To recoil before an enemy, or to keep si-lence when from all sides such clamors are

raised against truth, is the part of a man ei-ther devoid of character or who en-tertains doubt as to the truth ofwhat he professes to believe. Inboth cases such mode of behav-ing is base and is insulting toGod, and both are incompatiblewith the salvation of mankind.

This kind of conduct is prof-itable only to the enemies of thefaith, for nothing emboldens thewicked so greatly as the lack ofcourage on the part of the good.Moreover, want of vigor on thepart of Christians is so muchthe more blameworthy, as notseldom little would be neededon their part to bring to naughtfalse charges and refute erroneous opinions, and byalways exerting themselves more strenuously they

might reckon upon being successful.After all, no one can be prevented

from putting forth that strength ofsoul which is the characteristic oftrue Christians, and very fre-quently by such display of courageour enemies lose heart and theirdesigns are thwarted.

Christians are, moreover, bornfor combat, whereof the greater thevehemence, the more assured, Godaiding, the triumph: “Have confi-dence; I have overcome the world.”Nor is there any ground for allegingthat Jesus Christ, the Guardian andChampion of the Church, needs notin any manner the help of men.Power certainly is not wanting toHim, but in His loving kindness Hewould assign to us a share in obtain-

ing and applying the fruits of salvation procuredthrough His grace. n

ForgottenTruths

The Fatima Story for Children

Hardcover, richly illustratedin full color, 63 pages. Writtenand illustrated by Andrea Phillips.$13.95

Item #B23 Also available in

Spanish!Item #B57

Jacinta’s Story is the story of Fatima told in a fresh, unique way. Imaginativelyplacing the narrative on the lips of the youngest seer, Saint Jacinta Marto,

author Andrea Phillips gives a fascinating spin to the marvelous apparitionsof the Blessed Virgin Mary to three young Portuguese shepherds. 

Little Jacinta invites young readers to follow her as she takes them on alively journey into the history of her country, introduces them to Aljustrel,her native town, and then delves into the wondrous apparitions of the Angelof Portugal, and the six consecutive visits of the Mother of God. She sharesall that happens to herself, her brother Francisco and cousin Lucia duringand after the apparitions.

Beautifully illustrated in full color, this book will hold the attention ofyoung and old alike, as they travel back to a time of innocence, promises andprophesies. n

To order, call (888) 317-5571

Catholics Are Born for CombatF R O M T H E E N C Y C L I C A L R E R U M N O V A R U M B Y P O P E L E O X I I I

I N B R I E F 4

C H R I S T I N T H E H O M EThe Father’s Vocation as Head of the Family 5

TFP IN ACTIONGod Will Give the Victory: Protest at George Washington University 6

C OV E R S T O RYJacinta of Fatima: Suffering to Save Sinners 8

A N F P R O G R E S S R E P O RTw 4,121 Rallies Mark 100-Year Anniversary

of First Fatima Apparition 17w Over 3,000 Rallies for Marriage Make It

Clear: It’s One Man and One Woman 18w First “Gift of Life Walk”

Conquers New York City 20w TFP Regional Conferences:

Giving Hope for Today’s Battles 21w A Good Friday to Remember 22w On May 13, 2017 in Fatima:

Rosette Wreath, Petitions and Candles 23

BACK COVERA Multitude of Roses 24

J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 1 7

Contents

CRUSADECCRCRUCRUSCRUSACRUSADCRUSADECRUSADEfi

Editor: C. Preston Noell III Associate Editors: John Horvat II, Michael Drake,Norman Fulkerson, Kenneth Murphy, Vincent GorrePhotography: Gary Isbell, Michael Gorre Foreign Correspondents: Charles E. Schaffer, Austria; José Carlos Sepulveda, Brazil; Philip Moran, UnitedKingdom; Benoit Bemelmans, France; Beno Hofschulte, Germany; Juan M. Montes, Italy; David Nash, South Africa; Felipe Barandiarán, Spain

The American TFP The American Society for the Defense of Tradition,Family and Property (TFP) is an organization of layCatholic Americans concerned about the moral crisisshaking the remnants of Christian civilization. Itsearliest origins date back to January 1971, when thefirst TFP members started to group around thepublication Crusade for a Christian Civilization. It is acivic, cultural and nonpartisan organization which,inspired by the traditional teachings of the SupremeMagisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, works ina legal and peaceful manner in the realm of ideas to

defend and promote the principles of privateownership, family and perennial Christian values withtheir twofold function: individual and social. TheTFP’s words and efforts have always been faithfully atthe service of Christian civilization. The first TFP wasfounded in Brazil by the famous intellectual andCatholic leader Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in 1960.His work inspired the formation of other autonomousTFP sister organizations across the globe, thusconstituting the world’s largest anticommunist andantisocialist network of Catholic inspiration.

