hell, and they would have probably
died of horror had they not already been as-
sured by the Lady that they were going to
heaven. After the vision of hell, the Lady
revealed to the children a secret, a part of
which is as follows: “YOU HAVE SEEN
HELL WHERE SOULS OF POOR SINNERS
GO. TO SAVE SINNERS, OUR LORD WISH-
ES TO ESTABLISH IN THE WORLD DE-
VOTION TO MY IMMACULATE HEART.
IF THEY DO WHAT I TELL YOU, MANY
SOULS WILL BE SAVED AND THERE
WILL BE PEACE.”
Then the Lady from Heaven, continued:
“THE WAR IS ALMOST OVER (World War
I). BUT IF PEOPLE DO NOT STOP OF-
FENDING GOD, ANOTHER WAR, FAR
WORSE THAN THIS ONE, WILL OCCUR
DURING THE NEXT PONTIFICATE.
“WHEN YOU SEE A NIGHT LIGHTED
UP BY A BRILLIANT UNKNOWN LIGHT,
YOU WILL KNOW THAT THIS IS THE
PUNISHMENT OF THE WORLD BY WAR,
FAMINE, AND PERSECUTIONS AGAINST
THE CHURCH AND THE HOLY FATHER
IS AT HAND.
“TO PREVENT THIS, I SHALL COME TO
ASK, FIRST, FOR THE CONSECRATION
OF RUSSIA TO MY IMMACULATE HEART,
AND, SECOND, TO ASK FOR HOLY COM-
MUNIONS ON THE FIRST SATURDAY OF
THE MONTH IN REPARATION FOR SEN. ...
10
Cova da Iria, the scene of the expected ap-
parition. While there, their attention was
drawn to a white cloud usually seen at the
other apparitions. It waited a little while
and then disappeared. The assemblage, hear-
ing of the kidnapping and imprisonment, was
indignant. Defeated in his purpose, the Ad-
ministrator was forced to release the chil-
dren.
11
Heaven insisted on the daily recitation of the
Rosary. She renewed her promise to work
a great miracle on October 13. She said that
Saint Joseph and the In-
fant Jesus would be there
too, and that Our Lord
would bless the world.
The Lady from Heaven
added that the Blessed
Mother would also appear
as Our Lady of the Dolors
and Our Lady of Mt. Car-
mel. This was the short-
est conversation held dur-
ing the apparitions. The
Lady, having completed her mission, depart-
ed.
A
Vicar General was present incognito at
this apparition. He saw the white cloud that
heralded the arrival of the Lady from Heav-
en; also the miracle in the form of a show-
er of white flowers, which, on coming near
the earth, vanished without touching it. A
repetition of this miracle at a later date was
seen by the Bishop of Leiria.
12
Crowd was not to be dismayed. The Rosary
was continually recited. There was an attitude
of sacrifice and piety.
Shortly before noon the
children arrived, dressed in
their best clothing. Noticing
that the crowd was using
umbrellas, Lucy cried out:
“Put down your umbrellas.”
Why she said this, to this
day, she does not know.
Looking up to the sky she
said: “She is coming.”.
For the sixth and final
time at Fatima, the Beau-
tiful Lady appeared to the
three shepherd children.
13
the sun”. Seventy thousand pilgrims raised
their eyes to look at the sky. As if by magic,
the rain ceased and the sky became dear and
blue. The sun shone forth in all its brilliance,
dazzling the perplexed pilgrims. Our Lady of
Fatima was about to fulfill her promise. The
SOLAR PRODIGY was on. The sun trembles,
shakes, makes abrupt movements and then
starts to spin giddly on its axis, like a wheel
of fire.
As the sun spun on its axis, huge shafts
of multi-colored rays of light —
blue, red,
green, violet —
beamed —
on the upturned
faces of the multitude, and on the rocks and
trees, giving a fantastic tint to the surround-
ings.
The spectacular feat, which lasted four min-
utes, held the assemblage spellbound. It
eased as suddenly as it had begun, as if to
give the crowd a rest. Again for a second and
third time the sun repeated this extraordin-
ary performance, which was also witnessed
by persons located as far as twenty-five miles
distant.
This wonderful miracle had disposed the
hearts of those who had witnessed it to greater
fervor and devotion. Yet, the miracle was far
from over —
the culminating point of this
great spectacle was about to come.
In the midst of this fantastic and spectac-
ular dance of light and color, the sun left its
place in the firmament, tumbled from side to
side, and plummeted toward the earth and the
assembled pilgrims, emitting increasing rays
of heat. Finally it stopped short in its fall
and climbed back to its place in the sky, zig-
zagging, as when it had descended, and re-
sumed its normal brilliance.
Cries of faith and repentance were heard
on every side, as the terrified throng thought
that the end of the world was nigh. Cries
14
of: “GOD, MV GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME.”
were heard, while others on bended knees im-
plored God for forgiveness of their sins.
15
:
RECAPITULATION
Beautiful Lady — Our Blessed Mother
—The
Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, had
her promise.
fulfilled She had returned on
October 1917; she had told her name —
13,
“I AM THE LADY OF THE ROSARY”; she
had delivered her Message — “PENANCE,
DAILY ROSARY, and DEVOTION TO HER
IMMACULATE HEART”; and she had con-
firmed her message by an outstanding and
stupendous miracle before a multitude of 70,-
000 persons.
Let us recall the various parts of the three
fold Message of Our Lady of Fatima :PEN-
ANCE: “MEN MUST NO LONGER OFFEND
OUR LORD WHO IS ALREADY TOO MUCH
OFFENDED MEN MUST AMEND THEIR
. . .
