Our Lady of Fatima asked for our help converting sinners

On March 25, from Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Kagan joined with Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome and thousands of bishops around the world praying for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

The bishops read the same prayer in their own language at around the same time. At the Cathedral, it was 11 a.m and the church filled to overflowing. The laity followed along on prayer sheets opening with: “O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you.” It included these words of consecration: "Mother of God and our mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.”

The consecration was inspired by the Blessed Mother’s messages in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, a story that everyone should know as it is one of the Church-approved apparitions. Our Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children, asking them to pray the rosary and make reparation for sinners so that there would be peace in the world.

Gift of grace

Bishop Kagan explained that each bishop received a personal invitation to join Pope Francis in the consecration and to include their respective dioceses.

“To be able to participate in the consecration of the world and specifically Ukraine and Russia is a real gift of grace,” Bishop Kagan said. “It is the power of prayer offered sincerely that overcomes evil and to be able to do so in communion with Our Holy Father and my brother bishops around the world underscores the unity of the Church itself and is a powerful witness to the Church’s faith.”

Bishop Kagan noted that at the time of Our Lady of Fatima’s messages to the three young children in the town of Fatima, Portugal, beginning in 1917, “The Communists had just taken control of Russia by widespread violence and knowing the intent to dominate the world with atheistic communism, it is no wonder that several popes have invoked this consecration to preserve the peoples of Russia and the world from what we know to be a real menace and a visible evil.”

Two of the Fatima visionaries died young— siblings Francisco at age 10 in 1919, and Jacinta at age 9 in 1920. They were beatified together on May 13, 2000 and canonized on May 13, 2017. May 13 was the date of the first of the six apparitions. Their cousin, Lucia became a Discalced Carmelite nun and died in 2005 at age 97.

Messages to Sr. Lucia

According to Deacon Robert Ellis, the National Coordinator for the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA, “Our Lady returned multiple times to visit Sister Lucia in her convent. In 1925, the Blessed Mother gave Lucia the Five First Saturdays devotion, promising to all who make them to supply all the graces they needed at the time of their death.” He noted that they are meant to be made continually so that “every time you complete a series of five, you merit that grace for another soul.”

The Blessed Mother returned to Lucia on June 13, 1929, telling her that the time was now for Russia to be consecrated to prevent the spreading of its errors of atheism and communism. Unfortunately, attempts in 1942, 1952 and 1964 were not accepted as following the instructions correctly, but according to Lucia, the 1984 consecration by St. John Paul II on March 25, 1984, in St. Peter’s Basilica satisfied the request.

“He consecrated the whole world in front of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, inviting all other bishops to join him in prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary,” Ellis said. “Sister Lucia confirmed that it satisfied Our Lady’s request. But people are neglecting that Our Lady asked for two things to secure the conversion of Russia and peace in the world: the consecration of Russia and the First Saturday devotion. She had also asked people to sanctify their lives to Jesus in union with her Immaculate Heart.”

Here is a daily offering from the World Apostolate of Fatima USA that does that.

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and suffering of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, the reunion of all Christians; I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

First Saturday devotion

Bishop Kagan explained that he learned about the devotion as a young boy from the sisters in grade school who taught him and his classmates about the First Friday and First Saturday devotions.

“The First Saturday devotion is beautiful and is an expression of our being sons and daughters of the Blessed Mother in the order of grace,” Bishop Kagan said.

To practice it, he explained one needs to attend Holy Mass and receive, worthily, Holy Communion, go to confession and recite five decades of the rosary and meditate on them for 15 minutes on the first Saturday of five consecutive months.

“To observe this devotion on a regular basis,” he explained, “will instill in us an abiding love for Our Blessed Mother and her powerful intercession with Her Divine Son on behalf of us and all peoples.”