Crusade Magazine is a publication of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Direct all requests andinquiries to: Crusade Magazine, P.O. Box 341, Hanover, PA 17331 or email to: crusade@TFP.org. Web: www.TFP.org, Tel.: (888) 317-5571,Fax: (570) 450-6352. © 2017 by The Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc. This publication may include images from iStockphoto™which are protected by copyright laws of the U.S. and elsewhere. ISSN 1096-3782 LCCN 98-641433 M-148

Cover: Saint Jacinta Marto,the youngest of thethree shepherds to

whom Our Ladyappeared in Fatima.

America Needs Fatima in Jerusalem

Marching Against Abortion in Manhattan

20

22

Fighting Transgender Tyranny6

Two Major Abortion Clinics ClosedLive Action News reported that the provider of onethird of Pennsylvania’s total abortions was offi-cially closed. Planned Parenthood Keystone’s Eas-ton, PA location was located close to two highschools which gave the abortion facility access tovulnerable teens. The closure brought down thenumber of Planned Parenthood clinics statewide

by one third. In Louisiana, an abortion facility thatperformed 7,482 abortions was closed for good.The Bossier City Medical Suite’s operators re-turned their medical license to the state Depart-ment of Health. The closure brought down thenumber of abortion facilities in that state to three.

Target’s Earnings Drop Due to Transgender FiascoDue to its controversial and unpopular decision to

allow transgendered people to use fittingrooms and restrooms, the retailer

Target suffered losses both in itsearnings and stock value.

Family Research Council re-ported that the companyexperienced a 43-percentdecline in earnings for thefourth quarter of 2016. Itsstock value also declined

from more than $84 to $59in a matter of months. Al-

though company executivesignore the effect of the public’s

boycott of Target’s stores due to itsbathroom policy, they are warning of a bleak out-look for 2017.

TV Viewers Not Interested in Pro-LGBTQ ProgramsAs the entertainment industry continues to pushits homosexual agenda, Americans are rejectingpro-LGBTQ programs as evidenced by the lowratings they are getting. Associated Broadcast-ing Company (ABC) recently launched an ambi-tious miniseries about the homosexual “rights”revolution with great fanfare and promotion. But

viewers did not tune in to watch When We Rise.The ratings were the lowest among the big fournetworks during its 9 p.m. Monday night timeslot, despite having a star-studded cast. Anotherpro-homosexual production big loser was theOscar best-picture-winning movie, Moonlight,which turned out to be the lowest-grossingOscar Best Picture to win that award ever.

Millennials Embrace Male and FemaleTraditional Gender Roles In a seeming departure from what most of the“Baby Boomers” and “Gen Xers” prefer, millennialsare more likely to choose traditional roles at home,with men acting as the breadwinner and womenstaying at home to raise children. This was the re-sult of a study done by sociologists Joanna Pepinand David Corter. One of the reasons cited by the

researchers is that there is growing frustrationwith ‘90s-type feminism among millennials, inwhich women are becoming frustrated with thechallenges of balancing family and work.

Psychologically Distressed Americans Can’t Get Help An estimated 8.3 million American adults (about3.4 percent of the U.S. population) suffer from psy-chological distress in the form of anxiety, stressand depression. This was the conclusion of a studyof federal health data conducted by researcher Ju-dith Weissman at the NYU Langone Medical Cen-ter in New York City. The study also foundthat many in the psychologically dis-tressed populationare unable to getthe help theyneed, such as ac-cess to a psychia-trist or mentalhealth counselor,partly because ofthe costs involved.

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G4

In Brief

©iStockph

oto.com | cyan

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©Ocusfocus | Dream

stime.com

Christ in the Home

The very best way for a father to win the re-spect and obedience of his children is by hisown example.

If a man does not obey the Church, which com-mands him to go to Mass on Sundays and to receivethe Sacraments properly, he should not be surprisedif his children fail to respect and obey him. More-over, if his children see that he neglects the Church,they will soon follow his example. That means thatthe best influence of life is taken from them.

Even with the help of religion, the path of youthis full of dangers, today more than ever. Withoutreligion, it is one continuous pitfall. Every fatherknows that. The religious young man and womanhave a protection and assistance in the journey oflife which those without religion can never have.By fidelity to his religion the father will equip hisdear ones with the God-given armor which theywill need throughout life. I need not remind the fa-ther that he will have to render to God an accountof the example he has been to his children in re-gard to religious observance.

