Saintly Siblings

Today's saints are the youngest to be beatified who were not martyrs of the faith.  Although there connection the Our Lady of Fatima (feast on May 13) is well known, it is their saintly young lives that we will discuss on their feast day.

Feast day:  February 20

Blessed Jacinta Marto 

Born:  1910
Died:  1920

Blessed Francisco Marto 

Born:  1908
Died:  1919

Patrons of bodily ills; captives; people ridiculed for their piety; prisoners; sick people
Portugal
Peasant family

The children of Fatima were like most of their peers, as they had little schooling and spent most of their time caring for their family's herd of sheep.  Jacinta and Francisco were often joined by their cousin, Lúcia dos Santos.

According to Lúcia's memoirs, "Francisco had a placid disposition, was somewhat musically inclined, and liked to be by himself to think. Jacinta was affectionate if a bit spoiled, and emotionally labile. She had a sweet singing voice and a gift for dancing."

However, on May 13, 1917, their lives would be forever changed.  While in the fields, the Virgin Mary appeared to them in a vision and simply asked them to pray.  All three children gave up music and dancing after the visions began, believing that these and other recreational activities led to occasions of sin.

Francisco would spend most of his time alone in silent prayer.  He told Lucia and Jacinta that he felt he needed "to console Jesus for the sins of the world."  He would also perform acts of self-mortification in the hopes that his suffering offered up with Jesus' suffering would relieve the world of sin.

After a vision of hell, Jacinta became increasingly determined to pray for the poor sinners entrenched in sin throughout the world.  She also began acts of self-mortification that she offered up for the sins of the world.

All of the children spent their days in prayer, especially devoted to the Rosary.  The visions continued for several months and the children were faithful in their accounts of the visions in spite of ridicule and punishments.

In 1918, the two siblings would become victims of the terrible influenza epidemic that spread throughout Europe.  At some time in October of 1918, it is said that Mary came to the children and told them that she would take them to heaven soon.  In spite of their illness, both children refused to give up their daily walk to Mass.  They would offer up their pain for the sinners of the world.  When not at Mass, they would pray before the Eucharist for hours.

Francisco was the first of the children to succumb to the illness on April 4, 1919 at his home, refusing to go to the hospital.  Jacinta, on the other hand was sent to multiple hospitals in the hopes for her healing.  She would even endure a terrible surgery to relieve the liquid in her lungs.  This surgery was that removed some of her ribs was done without being anesthetized because her heart was so weak.  She suffered terribly throughout all of these procedures but offered this pain for the lost souls of the world.  On February 20, 1920, Jacinta died alone in her hospital room.  The day before she had begged for Last Rites but the hopeful priest had told her that he would come back the next day.

Prior to her death, Jacinta spoke to Lucia about their efforts:

"When you are to say this, don't go and hide. Tell everybody that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that people are to ask her for them; and that the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at his side. Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God entrusted it to her."

Jacinta had a desire to organize others in prayer through a group that would come to be known as the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.  It would not be until later that Lucia would write the biography of Jacinta, and we would find out that she had had several visions of Mary outside of the group messages.  Many of these visions were related to a pope who would lead the world in a devotion to the Immaculate Heart and who would also suffer for sinners of the world.

After the death of Francisco and Jacinta, a petition for canonization was rejected by Pope Pius XI because they were too young to understand the heroic virtues associated with saints.  I believe the Church was just not prepared to understand their heroics.  It would not be until 1979 when their names would be re-examined for canonization by Pope John Paul II.  Over 300 bishops wrote letters in hopes for these children to be recognized as they were "admired and attracted people to the way of sanctity. Favors were received through their intercession.”

It is believed that these sibling saints will be fully canonized in 2017 on the centennial anniversary of the visions.