The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared six times to three shepherd children near the town of Fatima in Portugal between May 13th and October 13th 1917. Appearing to the children, the Blessed Virgin told them that She had been sent by God with a message for every man, woman and child living in our century. She promised that Heaven would grant peace to all the world if her requests for prayer, reparation and consecration were heard and obeyed.
Our Lady of Fatima explained to the children that war is a punishment for sin and warned that God would further castigate the world for its disobedience to his will by means for war, hunger and the persecution of the Church, the Holy Father and the Catholic Faithful. The heart of Our Lady’s Message to the world is contained in what has become known as the ‘Secret’ which was confided to the children in July 1917.