God’s way is the best way. And God made the fa-ther to be the head of the family. The head is not di-rected by the members, but guides and directsthem. What the head is to the body, God intends thefather to be to the family. The mother is the heartof the family. Head and heart working togetherconstitute the well-being of the home.

Fathers of families, if you would have

obedient and loving children, love and obey yourFather in heaven and reverence the mother ofyour children! Even the father who does his fullduty to God and towards the mother of his chil-dren will find many difficulties, embarrassmentsand disappointments in the rearing of his family.But he will have the assurance that these unfor-tunate happenings have not occurred because hefailed to do his duty.

If a man does his best, he can bear with a calmmind the ups and downs of family life, but if hefeels in his heart that he has neglected his duty, themishaps will become almost unbearable. He willrealize that the wayward son or daughter wasmade so by his neglect of his paternal duties. It isbad enough to have a bad son or daughter, butmuch worse to have been a bad father.

On the other hand, what a constant comfort tothe father to know that the little ones whom Godhas given him were started right in life, by his ex-ample and direction. It is worth all the toil andworry that a good father experiences, to realizethat his life has had a noble purpose, and has putthose dear to him in the right way to achieve intheir turn a noble purpose in life.

Nor is that all. A good father will stand with hishands full before the judgment seat of God. He willhear from the Father of us all words which willrepay him for the efforts and sacrifices he hasmade, and he will rejoice forever that he manfullydid his duty. If you would be a happy father in eter-nity, be a good father now. n

Taken from “Christ in the Home: Practical Talks on HomeLife” by Fr. Martin J. Scott, pp. 19-22.

The Father’s Vocation as

Headof the

FamilyB Y F R . M A R T I N J . S C O T T , S . J .

A good father obeys God's commands and bydoing so teaches his children to do the same.

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G 5

I need not remind the fatherthat he will have to render to

God an account of the examplehe has been to his children inregard to religious observance.

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G6

It was a sunny morning on April 3,2017, when thirteen TFP Student Ac-tion volunteers, equipped with pro-

family fliers and enthusiasm, reachedthe “Trustees Gate” at George Washing-ton University in downtown Washing-ton, D.C. They positioned themselves onthe sidewalk in front of the entrance andunfurled their 14-foot-long banner. Itsbold letters spelled a clear message,“God created them male & female. (Gen.5:2) Stop the ravages of transgender ide-ology.” To begin, as is the custom forevery TFP campaign, they prayed threeHail Marys and gave the rally cry, “Tra-dition, Family, Property—America!”

The “Tolerant” Get ViolentNot long after the campaign com-menced, a group of students ap-proached the banner and asked for a

flier. They congregated in a circle to readit. “I got you a dollar if you spit on one ofthem,” said one. Another added, “If Iwouldn’t get caught, I’d kill them all.” Hisfriends, hearing the threat, respondedwith amusement and laughter.

Minutes later, they came up to TFPvolunteer Bentley Hatchett to disputeseveral points, which he readily ex-plained, politely emphasizing the im-portance of objective truth overrelativistic fantasies promoted by trans-genderism. No sooner had he finishedwhen some students began to name calland swear.

It seems the famous marketplace ofideas has been reduced to a liberal echo-chamber where moral values are forbid-den. In fact, several students shouted:“You don’t belong here,” “Why are youhere?” and “Is this some sort of joke?”

With the hard-hitting handout, 10Reasons Why Transgenderism Is the Fam-ily’s Worst Enemy*, TFP volunteers stoodtheir ground and explained why trans-gender ideology is harmful to society.Many students, however, simply stood indisbelief. Those who argued repeatedthe same questions and insults. Oneman put the same query to four volun-teers in a row, getting essentially thesame answer each time. “What aboutyou?” he said to a young lady who hadbeen intently listening to the discussion.“I absolutely agree with them [TFP],” shereplied. In a daze, the man walked away.The young lady warmly greeted eachTFP volunteer, stating, “I want to thankyou for being here. What you’re doing isvery brave. Too many students accepteverything they are told. It’s really hardto be a student here.”

Dozens of pro-transgender studentsand professional D.C. area agitators ap-peared on the scene to stifle the exerciseof free speech. They attempted to blockthe banner with LGBT flags andmakeshift signs that contained vulgarmessages such as “F*** these guys.” Sev-eral held a banner that read, “Respectexistance or expect resistance” (theymisspelled “existence”). Ironically, somescreamed obscenities and insults whileat the same time others chanted, “Nofear! No hate! Everyone is welcomehere!” That is, everyone except God, re-ality, truth and logic.

