There are a number of Marian apparitions that have been approved by the Church. Honestly, we think all approved apparitions deserve study.
But none may be as important as the times that Our Lady appeared in 1917 to three shepherd children in Portugal. We don't believe that this is just an example of pious Catholic practices.
Why Fatima?
The importance of Our Lady's messages at Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun changed the world forever and gave the Christian world more tools to fight for the Kingship of Christ.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was sent to Fatima, Portugal by God to warn the world, draw souls to Christ, and be a source of hope for future generations.
We think Our Lady's efforts deserve our attention. In fact, we think that so strongly that we've gone on pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal ourselves and have studied the apparitions. We've done the work for you!
In the images below, you'll see statues of Our Lady of Fatima. And I bet you already guessed that the statues in these images are actually ours. Fatima is that important.
Regardless of your starting point on your Christian journey, you need these books in particular as a solid foundation to understand the messages of Fatima.
Since 1947, William Thomas Walsh's book about Fatima has been the benchmark for any discussion of the apparitions. It is hands-down our favorite book about Our Lady of Fatima.
We think anyone studying Fatima must begin their journey with this book. Part of that is because of Walsh himself. His reputation as a distinguished author, meticulous researcher, and faithful renderer of history makes him a trustworthy source. Our Lady of Fatima is no exception.
But Walsh was also a man of extraordinary moral formation as a cradle Catholic who became a talented Catholic author.
Walsh's Our Lady of Fatima novel is a historic retelling of the whole remarkable story of the Fatima apparitions.
He based the entire story on actual interviews Walsh conducted in 1946 with Sr. Lucia and on her written but (at the time) unpublished memoirs.
Sr. Lucia was the oldest of the shepherd children and the only one of the three to survive to adulthood. The story Walsh weaves together brings you to the Cova da Iria with Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco. You walk in the shoes of these simple children.
The book delves into the miraculous events that took place, including the Miracle of the Sun, the prophecies of World War II and the rise of communism, as well as the Blessed Mother's plea for humanity to do penance and her promise of world peace and the conversion of Russia if her messages were heeded.
Walsh presents all of the beautiful and essential information about Fatima, the Virgin's message, and the three children like the best story you've ever read. It is far from a dry history lesson. Young and old will be engaged from page one.
Plus, we love that the Epilogue to the 1954 edition contains questions and answers from written correspondence between Walsh and Sr. Lucia that were not available for the original 1947 edition. That material is pure gold!
This is an essential Faithful Find that anyone wishing to get to Heaven needs to have on hand.
William Thomas Walsh is one of our all-time favorite authors. We love that he was faithful Catholic, a patriotic American, and he could always be trusted to deliver a thoroughly researched and faithfully told history. His works cover very difficult topics that are also often misrepresented or out rightly lied about by others. To get a great synopsis of his life and contribution to literature, take a look at this well-written history of his life.
Fatima, the First Hundred Years: The Complete Story from Visionaries to Saints
by Barry R. Pearlman
We chose to highlight Barry R. Pearlman's book Fatima, the First Hundred Years as a Faithful Find for two primary reasons.
Pearlman did not come into the Church until later in life. So he brings the perspective and life lessons of someone who was not born Catholic and did not grow up with a devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The fact that he undertook the extraordinary work evident in Fatima, the First Hundred Years shows the power that Our Lady has to bring souls to Christ.
The other reason we chose to highlight his book is that he writes in present day with decades of history elapsed. While Pearlman's book about Fatima gives the story of those remarkable events, it does so in an entirely different way from Walsh's book. Fatima, the First Hundred Years picks up the thread of predicted world historical events and the lives of the seers, including the canonizations of Jacinta and Francisco.
One of the book's strongest points is the connection that Pearlman draws out from Our Lady of Fatima to the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Many people fail to understand the significance of that devotion, including the First Saturday devotion. You won't be one of those people after getting to know Our Lady's message, the Fatima prayer, and, as the Blessed Mother told Lucia, how to take refuge in her Immaculate Heart as a sure way to God.
Pearlman's portrayal of the three shepherd children is also noteworthy. He provides a detailed account of their lives before, during, and after the apparitions. This character development gives the reader a deeper understanding of the human elements of the story.
This Faithful Find is your next step in a journey with Our Lady of Fatima. We promise that it will not disappoint.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to get to know Barry Pearlman outside of his works as not much information about him is publicly available. We found him interesting because he was born in Wales but grew up and was educated in Texas. He has a social psychology background as well as a background in divinity from his earlier life as an Anglican. Pearlman was an academic before turning to writing, and he has produced four novels to date on various Catholic topics. His interests include classical guitar, hiking, and poetry.
Final Thoughts
Anyone seriously interested in the pursuit of holiness will get to know the Blessed Mother, and we highly recommend beginning your study with these two essential, companion books.
As you look around the world and wonder what is happening, the messages of Fatima and Our Lady's constant efforts to bring souls to Christ take on an urgency and power. These books deliver insights that help you temporally and spiritually. Your eyes will open the more you get to know and study Our Lady of Fatima.
When the world around you is in chaos, how do you interpret events? Our Lady of Fatima provides interpreter services. She helped us, and she can help you.
Please let us know after you read the books how they impacted your life and understanding of current world events. We're excited for you to begin the Fatima journey!
God bless.
Lynne
