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Fatima: From the Beginning
From review - "If you are into Fatima, this is one of the best books to read. Sister Lucia's memoirs are excellent, but she is only one voice. Here, we get additional perspectives on this amazing story."
253 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1980
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May 18, 2024
A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS CONCERNING FATIMA
John De Marchi (1914-2003) was an Italian priest of the Consolata Missionaries (I.M.C.) In 1943 he was sent to Portugal and he wrote many books about Fatima. Later he was a Consolata missionary in Kenya and Ethiopia.
He wrote in this 1950 book, “The three small people to whom Our Lady appeared were in every respect absolutely normal children differing not at all from their companions of the ‘serra’ with whom they shared their games and their work of shepherding.” (Pg. 31)
He continues, “At the time of this first Apparition, in which it might be said that the angel did not dare or choose to manifest himself fully, Lucis must have been very small, possibly eight years old. She did not then know how to count the years nor the months nor even the days of the week… Lucia thinks that it must have been about the middle of the year 1915, sometime between April and October.” (Pg. 45)
On the 13th of May, the Lady told the children, “I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month, at this same hour. Later I will say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time.” The Lady said that all three of the children would go to Heaven, except that “Francisco … will have to say many Rosaries first.’ At this point the eyes of the Lady rested on the little boy with something of censure and disapproval the reason for which it is not given to us to know. It may have been for some small hidden fault.” (Pg. 52)
The local priest interviewed the children, and “The interrogate clearly did not satisfy the good priest. Our Lady, he reasoned, could not have come from Heaven to earth just to tell people to say the rosary every day, a custom more or less general in the parish. Also when things of this kind happen, Our Lord usually tells the souls to whom he makes his communications to reveal them to their confessors or parish priest. This girl, on the contrary, keeps things to herself when she can. It may be a trick of the devil, we shall see.” (Pg. 72)
He states, “The 13th of September was awaited by the children with more impatience than usual, for the heroic sufferings of the past month had deepened their desire to see the Lady who had put them to the test… The children were continually mocked and even threatened as if they were criminal… all attempts to force the children to speak were as useless as ever. The continued disrespect for the Apparitions of the people … was a particular source of trial for Lucia and the indifferent if not actually hostile attitude of the parish priest and his colleagues in the surrounding parishes was a torture for her sensitive heart. And yet the number of believers increased in an extraordinary manner.” (Pg. 110)
He wrote, “‘In October I will perform a miracle so that everyone can believe.’ This was the assurance of the Blessed Virgin to her confidant, and Lucia for her part repeated it to everyone who came to question her. Everywhere in Portugal people talked about the miracle whose day hour and place had been so accurately foretold… The enemies of the Church mocked at this prophecy and at the simpletons who pinned their faith to it, rejoicing in the magnificent opportunity to bury one and for all the already moribund Christian religion in Portugal.” (Pg. 127)
He asks, “How many pilgrims came to Fatima on that memorable 13th October? In his account, Almeida Garrett, the well-known professor of Coimbra University, computes the number at 100,000. The crowd did not consist of devout believers only… there was a good percentage of curious, incredulous and unbelieving people, who had come with the sole purpose of mocking the credulity of the simple faithful. Well sheltered in their comfortable motor cars they contemplated with supercilious amusement the scene before them….” (Pg. 131-132)
Of the Miracle of the Sun, he recounts, “‘Look at the sun,’ Lucia had cried to the people. What was happening in the miraculous skies of Fatima during these incredible moments? The answer is a miracle. the children saw a series of tremendous visions: first … the Holy Family… What, meanwhile, had the people seen? We will let Ti Marto [Lucia’s father] speak first: ‘We looked at the sun, which did not blind us… At a certain moment the sun seemed to stop and then began to move and to dance until it seemed that it was being detached from the sky and was falling on us. It was a terrible moment!’ … Yes, the miracle had taken place and it was seen not only by the simple and humble but by the whole multitude (some 70,000 people), believers and non-believers, many of whom have given testimony of this extraordinary occurrence.” (Pg. 135-136)
He states, “On the 13th of October both Lucia and Jacinta affirmed that they heard from the lips of the Blessed Virgin that words: ‘The war will end today.’ Such a statement on the part of the seers could create very serious objections to the veracity of the Apparitions and it was for this reason apparently that Dr. Formiago decided to go back… and subject the children to yet another severe inquest.” (Pg. 149) Later, he summarizes, “the question of the end of the war is one of several contradictory or ambiguous statements. Did Our Lady really say that the war would end that day or did the children misunderstand her words, or, which is more likely, did the continuous questioning … cause such excessive fatigue … that they were unable to coordinate their ideas with precision and exactitude?” (Pg. 154)
He notes, “Eighteen months had passed since the last Apparition, and it was time for Francisco to go to Heaven. He must have said the required number of Rosaries.” (Pg. 178) He adds, “By now Our Lady had begun to fulfill her promises. Jacinta and Francisco were already in Heaven and Lucia was left alone. In spite of Our Lady’s promise not to abandon her, the loss of her two beloved companions left a gap in Lucia’s life, brought a loneliness and solitude which nothing could fill.” (Pg. 208)
He concludes, “During the five years which followed the Apparitions the ecclesiastical authorities’ maintained the most prudent reserve.” (Pg. 223)
This book will be of keen interest to those studying Fatima.