18
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT FATIMA
RESOLVE HERE AND NOW
1. AN AMENDMENT OF LIFE:
Let sinners amend their lives.
Let the good strive to become better.
Let the better strive to become perfect.
Let the perfect aspire to and seek sanctity.
2. DAILY ROSARY:
Recite the Rosary every day.
Encourage the FAMILY ROSARY in your
home.
Strive to get others to recite the Rosary
every day.
3. PRACTICE THE DEVOTION TO THE IM-
MACULATE HEART OF MARY:
Consecrate yourself, your home, your work
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Receive
Holy Communion on the first Saturday of
the month, in reparation to the Immaculate
Heart.
Practice the devotion of the FIVE FIRST
SATURDAYS.
NOW LET US CONSECRATE OURSELVES
TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER
MyQueen and my Mother; to thee do I
offer myself without reserve; and to give
thee a mark of my devotion I consecrate to
thee during this day my eyes, my ears, my
mouth, my heart, my whole person.
Since I belong to thee, O my good Mother,
preserve and defend me as thy property and
possession.
In temptation say immediately:
My Queen and my Mother, remember that
19
I belong: to thee;preserve and defend me as
thy property and possession.
An indulgence of 500 days. (S C. Ind. Aug.,
5, 1851. S. P. Ap., Nov. 21, 1936).
COMMENTARY
The Triple Message of Fatima: Penance, Daily
Rosary and Devotion to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary
In reading the Story of Fatima two things
must be carefully distinguished: the Prodigies
and the Message of the Blessed Virgin.
The MESSAGE OF OUR LADY constitutes
the object or the end of her apparitions. The
PRODIGIES are only the means of proving
the heavenly origin of her message.
Probably what strikes us most is the unique
Solar Prodigy used to awaken our dormant
faith. Of course the important thing to re-
member is that we must put the recommenda-
tions of Our Lady into practice — faithful
practice — as well as spreading the saving
,
20
thetriple MESSAGE OF OUR LADY OF
THE ROSARY OF FATIMA: PENANCE,
DAILY ROSARY, AND DEVOTION TO THE
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY.
Let us study it fervently, lovingly and de-
voutly, and by faithfully practicing it, and
spreading it around us, we will more effica-
ciously draw down the blessing of God on
ourselves, our families, our country and the
world.
THE MESSAGE OF PENANCE
As we have seen in the Angelic Prepara-
tion of the three children, the Angel asked for
prayers and sacrifices in reparation for the
sins of the world, and to obtain
the conversion of sinners.
The insistent, ever-recurring
content of each apparition empha-
sized PENANCE. Our Blessed
Mother emphasized the importan-
ce and the necessity of an amend-
ment of life. She said: ‘MEN
MUST AMEND THEIR LIVES,
AND ASK PARDON FOR THEIR
SINS.” And again in a more sor-
rowful tone she added: “MEN MUST NO
LONGER OFFEND OUR LORD, WHO IS AL-
READY OFFENDED TOO MUCH.” This
shows that we must not only repent of our
sinsand expiate them faithfully but we must
seek to change our lives for the future and
break completely with sin, which grieves God
and draws down on us His castigation and
punishment.
This repeated demand for penance by Our
Lady made a deep impression on the chil-
dren. So great was this impression that they
entered an era of penance far beyond their
years. Lucy, the sole surviving member of
the three Seers of Fatima, says: “That which
21
has remained most deeply imprinted on my
heart is the request of our Heavenly Mother,
begging us to no longer offend God Who is
already offended too much. ,,
Even Jacinta, the youngest of the three
shepherd children of Fatima, says: “Oh, if
men only knew what eternity is, how they
would make efforts to amend their lives.”
Continuing, Jacinta added: “The sins of the
world are too great. The sins which lead most
men to hell are the sins of the flesh. Oh
men must do penance! If they amend their
lives, Our Lord will still pardon the world,
but if they do not, the chastisement will come.”
The avoidance of sin, which presupposes a
great and everlasting sacrifice at every mo-
ment of the day, is to be a part of our daily
duty. These sacrifices we must offer up for
the conversion of sinners. Thus, those of us
religious or laity, who shirk our duties, are
to that degree retarding the triumph of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Mary has told the world that the triumph
of her Immaculate Heart would be a sign of
the conversion of Russia, and of world peace.
To accomplish that triumph a sufficient num-
ber must make sacrifice and fulfill her de-
mands. PENANCE is one of her requests.
Let us do penance.
THE MESSAGE OF THE ROSARY
In each of the apparitions at Fatima, six
in all, Our Lady was insistent upon the daily
recitation of the Rosary. She made her ap-
pearance with a Rosary hanging from her
hand. On the occasion of the Solar Prodigy,
she was pleased to designate herself as: “I
AM THE LADY OF THE ROSARY.” Over
and over again she insisted on the daily rec-
itation of the Rosary, saying: “YOU MUST
RECITE THE ROSARY EVERY DAY.”
22
In the days of yore, the Rosary was used to
advantage in times of peril that threatened
civilization. Again, Mary has come to Fatima
to warn mankind of impending evil — and
to help us to avoid this evil she recommends
the daily R,osary. She has asked us to add
an ejaculation at the end of each decade of
the Rosary. It is sometimes referred to as
the “Post-decade prayer”. This ejaculation
is: “O my Jesus forgive us our sins. Save
us from the fire of hell, and lead all souls
to heaven, especially those who have most
need of your help.”