To reduce the din of the constantswearing, two TFP volunteers took outtheir bagpipes and played patriotic

God Will Give the Victory:Protest at GeorgeWashington University

TFP In Action

B Y R O B E R T N U N E Z

Members of TFP Student Action campaign infront of George Washington University inWashington, D.C. where they found intenseopposition from students.

Images from the TFP Archive

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G 7

songs. This caused thecounter-protestors to swellwith anger. In an attempt tocounteract this, a male stu-dent dressed as a womanbrought in a portable speakerfrom which he blasted punkmusic. Some counter-protes-tors then began dancing tothe “music” in a lewd manner.The contrast between thecontrolled conduct of the TFPvolunteers and the agitated,vulgar, and irrational behaviorof the pro-transgender ac-tivists was evident.

When Did Biology Become “Hate”?“This is hate! This is hate!” an incensedwoman cried again and again as she ag-gressively jabbed a TFP volunteer’schest with her finger.

“How is our message of common senseand truth hateful or harmful?” he asked.

Rather than responding, she onlyscreamed louder.

Although TFP Student Action mem-bers found themselves arguing with asmany as ten students at once, they wereable to stand their ground and exposethe absurdity of transgender ideology,using common sense and the principlesof the faith.

The following exchange sums up howreason is vanishing:

TFP volunteer: “Women are XX andmen are XY, and you can’t change that.”

Liberal: “That’s totally different fromgender. Gender is whatever you feel.”

TFP volunteer: “If I can be whatever Ifeel, can I be a tree?”

Liberal: “Yes, you can be a tree.”TFP volunteer: “Then would you

treat me as a tree if I said I was one?”Liberal: “Sure! How does you being a

tree hurt anyone?”When LGBT advocates couldn’t an-

swer the volunteers’ counter-argu-ments, many employed the leftist tacticof using personal attacks. While insist-ing that the TFP had no right to judgeothers, pro-transgender students had noproblem labeling them as pedophiles,science-deniers, murderers, and even in-sulted them on the basis of race.

Woman: “Look at you! You’re all white!”

One volunteer, pointing to a fellowTFP member said, “We’re both Mexican.But even if none of us were white, wouldthat change your view?”

Woman: “That’s even worse! You’re atraitor to your race! You should be sup-porting us!”

Pro-Transgender Advocate Gets ArrestedA pro-transgender activist was arrestedby the police after physically assaultingthe author, who was distributing flierson the other side of the street. The at-tacker let loose a barrage of profanitiesbefore grabbing him by the back andripping off his cape—the symbol of theTFP on campaign.

Another student accepted a flierfrom volunteer Matthew Shibler only toturn around and slap him in the facewith it. Interestingly enough, right af-terwards, several people suddenly cameup and asked for a copy of the flier.

Mr. Hatchett was also slapped withfliers several times. A counter-protestorsnatched a stack out of his hand anddumped them into a nearby garbage bin.

One woman tore several fliers toshreds and scattered the pieces over theheads of two TFP volunteers as if it wereconfetti. There were cases of spitting aswell. Yet, despite all of these unpleasantexperiences, the pro-family campaign-ers continued with smiles and courtesy.

Pockets of Support“Great job, guys!” said an enthusiasticman after receiving a flier. “You guys areawesome! Keep it up!”

“Thank you all for coming here. I sup-port you all being here,” said a student,adding with a satirical grin, “I think you’revery brave in bringing an opposing opin-ion to all these [liberal] snowflakes andflurries. It’s good for them.”

“Don’t tell anyone else, but I supportyou,” another student whispered in theear of a volunteer. Many other studentswho were afraid to speak out discreetlygave nods, thumbs-ups, and winks to letus know they stood with the TFP.

As the campaign was wrapping up,the police officer who had been over-seeing the rally approached and said,“Thank you all for exercising your firstamendment rights in such a peacefuland respectful manner.” He was thankedin return for his service and given aSaint Michael the Archangel medal.

The unruly group of pro-transgenderadvocates followed the TFP Student Ac-tion volunteers to the edge of the campusas they taunted, jeered, and yelled. Thevolunteers responded in turn by invokingSaint Michael the Archangel aloud.

While the rash of violence is becom-ing more prevalent on liberal collegecampuses, advocates of the familyshould turn to God, knowing that Hewill give us all the strength and courageto fight for moral values with increasingzeal and dedication.

