There are few devotions as beloved in Portugal as that of Our Lady of Fátima. It is in grandmothers' homes, in cars, in purses, and increasingly worn close to the heart. We, Marian and Bárbara, are Spanish, but Fátima is also a little bit ours: it is just a few hours from Galicia, our family homeland, and is one of the Virgins we are asked for most often. That is why we wanted to tell her story in Portuguese and show you our medals.
What happened in Fátima in 1917
On May 13, 1917, three children were tending a small flock in the Cova da Iria, near the village of Aljustrel, in Fátima: Lúcia dos Santos, ten years old, and cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, nine and seven. After praying the rosary, around noon, they saw a light and a Lady brighter than the sun, above a small holm oak tree. When Lúcia asked her where she came from, the answer was simple: “I come from Heaven.”
The Lady asked them to pray a lot, especially the rosary, and to return to the Cova da Iria on the 13th of each month, until October. So they did, and more people gathered around her each month.
The Miracle of the Sun
At the last apparition, on October 13, 1917, about seventy thousand people were in the Cova da Iria, under a torrential downpour. Suddenly the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun appeared like a silver disc that could be looked at directly, spinning on itself. The press of the time reported it in full detail, and it was from that day that Fátima went from anonymity to the whole world.
From a small place to the “altar of the world”
In 1919, construction began on the Chapel of the Apparitions, at the exact site of the holm oak tree, which is still today the heart of the Sanctuary. In 1930, the Bishop of Leiria declared the apparitions worthy of belief and officially authorized the devotion to Our Lady of Fátima. Francisco and Jacinta died very young, victims of the Spanish flu; they were beatified by John Paul II in 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, on the centenary of the apparitions. Lúcia lived until 2005 and was a Carmelite nun in Coimbra.
The bullet in Our Lady’s crown
Perhaps the most impressive curiosity of Fátima: on May 13, 1981, precisely on the anniversary of the first apparition, John Paul II was shot in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope always attributed his survival to the protection of Our Lady of Fátima and offered the bullet to the Sanctuary. Since 1989, that bullet has been set in the precious crown of the image in the Chapel, a gold crown weighing 1.2 kilos, with 313 pearls and 2,679 precious stones, made with jewelry offered by Portuguese women. It is, as the Sanctuary itself says, its most precious jewel.
Our medals of Our Lady of Fátima
With pearls and navy blue enamel€69
With lapis lazuli and navy blue enamel€69
With rubies, sapphires, and garnet enamel€69
With jasper and navy blue enamel€69
With pearls and pearl-white enamel€69
With agate and pearlescent white enamel€69
With turquoise, pearls, and turquoise enamel€69
With pearls and turquoise enamel€69
With fluorite and lilac enamel€69
All our medals are handmade in Spain, by the workshops and enamel artists we have worked with from the very beginning. They are oval, inspired by antique family medals, and come with a 40 cm Spanish chain and a 5 cm extender. Each one comes wrapped as a gift at no extra cost, with an exclusive illustration of Our Lady and a text about her story, so you know what you are wearing close to your heart. And if it is a gift, we will handwrite any message you like, free of charge. We ship to Portugal. See all our medals of Our Lady of Fátima.
For whom is a medal of Fátima
Some gifts are worn and forgotten. A medal is not: it is worn close to the heart every day and accompanies us through both good times and difficult ones. That is why so many medals are passed from mothers to daughters. Some ideas:
- For a Fátima, on May 13: the medal with pearls and navy blue enamel, the most classic and one that never fails.
- For a mother, grandmother, or godmother: the medal with rubies, sapphires, and garnet enamel, with a little more color.
- For a baptism or first communion: the medal with pearls and pearl-white enamel, delicate and luminous.
- For someone going (or returning) on pilgrimage to Fátima: the medal with turquoise and pearls, to always carry the way with you.
Praying with the medal close to your heart
Before Our Lady, in 1916, the little shepherds said that an Angel taught them a very short prayer, which is still prayed today in Fátima:
My God, I believe, adore, hope, and love You. I ask forgiveness for those who do not believe, adore, hope, or love You.
It is perfect for praying when you put on the medal in the morning. Wearing Our Lady of Fátima close to your heart is a simple way to always keep her protection near, and to remember what she asked the three little shepherds: to pray, especially the rosary, and to trust.
Facts you can verify
- The first apparition was on May 13, 1917, in the Cova da Iria; the Lady said she came «from Heaven». Source
- The little shepherds were ten, nine, and seven years old, and lived in Aljustrel. Source
- The Miracle of the Sun, on October 13, 1917, was witnessed by about seventy thousand people, under a torrential downpour. Source
- Construction of the Chapel of the Apparitions began in 1919, and in 1930, the Bishop of Leiria declared the apparitions worthy of belief. Source
- The bullet from the 1981 assassination attempt on John Paul II has been in the crown of the image of Our Lady since 1989; the crown weighs 1.2 kilos. Source
- The crown has 313 pearls and 2,679 precious stones. Source
The most beautiful medals are at www.khartesmadrid.com. And follow us on Instagram, at @khartesmadrid.
Marian and Bárbara