The FAMILY ROSARY is a very effective
means of uniting the family. “Where there
are two or three gathered together for My
sake, there am I in the midst of them.” The
FAMILY ROSARY raises the family unit to
a supernatural level. It unites the parents
and children in devout prayer. It is the prac-
tical way to unite and strengthen the family
life, weakened by the modem way of living.
It is an anti-dote to the godless ideology that
is sweeping the world.
23
And other Popes have since preached the
necessity of the Rosary. Pope Pius has X
said: “The Rosary is the most beautiful and
the most rich in graces of all prayers, it is
the prayer that touches the Heart of the Moth-
er of God . and if you wish peace to reign
. .
25
Immaculate Heart of Mary, I consecrate my-
self to thee.”
of the devotion of the FIRST
The practice
SATURDAYS consists of the following exer-
cises, performed with the intention of con-
soling the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and
making reparation to it for the outrages and
blasphemies of which it is the object on the
COMMUNION
part of ungrateful mankind: 1
OF REPARATION on the FIRST SATUR-
DAY OF THE MONTH. 2. THE ROSARY.
3. REPARATION PRAYERS: SOME SAC-
RIFICES FOR THE INTENTION.
Associated with the devotion to the Immac-
ulate Heart of Mary is the devotion of the
FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS. This beautiful
and efficacious devotion is outlined in detail
on another page.
Thus, we exhort you to spend your time
in practicing and spreading this beautiful de-
votion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and
Mary’s other Fatima requests, because the
peace and salvation of the world depend upon
it. Mary’s Immaculate Heart will triumph
only, as Sister Lucy has told us “WHEN A
SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF PEOPLE IS
FULFILLING OUR LADY’S REQUESTS.”
One of these requests is the establishment of
theDEVOTION TO THE IMMACULATE
HEART OF MARY
26
LET US DO PENANCE
TRUE it is that many
people, imbued with the
paganistic ideas of our
times, never give a
thought to their last end.
All they appear to be in-
terested in is the material things
of life. They no longer regard this
life in the true Christian manner,
in so far as it pertains to eter-
nity. And these conditions will
steadily grow worse unless we do
something about them.
It was to this end — to awak-
en our dormant sense — that Our
Blessed Mother deigned to appear
at Fatima, to warn the world of
its impending castigation. To the three little
shepherd children of Fatima she spoke about
God, eternity, the salvation of souls, eternal
happiness, the terrible consequences of sin in
this life and in the hereafter, and the great
necessity for prayer and penance, if we desire
eternal happiness in the next life.
We must regard the Message of Penance
of Our Lady of Fatima as a confirmation of
the Church’s teaching, which in our own times
preaches penance as she has always done
throughout the ages. Holy Mother Church
cries out in a loud voice: “REPENT! BRING
FORTH THEREFORE FRUITS WORTHY
OF PENANCE.” And again may we quote the
words of John the Baptist: “DO PENANCE,
FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT
HAND.” (Matt. IV 17).
Penance is a detestation of sin, sorrow for
having offended God, and a firm resolution to
sin no more. Penance is the means of satis-
27
fying for the injury which sin does to the all-
good and just God.
Our Lord, by dying on the Cross, paid the
debt contracted by all our sins, and has sat-
isfied Divine Justice. He offered a sacrifice
of infinite value. The pardon of sin which
God grants to us when we have true sorrow
for our sins still leaves us with a part of ex-
piation which we must supply ourselves.
The effect of penance is to detach us from
sin and make us more wary and vigilant in
the future. It is an efficacious remedy to
heal the remains of sin and to reform those
vicious habits, contracted through an evil life,
which are so opposed to the practice of virtue.
Christ Himself has told us: “If anyone will
come after Me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross and follow Me.” (Matt. XVI, 24.)
As Christians we cannot relieve ourselves of
the obligation of suffering in union with
Christ. The crosses and numerous trials and
tribulations of life are so many occasions for
us to carry the cross and to satisfy for our
sins. Too, Divine Justice can be satisfied by
our imposing on ourselves voluntary penance
and mortifications.
Unfortunately, the subject of mortification
is but a source of annoyance to many. Even
the very mention of voluntary mortification,
sacrifice, and austerity seems to make them
recoil, let alone the thought of faithfully put-
ing them into practice. The problems of the
world would be simplified if only all would
understand that they have a serious and sol-
emn obligation to follow Jesus Christ by
carrying the cross.
Our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Fatima
has told us: “MANY SOULS GO TO HELL
BECAUSE THERE IS NO ONE TO MAKE
SACRIFICES FOR THEM.” These words
28
imply the unwillingness on the part of some
who do not want to suffer, and who do not
want to understand that they have a solemn
duty to perform. To remind us of that duty
Our Blessed Mother deigned to appear six
times at Fatima to the three shepherd chil-
dren, Lucy and her cousins Francis and Ja-
cinta. All the members of Christ’s Mystical
Body are united by a wonderful union. The
prayers and sacrifices of all of us would surely
‘'have a wonderful response if they were united.
There never was a more opportune time than
now for the serious consideration of this part
of Our Lady’s recommendations: “MEN MUST
AMEND THEIR LIVES, AND ASK PAR-
DON FOR THEIR SINS MEN MUST NO
. . .
29
the prayer that the Mother of God recommend-
ed on the occasion of every apparition at Fa-
tima. Indeed, Our Blessed Mother, on the oc-
casion of the sixth and final apparition, was
pleased to designate herself “THE LADY OF
THE ROSARY.”
The extraordinary publicity which she wish-
ed given to her apparitions and the wondrous
prodigies that were performed in confirma-
tion of her heavenly Message are proof enough
that her Message was intended for the whole*
world and not for a chosen few. Her Mess-
age of the Daily Rosary was intended for
each and every one of us. We must regard
it as a personal message direct from the
Blessed Virgin to each of us individually.