In the words of Saint Joan of Arc,“The soldiers will fight, and God willgive the victory.” n

* To order your free copy of this clear and articulate explanation of the transgender ideology, please call (888) 317-5571.

Above: Bentley Hatchett from TFP Student Action discussesthe need for objective truth versus the fantasies of thetransgender ideology with students. Right: TFP memberMatthew Shibler offers the 10 Reasons Why Transgenderismis the Family’s Worst Enemy flier to a police officer.

8 Crusade J u ly / August 2 0 1 7 n www.T F P.ORG

CoverStoryCoverStory

March 11, 1910: Jacinta is bornFrom May 13 to October 13, 1917: the Blessed Motherappears to the three little shepherdsOctober, 1918: Jacinta’s illness beginsFebruary 20, 1920: Jacinta dies

A Mystery to Many“Why should I read an article about Jacinta?” youmay ask. “What can I get out of it? I already knoweverything about Fatima: the Blessed Mother ap-peared in Portugal to three little shepherds in 1917,told them to pray the rosary, and Jacinta was a verylucky little girl even though she died very young...she is now another little angel among the angels!

“How does it concern my life? How can I relate toa little girl who lived almost 100 years ago? Will Ifind it interesting at all?”

As you read this article you will discover thatwhich is still a mystery to many, namely, why, duringthe apparition of July 13, 1917, the Blessed Virginshowed Hell to the three children: Lucia, 10, Fran-cisco, 9, and Jacinta, 7.

Yes, the Blessed Virgin showed Hell to a little girlof seven, with demons in the form of horrible mon-sters, and souls of the damned burning in a hugefire! Why would she do such a thing?

That vision transformed Jacinta’s life: from thenon she agreed to suffer so that sinners could con-vert, and therefore avoid losing their souls forever.As you read these few pages, you will see how thelove of neighbor, including sinners, can lead a childto a heroic acceptance of suffering.

And how she suffered! Small, ignorant, poor andsick, through suffering Jacinta is transformed into agiant of virtue, a universal model of wisdom, innerrichness and strength.

I am convinced that Jacinta has something veryspecial to convey to you. Read her story, look her in

B Y B E N O I T B E M E L M A N S

*

*Jacinta and Fransisco Marto were both canonized by Pope Francis in Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 2017.

the eyes, and discover for yourself what herquestioning look suggests.

“How I have pity for souls who go to Hell!”The concept of eternity was one of the thingsthat most impressed Jacinta in the vision ofHell. At times she would stop in the middle of agame and ask her cousin,

“But look. So, after many, many years, will Hellstill not be over? And you never get out of there?”

“No.”“Even after many, many years?!”“No. Hell never ends. Neither does Heaven.

Whoever goes to Heaven never leaves. Andthose who go to Hell don’t either. Don’t you seethat they are eternal, that they never end?”

Also:“And those people burning there do not die?

They do not turn into ashes? If we pray a lot forsinners, does Our Lord deliver them fromthere? And with sacrifices too? Poor ones! Wewill pray and make many sacrifices forthem...How good that Lady really is! She has al-ready promised to take us to Heaven!”

The vision of Hell had caused Jacinta suchhorror that all the penances and mortificationsshe could make seemed little to prevent a fewsouls from falling into it.

How could Jacinta, so small, understand andaccept such a spirit of mortification andpenance? Lucia explains,

“It seems to me that it was first by a specialgrace God wished to grant through the interces-sion of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; secondly,by seeing Hell and the terrible state of the soulsthat fall into it.

“There are people, even pious ones, who do notwant to talk about Hell to children so as not tofrighten them. But God did not hesitate to show itto a seven-year-old child, knowing that she wasgoing to be horrified, I would almost venture tosay, to the point of dying of terror.”

Often, Jacinta would sit on a stone, and plungedinto her thoughts, would say:

“Hell! Hell! What pity I have for the souls thatgo to hell! And the people burning alive there, likewood in a bonfire!”

Then, shuddering, she would kneel down, claspher hands and recite aloud the prayer which theBlessed Virgin had taught them:

“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from thefires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especiallythose in most need of thy mercy.”

“There are so many who go there!”Jacinta remained on her knees for a long time,

repeating the same prayer. From time to time shestopped to call her companions:

“Francisco, Francisco, are you praying withme? We need to pray a lot to deliver souls fromhell. So many go there! So many!”

One day Lucia went to see her cousin and foundher sitting in bed, pensive.

“Jacinta, what are you thinking about?”“About the war that is to come. So many people

will die! And almost all will go to hell! Many houseswill be razed and many priests killed. Look, I amgoing to Heaven. And as soon as you see that nightlight the Lady said will come before [the war],make sure to flee there too!”

