Fatima: A Timeline
12th Century – The village of Fatima is named after a beloved Muslim princess who converted to the Catholic faith and married the Christian knight Goncalo Hermingues.
The Apparitions
1915 – 9-year-old Lucia sees a figure in white suspended in midair.
Spring 1916 – The Angel of Peace appears to Lucia and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco.
Summer 1916 – The Angel of Peace appears a second time, calling himself as the Angel of Portugal.
Fall 1916 – The Angel of Peace appears a third time.
May 13, 1917 – First apparition of Our Lady of Fatima at the Cova da Iria
June 13, 1917 – Second apparition of Our Lady of Fatima
July 13, 1917 – Third apparition of Our Lady of Fatima — three-part secret revealed to the children
August 13, 1917 – The Fatima shepherds are kidnapped by Administrator Arturo de Santos, a leading Freemason.
August 19, 1917 – Fourth apparition of Our Lady occurs in Valinhos near the village of Aljustrel
September 13, 1917 – Fifth apparition of Our Lady of Fatima
October 13, 1917 – Sixth apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, Miracle of the Sun occurs before 70,000 witnesses in the Cova da Iria
Following the Six Apparitions
Fall, 1918 – Francisco and Jacinta Marto contract the deadly influenza.
April 4, 1919 – Francisco dies from influenza.
April 29, 1919 – First capelinha, “Chapel of Apparitions,” is built at the site of the apparitions
February 20, 1920 – Jacinta dies from tuberculosis and bronchial pneumonia.
June 13, 1920 – A statue of Our Lady of Fatima, sculpted by José Thedim according to Lucia’s description, is placed at the capelinha
June 15, 1921 – Our Lady appears to Lucia a seventh time and tells her to follow the path the bishop wants her to take. She departs to a school in Porto led by the Dorothean Sisters, taking the name Maria das Dores.
May 3, 1922 – Bishop Jose Alves Correia da Silva opens an official inquiry into the events at Fatima.
October 24, 1925 – Lucia joins the Dorothean Sisters in Spain.
December 10, 1925 – Our Lady and the Child Jesus appear to Sister Lucia in the convent chapel and request the propagation of the First Saturday Communions of Reparation.
February 15, 1926 – The Child Jesus appears to Sister Lucia, asking what is being done to spread the First Saturday devotion.
June 13, 1929 – Sister Lucia receives a vision of the Holy Trinity in the chapel. Our Lady appears and requests the consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart by the Holy Father and all the bishops
October 13, 1930 – Bishop da Silva issues pastoral letter approving the apparitions at Fatima.
October 3, 1934 – Sister Lucia professes final vows with the Sisters of St. Dorothy, becoming Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and
the Immaculate Heart
September 13, 1939 – The bishop of Leiria makes public the request for the First Saturday devotion.
December 2, 1940 – Sister Lucia writes to Pope Pius XII requesting the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart.
October 13, 1942 – Coronation of Our Lady of Fatima statue with a crown of jewels donated by Portuguese people, in thanksgiving for being spared during World War II
September, 1943 – Bishop of Leiria orders Sister Lucia to write the third part of the secret, fearing she was dying.
January 3, 1944 – Our Lady appears to Sister Lucia giving permission to write the third part of the secret. The contents are delivered to the bishop of Leiria for safekeeping.
1947 – Msgr. Harold V. Colgan co-founds The Blue Army with John Haffert and pledges it will oppose the Red Army of Communism.
March 25, 1948 – Sister Lucia enters the Carmel of Coimbra, Portugal.
January, 1950 – The first issue of Soul magazine is published to spread the message of Fatima. A million signed pledges are buried at the Fatima Shrine.
July 7, 1952 – In a special apostolic letter, Pope Pius XII consecrates the Russian people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
August 17, 1959 – Pope St. John XXIII reads the contents of the third part of the secret, but discerns it is not the right time to release it.
March 27, 1965 – Pope Paul VI reads the contents of the third part of the secret and decides not to publish the text.
March 25, 1984 – Pope St. John Paul II consecrates the world (and implicitly Russia) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in union with the Catholic bishops of the world and some Orthodox bishops; Sister Lucia confirms this consecration “was accepted by heaven” and fulfills Our Lady’s request.
May 13, 1989 – Pope St. John Paul II declares Jacinta and Francisco “venerable."
March 15, 1990 – The Vatican establishes diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union, following a meeting between Pope St. John Paul II and President Mikhail Gorbachev.
May 13, 1991 – At Fatima, Pope St. John Paul II thanks Our Lady for the fruits of the 1984 collegial consecration and renews the consecration of the world to her Immaculate Heart.
1990s - New Roman Catholic dioceses erected in Russia.
May 13, 2000 – Pope St. John Paul II beatifies Francisco and Jacinta, declaring them “Blessed."
June 26, 2000 – The Vatican publishes the third part of the secret of Fatima.
February 12, 2005 – Sister Lucia dies.
February 19, 2006 – Sister Lucia’s body is transferred from Carmel to the Basilica of the Shrine of Fatima and laid to rest by the tombs of Francisco and Jacinta.
October 13, 2013 – Pope Francis consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima that is flown to Rome for this occasion.
2016-2017 – The World Apostolate of Fatima celebrates the centenary of the apparitions at Fatima.