The Rosary is a prayer which is as simple
as it is beautiful. It is a prayer that can be
recited every day without inconvenience. It
is a prayer that takes but a few minutes to
recite. Should you find it too long, or your
position or condition does not permit you to
recite the five decades at once, you can recite
a decade at a time throughout the day.
The Rosary may be said at any time of the
day. Please do not wait until it is late at
night and you are tired and too sleepy to
recite it properly. Many spiritual advantages
are lost through the improper recitation of
the Rosary. Rather say it early just after
you get up, or divide it by saying a decade
now and again throughout the day, as is con-
venient.
You can say your Rosary anywhere. There
is no specified place in which the Rosary
should be recited although more indulgences
are gained when it is recited in a church
where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed or
reserved in the Tabernacle. You can say your
Rosary on your way to and back from work.
30
God dwells in the very midst of your heart
when you are in the state of grace. It is
very easy to say a few Hail Marys on your
beads, which you can and should carry in
your pocket.
To pray at various times and in different
places may seem out of place to you. Yet
it is well to give such a practice very serious
thought. You will soon realize that this
good practice will bring you much comfort
and happiness. You do not need solitude to
pray. You can pray even in the busy street
if you but put your mind to it. You can and
should pray wherever the opportunity affords
itself. You can make your work pray for
you. You can recite your Rosary, or a few
decades off and on during the day. These
short prayers will not retard your work. They
will even make your work all the easier and
more pleasant. The recitaton of the Rosary
throughout the day will console you in all
your trials and tribulations, renew your store
of patience, keep you in good spirit and bring
a smile to your lips.
Do not feel alarmed at being told to say
prayers with your work. If you only knew
the good that you can accomplish through
such a practice you would not hesitate a mo-
ment in putting this into action. While it
is recommended that you pray anywhere and
everywhere, you are not asked to display an
indiscreet piety; rather, you are urged to con-
sider the fact that prayer should be a part
of your very self and life. You are asked to
lift up your heart and soul to God at all times
and in all places.
Is it a waste of effort to ask you to recite
the Rosary every day? The daily recitation
of the Rosary is one of the recommendations
of the Mother of God, Our Mother, Our Lady
of Fatima. The Rosary must have a very
31
special importance and power, because Our
Blessed Mother, the Mother of God, deign-
ed to designate herself “THE LADY OF THE
ROSARY”, and she took the pains to teach
the threelittle children of Fatima how to
recite the Rosary properly.
Since the days of St. Dominic all the Saints
and Holy Mother Church have shown a de-
voted love for the Rosary. Our Lady has
made the Rosary one of the conditions for
the peace of the world. Let us heed her recom-
mendation, and as of yore, the Rosary will be
the means of bringing peace and serenity to
the world, which is now in a state of chaos.
“OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY OF FA-
TIMA, PRAY FOR US.” - (300 days indul-
gence).
REPARATION TO MARY’S
IMMACULATE HEART
We know that the word devotion answers
to that of devotedness, a vowing of one’s self,
the consecration of one’s self. There is no
stronger word than that of devotion to in-
dicate the disposition of heart which makes
one ready to do everything, even to suffer,
for the one to whom one is devoted.
Just as the devotion to the Sacred Heart of
Jesus is a special devotion to Christ, so the
devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is
a special devotion to Our Blessed Mother —
Our Lady of Fatima. The object of the devo-
tion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the
entire person of Mary, is called by theologians
the total object. It is distinguished from the
direct or proximate object. The direct mater-
ial object is the real, physical Heart of Mary
— the Heart of flesh. It is the same Heart,
the living and loving Heart of Our Blessed
Mother; the same Heart that loved us so in-
32
tensely during her sojourn on earth; the same
Heart that beat in her breast at the moment
of the Incarnation; the same Heart that sup-
plied the precious blood from which Jesus
was formed; the same Heart that was rent
with grief and sorrow as she stood at the
foot of the Cross; the same Heart that now
reigns gloriously in Heaven, lovingly watch-
ing over the welfare of her children on earth.
There is another object, called the spiritual
object, and this is the ardent and almost in-
finite love of the Mother of God, symbol-
ized by her Immaculate Heart. Herein lies
the reason why we honor the Immaculate
Heart of Mary. Being a symbol of love, it
signifies in a special manner Mary’s love for
mankind. Theologians tell us that when we
venerate Mary’s Immaculate Heart, we should
not consider it as a separate, inanimate and
insensible part of the body of the Blessed
Virgin, but rather as inseparably united with
her soul and person. It is not, then, only the
Heart of Mary that we honor in this devo-
tion, but the entire person of Mary, under
the aspect of a most loving Mother.
Devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart is
not an end in itself. It is the means to an
end. Mary does not want our love and our
hearts for herself but for Jesus. She wants
us to love her only that she may teach us
how to love Jesus.
The best means of showing love for the
Immaculate Heart of Mary is by living a good
Catholic life. To love Mary’s Immaculate
Heart one must refrain from heaping insults
upon that loving Heart. A sinner heaps in-
sults upon the Immaculate Heart of Mary
when he commits sin. How well the three in-
nocent children of Fatima understood this,
when in the vision they saw the Immaculate
Heart of Mary surrounded with thorns. They
33
understood that this indeed was the Immac-
ulate Heart of Mary, wounded by the sins of
ungrateful mankind.
Mary’s Immaculate Heart demands repara-
tion and atonement. Mary asked for this rep-
aration on several occasions during her ap-
paritions at Fatima. Surely, one can readily
understand that if one loves the Immaculate
Heart it will pain him to see that Heart so
little loved, so often forgotten, reviled and
insulted.
