Feast February 20
Francisco and Jacinta Marto, brother and sister, were born in the tiny town of Aljustrel, Portugal, two years apart. Their parents, Manuel Marto and Olimpia de Jesus, had altogether ten children, of which the little seers were the eighth and ninth.
Francisco was a handsome boy with light hair and dark eyes and calm, retiring disposition.
Jacinta was a pretty girl, with a spritely temperament, and just a bit spoiled.
At the time of the apparitions they were nine and seven years old, respectively. With their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, brother and sister pastured their families’ sheep. Their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, was ten years old.
In 1916 their calm, rural life was changed forever by the apparition
of an angel in a field near Aljustrel. The angel, calling himself “The
Angel of Portugal,” prepared them spiritually for a series of
apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
On May 13, 1917 the Mother of God appeared to the three children atop of a holm oak near the village of Fatima. The Virgin asked the children to return another five times and promised to work a miracle at the last apparition so that all would believe, which she did by making the sun “dance” before 70,000 in October of 1917.
At that time she also called herself, “Lady of the Rosary.”
During the second apparition of June 13, when the children asked about going to heaven, Our Lady told them that Francisco and Jacinta would be going soon, while Lucia was to stay on earth a while. She added that Francisco would have to say many rosaries.
Between this information, and Our Lady’s insistence on reparation to
Our Lord for so much offense, and prayer and sacrifices to help save the
souls of poor sinners, the two youngest seers embarked on a rare
program of holiness, culminating in their beatification in 2000.
Francisco and Jacinta, convinced that they were not long for this world, and interiorly transformed by great mystical graces as well as a terrifying vision of hell, accepted a type of “spiritual victimhood” for the sake of offering reparation to God and saving the souls of sinners.
Indeed, brother and sister were not beatified for having seen Our Lady, albeit the greatness of such a grace, but because, taking the heavenly invitation seriously, they attained heroic sanctity.
Francisco (1908-1919)
Francisco, though good and simple, obviously had some significant fault or faults for which to atone.
On hearing from Lucia that Our Lady had said that he would have to say many rosaries to go to heaven, without the least trace of resentment he exclaimed:
“O, my dear Our Lady, I will say as many rosaries as you want!”
He was often seen with his rosary in hand, seeking solitude or spending long hours before the Blessed Sacrament. His loving, innocent heart felt the special calling to “console Our Lord” for the sins of mankind.
After suffering without complaint the ravages of the Influenza of 1918, Francisco died on April 4, 1919 peacefully at home, with a smile on his lips. He was eleven years old.
Jacinta (1910-1920)
Jacinta was riveted by the apparition of July 13 in which they were given a glimpse of Hell.
After this vision, her every thought was of helping to save the souls of “poor sinners,” and she spared no prayer or sacrifice for that end.
Also contracting the Influenza of 1918, Jacinta suffered heroically.
In a private apparition, Our Lady asked her if she would be willing to remain on earth a little longer to help save more sinners. The nine-year-old girl generously accepted, enduring a trip to Lisbon where she was admitted to two hospitals, and finally dying alone far from her family, as Our Lady had foretold to her.
Still, the Blessed Mother herself supported her, appearing to her frequently, instructing and counseling her as well as showing her many things to come.
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