At Fatima, Mary appeared to 9 year-old Francisco, his 7-year-old sister, Jacinta and their 10 year-old cousin Lucia. During the second apparition, on the 13th of June Mary told them that Francisco and Jacinta would be taken to Heaven soon but that Lucia would live a long life. She also asked Lucia to learn to read and write. As Mary had predicted, Jacinta and Francisco died during the Spanish flu epidemic. Francisco died in April 1919 and Jacinta, in February 1920. They were both beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 13 of the year 2000. A few years after their death, Lucia joined the Sisters of St. Dorothy and continued to report private visions throughout her life. In 1946, she entered the convent of the Carmelite Sisters of Coimbra. She died in 2005 at the age of 97 and in 2008 Pope Benedict XVI waived the normal five-year waiting period before the start of a beatification cause. Jacinta and Francisco will be canonized by Pope Francis in Fatima this Saturday, May 13 during the centenary celebrations. Francisco and Jacinta are the youngest non-martyrs to be canonized in the history of the Church.

To find out more about Fatima, visit our webpage, saltandlighttv.org/Fatima and be sure to join usfor our coverage of the 100^th anniversary events of Fatima, this Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13^th, right here on Salt and Light Television.

Read more about Fatima: What is the Message of Fatima? What is the Third Secret of Fatima? The Children of Fatima Deacon-structing Apparitions: Fatima - part 1 Deacon-structing Apparitions: Fatima - part 2