Consolation is gladly accepted in sorrow
and sadness. Such consolation we give to
Mary’s Immaculate Heart when we make rep-
aration for all the injuries and insults heap-
ed upon her by thoughtless and ungrateful
mankind. She asked the children to console
her; She asked for personal consecration and
for Communion of Reparation on the First
Saturday of the month. In addition, she
made the GREAT PROMISE for those who
would practice the devotion of the Five First
Saturdays.
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
is another one of the conditions laid down by
Our Blessed Mother — Our Lady of Fatima
— for the return of the world to Jesus through
her — through her Immaculate Heart.
Cardinal Cerejeira, Cardinal Patriarch of
Lisbon, speaking on the Immaculate Heart of
Mary said: “We believe that the apparitions
of Fatima, open a new era, that of the Immac-
ulate Heart of Mary. What has taken place
in Portugal is of the miraculous order. It is
a forshadowing of what the Immaculate
Heart of Mary is preparing for the world.”
34
YOUR TREASURE - THE ROSARY
In ages of trouble and tribula-
all
tion theChurch has turned to Mary yv
for aid and comfort. One of the fll
great and most potent weapons that /Z-v
we have outside of the Holy Sac- uFJl
rifice of the Mass is Mary’s Ro- gyj
sary. Wv
The Rosary our treasure. Many
is
do not realize the great treasure jl'
they possess in the Rosary. They *
go through life fingering and praying their
beads without ever taking the trouble to dis-
cover for themselves the full richness and
beauty of this universally beloved devotion to
Our Lady. It is to remind the faithful of the
efficacy of this great treasure, our Rosary,
that we pen these few words.
The Rosary as recited in the popularly ac-
cepted sense (five decades) is not strictly
speaking, the complete Rosary. It is really
one-third of it. However, in order to gain
most of the indulgences attached to this
beautiful devotion, it is sufficient to recite a
one-third part (five decades) of the Rosary.
The Rosary can be defined as vocal prayer
joined with meditation. It is important to
keep this definition in mind since this for- ,
36
The Bishop of Leiria has granted an in-
dulgence of one hundred days each time for
the recitation of this ejaculation in his diocese.
Holy Mother Church is not severe in her
rule about each mystery being meditated upon
throughout the actual decade. She realizes
that some people find it difficult to concen-
trate so long on one subject. Hence she has
decreed that it is sufficient to have a loving
respect for the mystery under consideration,
in order to gain the indulgences. At least
the mystery under consideration should be
brought to mind at the beginning, during, or
at the end of the decade.
The Rosary is one of the most richly in-
dulgenced devotions of the Church. Space
does not permit the enumeration of all the
indulgences attached to the correct and de-
vout recitation of the Rosary. Of course it
should not be necessary to remind Catholics
that they must be in the state of grace to
gain any indulgence attached to the Rosary,
or any other devotion. Our Lady of Fatima
in her personal appearances at Fatima was
insistent on the daily recitation of the Ro-
sary. She was pleased to call herself “THE
LADY OF THE ROSARY.”
Thus, you will realize that your Rosary is
your treasure, and you must cherish it and
recite it every day, meditating upon the mys-
teries of our redemption.
37
MEDITATION ON THE MYSTERIES
OF THE ROSARY
JOYFUL MYSTERIES
1. The Annunciation
Let us contemplate, in this
mystery, how the Angel Ga-
briel saluted Our Blessed
Lady with the title, Full of
grace, and announced to her
that she was to become the
Mother of Our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.
Let us adore the Son of
God hidden within the womb
of Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, and be-
seech of Him the virtue of humanity.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation:
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins,
Save us from the fire of hell, and
lead all souls to heaven, especially those
who have most need of your help.
2. The Visitation
38
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation.
3. The Nativity
Let us contemplate, in this mystery, how
the Blessed Virgin Mary, when the time of
her delivery was come, brought forth Our
Redeemer Jesus Christ, and laid Him in a
manger because there was no room for Him
in the inn at Bethlehem.
Let us adore the Son of God, born in a
poor stable, of a Mother whose only treasure
was her virginal purity, and let us beseech of
Him the grace of purity of soul and body.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys, Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation.
4 The Presentation
Let us contemplate, in this mystery, how~
Our Blessed Mother, on the day of her Pur-
ification, presented the Child Jesus in the
Temple, where holy Simeon, giving thanks to
God with great devotion, received Him into
his arms.
Let us adore the Son of God, presented
in the Temple to His heavenly Father by the
hands of Mary, and let us beg that our hearts
be freed from the desire of all earthly things.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation.
39
days, and at length found Him the third day
in the Temple, in the midst of the doctors,
discoursing with them, being then of the
age of twelve years.
Let us adore the Son of God, who left even
His own most tender Mother, when the glory
of His heavenly Father called Him, and was
found by Mary sitting in the midst of the doc-
tors. Let us beg Our Lord for an ardent
zeal to instruct ourselves in our holy faith,
and to bring others to the knowledge of it.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation.
40
mg, by every stroke of which the most ten-
der Heart of Mary was torn. Let us beg of
Him the spirit of mortification.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation.
2. The Ascension
Let us contemplate, in this mystery, how
Our Lord Jesus Christ, forty days after His
resurrection, ascended into heaven, attended
by Angels, in the sight, and to the great ad-
miration, of His most holy Mother and His
Apostles and Disciples.
Let us adore Our Divine Saviour, ascend-
42
ing into heaven to prepare a place for us.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
3.
Ejaculation.
