The Blessed Virgin first appeared to three little shepherds at Fatima, a Purtuguese village 60 miles north of Lisbon. Jacinta, aged 7, Francisco, aged 9, and Lucia, aged 10, were peaceful pasturing their sheep on a plateu outside the village at Cova da Iria when suddenly in the wake of a flash of light, they held a woman on a bright cloud over a small oak tree. The Lady was of incomparable beauty and freshness. Her vesture was pure white, and a mantle edged with gold covered her head and flowed round her body. A golden cord ending in a tassel hung around her neck. Her hands were piously joined before her breast, and from her right hand hung a white Rosary of pearly beads. With a smile of material tenderness but somewhat sad, she gently beckoned the children to approach, saying: "Have no fear, I will do you no harm. I come from heaven. I want you to come here on the 13th of each month until October. Then I will tell you who I am." The news of the apparition spread about Fatima, but the children were not believed by the villagers. They were reprimanded instead. Nevertheless, some 60 or 70 people accompanied the little shepherds to the plateau on the 13th of June. Again the beautiful Lady from heaven appeared and recommended the frequent recitation of the Rosary to the children to practise mortification, saying: "Pray, pray much and make sacrifices and to pray for them." When the Lady came agin on the 13th of July, some 5,000 people were present, and they were informed by the children of a great miracle to be performed at the site in October. The lady talked to the children about the evil that would be fall mankind unless mencease or offend the Lord. The Bishop of Leiria, in his Pastoral Letter on the appritions, said that thousands of people whose truthfulness he could not doubt, saw a light cloud filling the air as it were with an iridescent dust which sorrounded the tree. Because of the story, then spreading far and wide the country, a persecution of the children was conducted by those in civil authority and there was a campaign of vilification against them. On the 13th of August , more than 15,000 people went to Cova de Iria. They were, however, disappointed upon discovering that the children has been kidnaped and imprisoned. Nevertheless, the Lady appeared to the children a few days and manifested a desire for the erection of a new church in her honor. On the 13th of September, more than 30,000 people gathered at the site of the Lady's apparitions. Once more the Lady appeared and bade the children to say the Rosary for the ending of the war. A luminous globe coming from east to west in the clear sky was seen by many witnesses, and what appeared to be flakes of snow or rose petals fell in great quantity, disappearing before they touched the ground. This extraordinary phenomenon was photographed by a chance visitor to Fatima, Antonio Robelo Martins, vice consul of the United States.