“Don’t you see that one can’t flee to Heaven?”“It’s true! You can’t. But do not be afraid! In

Heaven I will pray very much for you, for the HolyFather, for Portugal* so the war does not comehere, and for all priests.”

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G 9

Traditional Portuguese “azulejos,” or painted tiles, depicting the apparitionof Our Lady of Fatima and angels consoling the souls in Purgatory.

*Indeed, despite great pressure brought to bear upon thegovernment, Portugal remained neutral throughout WorldWar II. Just as Jacinta had prayed, Portugal was kept outof the great conflict.

Cou

rtesy of F

elipe Baran

diaran

10 C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G

At other times, she would ask,“Why does Our Lady not show Hell to sin-

ners? If they only saw it they would no longer sinto avoid going there! You must tell the Lady toshow hell to all those people [present at Cova daIria at the time of the apparition]. You will seehow they will convert.”

Then, somewhat dissatisfied, she would askLucia,

“Why didn’t you tell Our Lady to show hell tothose people?”

“I forgot,” she replied.“I did not remember it either!” Jacinta said sadly.At other times she also asked,“What sins do these people commit to go to

hell?”“I don’t know. Perhaps the sin of not going to

Mass on Sunday, stealing, saying ugly words, curs-ing, swearing.”

“And they go to hell just because of a singleword?!”

“Of course! It’s a sin!”“What would it cost them to keep silent and go

to Mass? What a pity I have for sinners! If only Icould show them hell!”

And then she would take Lucia by the arm andinsist,

“I am going to Heaven, but you who will stayhere, if Our Lady lets you, tell everyone what hell islike so they don’t sin anymore and don’t go there.”

At other times, after a period of reflection, shewould say,

“So many people falling into hell, so many peo-ple in hell!”

To reassure her, Lucia would remind her:“Do not fear; you are going to Heaven.”“I am,” she said peacefully, “but I wanted all

those people to go there too.”

Suffering to Save SinnersJacinta would not miss any opportunity of makingsacrifices to obtain the conversion of sinners.

When Jacinta would not eat to mortify herself,Lucia would tell her:

“Jacinta! Come on, now eat!”“No. I offer this sacrifice for sinners who

overeat.”And when, already very affected by illness, she

would go to Mass during the week, Lucia tried toprevent her:

“Jacinta, don’t come, you cannot. Today is notSunday!”

“It does not matter. I am going for the sinnerswho do not even go on Sunday.”

And if she happened to hear unseemly wordsuttered by some people, she would hide her facewith her hands and say,

“O my God! Don’t these people know that bysaying these things they can go to hell? Forgivethem, my Jesus, and convert them. Surely they donot know that, with this, they offend God. What apity, my Jesus! I pray for them.”

The three little shepherds knew children of two

Saints Jacinta and Franciso Marto and their cousin Luciados Santos (center) shortly after the July apparition whichincluded the vision of Hell.

Left: Francisco,Lucia and Jacintaposing withpilgrims after anapparition. Right: House inAljustrel whereJacinta andFrancisco wereborn, and whereFrancisco died.

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G 11

poor families who begged for alms from door todoor. Seeing them one day when leading her flock,Jacinta proposed to Lucia and Francisco:

“Shall we give our lunch to those poor peoplefor the conversion of sinners?”

And she ran to take her lunch to them.Of course, in the afternoon, the three little shep-

herds got hungry. To remedy that, Franciscoclimbed up a green oak tree and filled his pocketswith long, sweet and nutty acorns. But Jacinta sug-gested that they could instead eat acorns fromgreat oaks to make the sacrifice of chewing some-thing very bitter.

That became one of her usual sacrifices. Shealso gathered olives before the brine bath thatwould cut down their bitterness. The acorns andolives were so bitter that one day Lucia said to her:

“Jacinta, do not eat that, it’s very bitter!”“That’s why I eat it, to convert sinners.”Jacinta seemed insatiable in offering sacrifices.

In her generosity as a little victim, all she thoughtof was to suffer to save sinners. For this end, shefrequently accepted the harsh conditions of life asit presented itself.

Everyday Sacrifices to Save SinnersJacinta’s mother knew well her little girl’s repug-nance for milk. One day, she brought her a cup ofmilk and a nice bunch of grapes.

“Here, Jacinta,” she told her, “if you can’t take themilk, just leave it and eat the grapes.”

“No, mother, I do not want the grapes, you maytake them. Let me have the milk.”