4. The Assumption
Let us contemplate, in this mystery, how
the glorious Virgin after the resurrection of
her Divine Son, passed out of his world unto
Him, and was assumed into heaven, accom-
panied by the holy Angels.
Let us adore Our Divine Saviour, receiv-
ing His gracious Mother into the bosom of
His glory, and let us ask her to obtain for
us the desire of perfection.
Our Father. Ten Hail Marys. Glory be to
the Father.
Ejaculation.
5. The Coronation
Let us contemplate, in this mystery, how
43
the glorious Virgin Mary was, to the great
jubilation and exultation of the whole court
of heaven, crowned by her Son with the
brightest diadem of glory, and how all the
saints rejoice with her in bliss.
Let us adore Our Divine Saviour, crown-
ing the virtues of His most holy Mother in
Heaven; let us beg her to obtain for us the
grace to love and imitate them.
LET US PRAY
O
God, whose only begotten Son, by His
life,death, and resurrection, has purchased
for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we
beseech Thee, that, meditating upon these
mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, we may both imitate
what they contain, and obtain what they
promise. Through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
44
LITANY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
(For Private use only)
LET US PRAY
O GOD of infinite goodness and mercy, fill
our hearts with a great confidence in your
dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title
of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, and
grant us hy her most powerful intercession
all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which
we need. Through Christ Our Lord. - Amen.
r& ANTONIO,
Cardinal Patriarch
LISBON, 1928.
45
THE HOLY FATHER SPEAKS
Here is a copy of the letter, received from the Holy
See, by which His Holiness Pope Pius XII during his
glorious reign imparted to you his “SPECIAL APOS-
TOLIC BENEDICTION”, if you are promoting the cause
of Our Lady of Fatima.
47
the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a devotional
consecration, and in no way affects the title
of a parish or diocese.
DIOCESES have been consecrated in various
ways. The consecration brings blessings but
entails no canonical effects or ritual. The
bishop’s intention to consecrate will naturally
find expression in the public reading of the
Act of Consecration. The reading of the Act
acquires dignity and authority if performed
by the bishop from the throne during some
solemn function such as a Solemn Mass.
Circular letters from the Chancery effectively
prepare the faithful to share locally, in these
services, with intelligence and devotion.
PARISHES should first spread the MESS-
AGE OF FATIMA. Sermons from the altar
and parochial society activities will facilitate
this. Booklets or leaflets, such as the one
you are reading, should be distributed gratis.
Then at a well attended religious service the
priest may read aloud the Act of Consecra-
tion, either alone or together with his flock.
FAMILIES may consecrate themselves by
reciting a short ejaculation —
“Immaculate
Heart of Mary, we consecrate ourselves to
thee.” If more formality is desired one of the
parochial priests may be requested to assist
at the consecration.
Thus the call from the Holy Father Pope —
Pius XII —
the Pope of Peace the Pope —
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
God wishes it —
Our Blessed Mother re-
quests it —
Our Holy Father asked it.
48
NEW HASS OF THE IMMACULATE
HEART
August 22nd
Prayer
49
shall not sin. They that explain me shall have
life everlasting.
Gradual, Ps. 12.6. My heart shall rejoice
in thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord who
giveth me good things; yea I will sing to the
name of the Lord the most High.
V. Ps. 44.18. They shall remember thy name
throughout all generations. Therefore shall
people praise thee forever, yea forever and
ever.
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Luke 1,46-41. My soul
doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath
rejoiced in God my Saviour. Alleluia.
In votive masses after Septuagesima, the
following is substituted for the Alleluia and
its V.
Tract. Prov. 8,32-35. Now therefore, ye
children, hear me; Blessed are they that keep
my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and
refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth
me and that watcheth daily at my gates, and
waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that
shall find me, shall find life, and shall have
salvation from the Lord.
Gospel, John 19.25-27. At that time, there
stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother and
his mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and
Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had
seen his mother and the disciple standing
whom he loved, he said to his mother; Woman,
behold thy son. After that, he said to the
disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that
hour, the disciple took her to his own.
The Creed
Offertory, Luke 1.46-49. My spirit rejoiced
in God my Saviour; because he that is mighty
hath done great things to me, and holy is his
name.
Secret. Offering to Thy divine majesty, O
50
Lord, the Immaculate Lamb, we beseech Thee
that the divine fire, which ineffably inflamed
the Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may
inflame our hearts. Through the same lord
Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth
with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
God, world without end. Amen.
51
FATIMA IN THE ETERNAL CITY
Pope Consecrates the World to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary
We now come to the effect
produced by all these events
at Fatima in ecclesiastical
circles in Rome, always ex-
tremely reserved in mat-
ters of this kind.
In reply to a report of the
Portuguese Bishops, Benedict
XV wrote on April 29th, 1918,
that he had always hoped
that the depressing situation
of the Church in Portugal was only passing,
because the ardent devotion of that country
to the Immaculate Conception merited for it
an extraordinary aid from the Mother of God.
It is beyond doubt that these grave words of
the Holy Father alluded to the great events
of Fatima, which were then occupying all
minds in Portugal.
On November 1st, 1926, the Apostolic Nun-
cio at Lisbon came spontaneously to Fatima,
where after praying and addressing the people,
he granted 200 days indulgence.
On January 21st, 1927, the Sacred Con-
gregation of Rites granted to the Sanctuary
of Fatima the indult of the Mass of Our Lady
of the Rosary.
On May 13th, 1928, the first stone of the
Basilica of Fatima was blessed in the presence
of a crowd of 300,000 pilgrims. A
description
of this great pilgrimage, published in the
“Osservatore Romano” on June 13th, 1928, was
the subject of much comment.
