Another look at the 100th year anniversary of Fatima

Another look at the 100th year anniversary of Fatima July 24, 2017

fatima-spotlightThis year marks the 100th anniversary of Our Lady appearing to three shepherd children in the small town of Fatima Portugal. As such a number of books are being released to mark the occasion. A few of them I will review here. Today we will take a look at the recent release Fatima: The Apparition that Changed the World by Jean Heimann.

Before we get to what the book is about it must be mention that this is one gorgeous book. It is packed with full color pictures throughout and printed on heavy paper stock. This is one of those books that you will be able to pass on to other family members for years to come. Trust me, you are going to want to do this.

Jean takes an intimate look at the entire chain of events that occurred in Fatima, Portugal 100 years ago starting with the lead up visits by the Angel of Peace in 1916 prior to the Blessed Mothers first appearance the following May. This is truly an all-encompassing book. Leading off with a timeline you are presented with the 1916 visit all the way through to October 13, 2005 when Pope Francis had the original Our Lady of Fatima statue brought to Saint Peter’s Square as he consecrated the world to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.

Fatima: The Apparition that Changed the World presents throughout the history of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. Jean provides biographies of all three of the young seers; Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto. She writes about each of the three apparitions and reviews the lessons learned from each. However, the book more than simply and overview of these events. Jean how the message applies to us today.

She also goes beyond the original three apparitions and examines the continued appearance by Mary to Lucia the only one of the three that lived past childhood. Jean details these messages which Lucia received while in the convent living the life of a nun. Also included is a chapter on various Popes and their devotion to the Fatima message and how they carried the message.

Of particular intrigue is the final chapter Conclusion: The Centennial and Beyond. With the events of Fatima occurring 100 years ago one might question their relevance to our world today. They are extremely relevant. Mary’s message of peace was not only a warning but one of hope. We can right the ship. We can impact and change the world from the errors other have committed. If we in turn are committed to implementing the action plan Mary laid out before the three young children of Fatima we can make the world a better place.

Jean makes it clear in her book that the message of Fatima is more relevant today than ever, and Our Lady’s call to live it in our daily lives still remains. Do we have the strength and fortitude to follow it? We should. Our Lady of Fatima…..pray for us!



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