John De Marchi (1914-2003) was an Italian priest of the Consolata Missionaries (I.M.C.) In 1943 he was sent to Portugal and he wrote many books about Fatima. Later he was a Consolata missionary in Kenya and Ethiopia.
He wrote in this 1950 book, “The three small people to whom Our Lady appeared were in every respect absolutely normal children differing not at all from their companions of the ‘serra’ with whom they shared their games and their work of shepherding.” (Pg. 31)
He continues, “At the time of this first Apparition, in which it might be said that the angel did not dare or choose to manifest himself fully, Lucis must have been very small, possibly eight years old. She did not then know how to count the years nor the months nor even the days of the week… Lucia thinks that it must have been about the middle of the year 1915, sometime between April and October.” (Pg. 45)
On the 13th of May, the Lady told the children, “I have come to ask you to come here for six months on the 13th day of the month, at this same hour. Later I will say who I am and what I desire. And I shall return here yet a seventh time.” The Lady said that all three of the children would go to Heaven, except that “Francisco … will have to say many Rosaries first.’ At this point the eyes of the Lady rested on the little boy with something of censure and disapproval the reason for which it is not given to us to know. It may have been for some small hidden fault.” (Pg. 52)
The local priest interviewed the children, and “The interrogate clearly did not satisfy the good priest. Our Lady, he reasoned, could not have come from Heaven to earth just to tell people to say the rosary every day, a custom more or less general in the parish. Also when things of this kind happen, Our Lord usually tells the souls to whom he makes his communications to reveal them to their confessors or parish priest. This girl, on the contrary, keeps things to herself when she can. It may be a trick of the devil, we shall see.” (Pg. 72)
He states, “The 13th of September was awaited by the children with more impatience than usual, for the heroic sufferings of the past month had deepened their desire to see the Lady who had put them to the test… The children were continually mocked and even threatened as if they were criminal… all attempts to force the children to speak were as useless as ever. The continued disrespect for the Apparitions of the people … was a particular source of trial for Lucia and the indifferent if not actually hostile attitude of the parish priest and his colleagues in the surrounding parishes was a torture for her sensitive heart. And yet the number of believers increased in an extraordinary manner.” (Pg. 110)
He wrote, “‘In October I will perform a miracle so that everyone can believe.’ This was the assurance of the Blessed Virgin to her confidant, and Lucia for her part repeated it to everyone who came to question her. Everywhere in Portugal people talked about the miracle whose day hour and place had been so accurately foretold… The enemies of the Church mocked at this prophecy and at the simpletons who pinned their faith to it, rejoicing in the magnificent opportunity to bury one and for all the already moribund Christian religion in Portugal.” (Pg. 127)
He asks, “How many pilgrims came to Fatima on that memorable 13th October? In his account, Almeida Garrett, the well-known professor of Coimbra University, computes the number at 100,000. The crowd did not consist of devout believers only… there was a good percentage of curious, incredulous and unbelieving people, who had come with the sole purpose of mocking the credulity of the simple faithful. Well sheltered in their comfortable motor cars they contemplated with supercilious amusement the scene before them….” (Pg. 131-132)
Of the Miracle of the Sun, he recounts, “‘Look at the sun,’ Lucia had cried to the people. What was happening in the miraculous skies of Fatima during these incredible moments? The answer is a miracle. the children saw a series of tremendous visions: first … the Holy Family… What, meanwhile, had the people seen? We will let Ti Marto [Lucia’s father] speak first: ‘We looked at the sun, which did not blind us… At a certain moment the sun seemed to stop and then began to move and to dance until it seemed that it was being detached from the sky and was falling on us. It was a terrible moment!’ … Yes, the miracle had taken place and it was seen not only by the simple and humble but by the whole multitude (some 70,000 people), believers and non-believers, many of whom have given testimony of this extraordinary occurrence.” (Pg. 135-136)
He states, “On the 13th of October both Lucia and Jacinta affirmed that they heard from the lips of the Blessed Virgin that words: ‘The war will end today.’ Such a statement on the part of the seers could create very serious objections to the veracity of the Apparitions and it was for this reason apparently that Dr. Formiago decided to go back… and subject the children to yet another severe inquest.” (Pg. 149) Later, he summarizes, “the question of the end of the war is one of several contradictory or ambiguous statements. Did Our Lady really say that the war would end that day or did the children misunderstand her words, or, which is more likely, did the continuous questioning … cause such excessive fatigue … that they were unable to coordinate their ideas with precision and exactitude?” (Pg. 154)
He notes, “Eighteen months had passed since the last Apparition, and it was time for Francisco to go to Heaven. He must have said the required number of Rosaries.” (Pg. 178) He adds, “By now Our Lady had begun to fulfill her promises. Jacinta and Francisco were already in Heaven and Lucia was left alone. In spite of Our Lady’s promise not to abandon her, the loss of her two beloved companions left a gap in Lucia’s life, brought a loneliness and solitude which nothing could fill.” (Pg. 208)
He concludes, “During the five years which followed the Apparitions the ecclesiastical authorities’ maintained the most prudent reserve.” (Pg. 223)
This book will be of keen interest to those studying Fatima.
November 10, 2020
Absolutely phenomenal. These three children are so inspiring in their spirituality, devotion and eagerness to go through anything for the pleasure of God and the Lady of the Rosary. This book and the lessons hidden within its pages will linger with me for many years.
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