More significant still is the personal act
of Pope Pius XI, who, on January 9th, 1929
at the audience of the Portuguese Seminary
52
in Rome, was pleased to offer to each sem-
inarist two pictures of Our Lady of Fatima.
On December 8th of the same year, Pius XI
wished to bless personally at the Vatican
the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, sent from
Portugal for the Portuguese Seminary in
Rome. Short of giving a definite judgment,
the Sovereign Pontiff could not have manifest-
ed in a more expressive manner his opinion
and his good will towards these events of
Fatima. It is also known that Pius XI wish-
ed to read all the acts of the Canonical Pro-
cess of Fatima in order to acquaint himself
personally with such an extraordinary mar-
vel.
On May 13th, 1930, the Portuguese Semin-
ary in Rome celebrated the anniversary of
the first apparition of Fatima, and the Sacred
Congregation of Rites granted it the indult
of celebrating the Mass of Our Lady of the
Rosary under the rite of a double of the first
class.
On October 1st, 1930, the Sacred Peniten-
tiary granted to the faithful who visit individ-
ually the Sanctuary of Fatima and pray for
the Pope’s intention, seven years indulgence,
and to those who make the Pilgrimage in a
group, a plenary indulgence once a month.
As has been said above, it was on October
13th of that year that His Lordship the Bish-
op of Leiria was to promulgate his Pastoral
Letter approving officially the Apparitions
and cult of Our Lady of Fatima, and it will
be observed that these indulgences granted
at Rome on October 1st came just in time to
prepare minds to receive with entire con-
fidence the proximate episcopal approbation,
which the Holy See has thus discreetely sup-
ported.
Pius XII, in his Apostolic Letter ‘Saeculo
exeunte octavo,” of June 13th, 1940 addressed
53
to the Bishops of Portugal to develop the
Portuguese missions, said also “ Let the
. . .
54
the consecration of the world, and of Russia
in particular, to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary. (*)
Quite true, neither the Apparitions nor the
message of Fatima are articles of Faith, and
the infallibility of the Church is not involved
in any of the acts we have just recounted.
But without giving any dogmatic judgment,
the Holy See could not have manifested in a
more expressive manner its opinion and good-
will towards the events of Fatima. And since
the visible Head of the Church, after an exam-
ination of the documents, believes in the real-
ity of these Apparitions, and recommends the
devotion of Our Lady of Fatima, let us fol-
low him; with him we are in excellent com-
pany.
55
3.000 sometimes 5,000. The numbers increase
very much in summer, during the months of
the Apparitions, reaching one, two, three hun-
dred thousand and more, especially at the
two great national pilgrimages on May 13th
(the first Apparition), and October 13th.
57
PORTUGAL CROWNS OUR LADY
OF FATIMA
Pope Pius XII addressed nigh on a
million Pilgrims
58
r* 7
PORTUGAL CROWNS OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Pope Pius XII addresses nigh on a Million
Pilgrims
WHAT IS A PRO M O T E R ?
it/
60
DOES BLESSED MOTHER MEAN ANY-
THING TO YOU? Isn’t she worth a little
sacrifice? Thus any person who procures at
least five (5) signed promises that those per-
sons will recite the Rosary (five (5) decades)
daily will be deemed a PROMOTER, and as
such will be entitled to all the spiritual
benefits accruing therefrom. PLEASE NOTE
that the signed Promise does NOT bind un-
der pain of sin, and may be omitted should
extenuating circumstances prevent the recital,
or cause undue hardship. However, it may be
resumed when these conditions have been
removed. Those who sign a promise or pledge
will have their names inscribed on a special
roster, better known as the “GOLDEN BOOK”
which is deposited at the original Shrine at
Fatima in Portugal.
Sincerely yours in Our Lady of Fatima,
Rt. Rev. Msgr. JOSEPH CACELLA
61
DO YOU KNOW
1. Do you know that this was a war of RET-
RIBUTION?
2. Do you know WHY? — We ignored the
MESSAGE OF FATIMA.
3. Do you know that you can HASTEN THE
PEACE ?
4. Do you know that you can bring about a
JUST AND LASTING PEACE?
5. Do you know that you can save SOULS?
(conversion of sinners)
6. Do you know that you can REDEEM souls ?
(souls in Purgatory)
7. Do you know that you can SAVE LIVES?
(cessation of war)
8. Do you know that you can increase the
FERVOR OF SOULS ?
9. Do you know that you can HELP others?
All these you can and may do, if you but
discover the MESSAGE OF FATIMA it —
is for everyone everywhere. It must be
delivered to them. The MESSAGE OF FA-
TIMA is the devotion of REPARATION TO
THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY
through the Daily Rosary (5 decades), es-
pecially the FAMILY ROSARY and the Five
First Saturdays. It may be a little incon-
venient for you, and I am sure it is but sure-
ly Blessed Mother is worth a little sacrifice.
62
DAY. Booklets and literature in abundance
for Promoters.
6 ;
DO NOT HESITATE
AN INVITATION TO SPIRITUAL
MOBILIZATION
Now that you know the MESSAGE OF
FATIMA and the means to carry out the rec-
ommendations contained therein — WHAT
ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
The answeris simple and plain — accede
to the request of the Mother of Jesus, Our
Mother, Our Lady of Fatima, by becoming a
Promoter for the more widespread and more
rapid diffusion of the MESSAGE OF FA-
TIMA to everyone, everywhere.
Help to hasten the triumph of the Immac-
ulate Heart of Mary by putting into faithful
practice her recommendations given at Fa-
tima in 1917, namely — PENANCE, DAILY
ROSARY AND DEVOTION TO HER IM-
MACULATE HEART.