And without showing the slightest repugnance,she drank it. Her mother was happy, thinking thather daughter’s distaste for milk was gone. ThenJacinta told Lucia:

“I craved those grapes so much, and it was sohard to drink the milk! But I wanted to offer thissacrifice to Our Lord.”

One morning, Lucia found her with an alteredcountenance and asked if she felt any worse.

“Tonight,” she replied, “I’ve had many pains andwanted to offer Our Lord the sacrifice of not goingback to bed, so I did not sleep at all.”

Another time she confided to Lucia,“When I am alone, I get out of bed to say the

prayers of the angel; but now I can no longer reach

the ground with my head because I fall. I pray onlyon my knees.”

Concerned, Lucia mentioned it to the confes-sor who knew how to guide her. He ordered thatJacinta should no longer get out of bed to pray butsay all the prayers she wanted in bed, without tir-ing too much. She hastened to pass the messageon to Jacinta, who asked:

“Will Our Lord be pleased?”“He will,” I replied. “Our Lord wants us to do

what the pastor tells us.”“Then it’s fine; I will never get up again.”

Saint Jacinta’s Love for the Holy FatherOn one very hot day, the children spent the siestahour on the well at the back of the garden of Lucia’shouse. Jacinta asked her cousin,

“Haven’t you seen the Holy Father?”“No!”“I do not know how it happened! I saw the Holy

Father in a very large house, on his knees, in frontof a table, with his hands on his face, crying. Outside the house were many people and somethrew stones at him, others cursed and told himmany ugly words. Poor little Holy Father! We haveto pray a lot for him!”

Another day, two priests who had gone to in-terrogate them explained who the Pope was andasked the children to pray for him. Jacinta thenasked Lucia,

“Is he the same one I saw crying, and of whomthe Lady spoke in that secret?”

“Yes.”“Certainly that Lady also showed him to these

priests! See? I was not mistaken. We must pray alot for him.”

In fact, Jacinta was taken with such a love forthe Holy Father that every time she offered one ofher sacrifices to Jesus, she added:

“And for the Holy Father.”At the end of each rosary she always recited

three Hail Marys for the pope and sometimeswould say,

“I wish I could see the Holy Father! So many peo-ple come here and the Holy Father never comes.”

Another time, the three little shepherds hadgone to their favorite rock hollows on Cabeço hill,where the angel had appeared to them. Prostrating

“O my God! Don’t these people know that by saying these thingsthey can go to hell? Forgive them, my Jesus, and convert them.

Surely they do not know that, with this, they offend God. What a pity, my Jesus! I pray for them.”

with their foreheads on the ground, they ferventlyrecited the prayer he had taught them. After a mo-ment, Jacinta arose and asked,

“Don’t you see many roads, paths and fields fullof people crying with hunger, who have nothing toeat? And the Holy Father in a church, praying be-fore the Immaculate Heart of Mary? And manypeople praying with him?”

After several days, she asked Lucia:“Can I say that I have seen the Holy Father and

all those people?”“No. Don’t you see that it is part of the secret

and they would soon discover it?”“All right, then I won’t say anything.”

Jacinta’s Illness One year after the last apparition, towards the endof October 1918, Jacinta fell ill, followed by Fran-cisco. The flu epidemic affecting so many peopleat the time was undoubtedly the cause of her verystrong bronchopneumonia, which never healedbut degenerated into an infected pleurisy with anexternal abscess, and ultimately tuberculosis.

On the eve of her illness, she said to Lucia,“My head hurts so bad and I am so thirsty! But I

do not want to drink in order to suffer for sinners.”Despite her pain, she would not complain. Her

only confidante was Lucia:“I feel such pain in my chest! But I do not say

anything to my mother; I want to suffer for OurLord in reparation for the sins committed againstthe Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Holy Father,

and for the conversion of sinners.”One morning, when Lucia came to see her, she

asked,“How many sacrifices did you offer to Our Lord

tonight?”“Three: I got up three times to say the prayers

of the angel.”“I have offered Him many, many; I do not

know how many, for I had many pains and didnot complain.”

“I am not going there to be healed”On July 1, 1919, Jacinta, who had been ill for almosta year, was taken to the hospital at Vila Nova deOurém, the same town where she had been impri-sioned by the Mayor back in August, 1917.

Her father carefully arranged her thin and fever-ish body on the back of a mule for the three-milejourney from their hamlet to the town.

She knew very well that she was not at the hos-pital to be cured, but to suffer for the conversionof sinners. The Lady had told her so.