THEN, SPREAD THE SAVING NEWS OF
FATIMA TO EVERYONE EVERYWHERE.
When a sufficient number shall be making
sacrifices and complying with the requests of
Our Blessed Mother, then —
and only then
— will the Immaculate Heart of Mary triumph,
bringing about the conversion of Russia and
peace to this world —
a peace which the
world itself cannot give.
Our Holy Father Pope Pius XII during his
glorious reign wrote us words of encourage-
ment on this beautiful apostolate. He —
Christ’s Vicar on earth spoke for Christ.
Hence, his words to us carried the Message
of Christ Himself, bringing with it the seal of
approval from the Holy See that our work
is not only pleasing to Christ’s Vicar but to
Christ Himself.
64
. .
65
SELF-DESTRUCTION OR SURVIVAL
The world is at the cross-roads now at this
hour, and the future is very dark. Ahuge
and evil thundering destruction is threatening
us from the East. Governments are trembl-
ing in the face of this unrelenting evergrow-
ing evil thing, which threatens utterly to
overwhelm the world. Governments turn to
every human means to avert the danger, while
there is only one Power that is of any use
and that is the Power of God, to which few
Governments will turn. Men, and seemingly
good men, have been falling away from God
for many years, in an avalanche of infidelity,
such as has seldom, if ever been seen before.
Now it is not only the hour, but now it seems
to be the last hour for many nations.
We are to-day threatened with world-wide
wars, revolutions, bloodshed and hideous per-
secutions. It is as certain to come upon us
as the sun is in the Heavens, if we do not heed
Our Lady’s warning. Our Blessed Mother has
given us the certain means of preventing this
destruction and this terror. Our Lady has
done everything to call us to our senses and
warn us of our danger. Our Lady is pleading
with us for the love of Her Divine Son, for
the sake of our little babies, our children, our
old and helpless folk, our cripples, our bedrid-
den and our helpless lunatics, and all the per-
secuted people, for the sake of all that is good
and sweet, gentle and pure, to stir ourselves
to do as She has asked and to save the world
from this cataclysm of hate and horror and
unheard-of-hell, to make the little effort need-
ed to save ourselves, our country, our civiliza-
tion and the world!
Can we and dare we refuse the pleadings
of the Immaculate Heart ? No, a million times
66
no ! Everyone of us must act now and set
! !
67
THE CARELESS MAJORITY
The world is filled with careless people who
are victims of their own indifference. They
are difficult to reach, to arouse, and yet they
are desperately needed. Somehow they must
be made to realize that their active support
may be the added touch necessary to halt and
throw back the enemies of Christ. It won’t be
easy to get the idea home to them. But it can
be done with persistence, a steady hammering
of the main idea knocking against their skulls.
They must be made to understand first that
penance, daily rosary and “cease offending
God” are all that can save the world from
the insidious slavery of Communism.
Millions of thoughtful people are realizing
more and more that the only hope of the world
is prayer, sacrifice and “cease offending God.”
It is the careless ones, the indifferent indi-
viduals,by far in the majority, who are the
present problem. They have to be convinced
that they are wanted and needed to make an
extra sacrifice, to recite the daily rosary,
brought close to our dear Mother and she will
snap them out of their careless, thoughtless
indifferent way.
Everybody understands the crying demand
for more and more prayers and sacrifices if
this country is to be saved from the turmoil
of Europe and Asia.
You are wanted right now. Be a Promoter!
68
NOW IS THE TIME TO PRAY FOR PEACE
Our Holy Father said: “The sands of time
are running out as mankind faces its mo-
ment of decision — self-destruction or sur-
72
1.
THE BLOCK ROSARY
We are justly alarmed about world con-
ditions. There is no help except from GOD.
The way to that help is PRAYER.
2. Our BLESSED MOTHER has made
known her wish that we say the ROSARY,
meditating on its Mysteries.
(b) At
the first meeting it is recommend-
ed that the Act of Consecration to the Im-
maculate Heart of Mary be said and the Act
repeated at each meeting to remind us that
we must be faithful in performing MARY’S
requests, if we wish her intercession as the
All-Powerful Mediatrix of all Graces.
73
Kosary, pray for us,” and “Oh Sorrowful and
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.”
(d) The intentions of the BLOCK ROSARY
are:
(a) Penance in the world.
(b) The overthrow of atheism and com-
munism.
(c) The conversion of Russia.
(d) Renewed fervor among Catholics.
(e) That there may be One Fold and One
Shepherd.
ACT OF CONSECRATION
My Queen and my Mother to thee do I
offer myself without any reserve; and to give
thee a mark of my devotion I consecrate to
thee during this day my eyes, ears, my
my
mouth, my heart, my whole person.
74
HOW TO MAKE A NOVENA TO
THE IMMACULATE HEART
OF MARY
^
JACINTA. Leaflet giving a brief account of the
life of Jacinto, one of the Seers of Fatima, who
died in the odor of sanctity. (Donation).
SODALITY OF REPARATION TO THE IMMAC-
ULATE HEART OF MARY, Rules and regula-
SENIOR and JUNIOR (Fatima Club.)
tions of the
Branches.
NOVENA TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA. Leaflet
of Novena prayers. (Donations)
MASS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART. Suitable
for Missals and prayerbooks. (Donation)
MARY DAYS IN AMERICA. A chronology of
Marian dates relative to the United States. (Do-
nation)
HYMN TO OUR LADY OF FATIMA. Music and
words by Rev. Joseph Cacella. Price 10 cts.