Along the way she remembered a visit the Ladyhad paid to her and Francisco when she was doinga little better and would spend her day sitting onher brother’s bed. Immediately afterwards she hadcalled Lucia to tell her,

“Our Lady came to see us and says that she willsoon come to take Francisco to Heaven. And sheasked me if I wanted to convert more sinners. I toldher I did. She told me that I would be going to ahospital and would suffer a lot there; that I shouldsuffer for the conversion of sinners, in reparationfor sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, andfor the love of Jesus. I asked her if you were goingwith me. She said no. For me this is the hardestpart. She said that my mother was going to takeme and I would be there alone!”

The poor little girl was extremely afraid ofstaying alone in a place she imagined to be

terrible. So she added:“If you only went with me! The hardest

thing for me is to go without you. Maybethe hospital is a very dark house whereyou cannot see anything, and I will bethere suffering alone!”

And then she immediately returned tothe only thing that really mattered:

“But it is all right; I suffer for Our Lord’ssake, to make reparation to the ImmaculateHeart of Mary, for the conversion of sinners,and for the Holy Father.”

In fact, the Saint Augustine Hospitalin Vila Nova de Ourém was all white andflooded with light. But the treatmentJacinta received there for two months

Our Lady of Fatimashowing herImmaculate Heart tothe three shepherdchildren. Painting inthe Basilica andShrine of Our Lady ofPerpetual Help inBoston, Mass.

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G12 Cou

rtesy of F

elipe Baran

diaran

could do nothing to improve her health, and shesuffered greatly.

What had begun as the flu in October 1918 hadturned into tuberculosis, which affected one of herlungs. An abscess had formed and a woundopened on her left side through which oozed foul-smelling pus.

She received few visits, as distance and daily oc-cupations prevented her mother from visiting heryoungest child as often as she would like. Whenshe came to see Jacinta, she asked if she wantedanything. Of course, what Jacinta wanted the mostwas to see Lucia and converse with her.

So, as soon as she could her mother broughtLucia with her, not a small complication as she hadto make a round trip of more than twelve miles ina single day. This trip was made, not in a car or bytrain, but as all the poor traveled, by donkey cart.

As soon as Jacinta saw Lucia she kissed her withjoy and asked her mother to leave them togetherwhile she went shopping.

“Do you suffer much?” Lucia asked her.“Yes, I do suffer; but I offer everything for sin-

ners and to make reparation to the ImmaculateHeart of Mary.”

And she began to speak enthusiastically of OurLord and the Blessed Mother:

“I am so glad to suffer for Their love! To makeThem pleased! They love very much those who suf-fer to convert sinners.”

The visit went by quickly and when Jacinta’smother asked her again if she wanted something,she asked her to bring Lucia again when she cameto visit.

The second time around, her cousin found hersuffering with the same joy for the love of God, ofthe Immaculate Heart of Mary, for sinners and theHoly Father.

Lucia wrote, “It was her ideal; that was what shetalked about,” adding:

“She was only a child of ten. As for the rest, shealready knew how to practice virtue and show herlove for God and the Blessed Virgin by practicingsacrifice.”

In Lucia’s opinion, she had an intimate andmeticulous knowledge of the profound meaning ofthe message which the three had received:

“It seems to me that Jacinta was the one towhom the Blessed Virgin communicated a greaterabundance of grace, knowledge of God and virtue.”

Back from the HospitalAfter two long months in the hospital of Vila Nova deOurém, she returned home. She never complainedor showed impatience during the daily care requiredby the open and infected wound on her side.

In September 1919, despite her lamentablestate, Jacinta was still moving a little. Weakenedand emaciated, she went to Mass at the church ofFatima. But the Cova da Iria was too far away forher feeble strength.

In October, a friend of the family found her in apitiful state, remarking: “The little one is skeletal.Her arms are woefully skinny. She continually burnswith fever. Her appearance inspires compassion.”

She was again the object of endless visits andquestions from people who came to see her nowthat she could no longer hide.

“I offer also this sacrifice for sinners,” she saidwith resignation. “I wish I could go to Cabeço to saya chaplet in our grotto! But I am no longer able to.”

A New Visit by the Blessed MotherAgain the Blessed Virgin came to see Jacinta,bedridden, to announce new crosses and sacri-fices. She hastened to break the news to Lucia:

“She told me that I am going to Lisbon, to an-other hospital; that I will not see you again, or myparents; that, after suffering very much, I will diealone but should not be afraid, as she is going totake me to Heaven.”

Jacinta wept as she kissed her cousin:“I’ll never see you again. You’re not going to visit

me there. Look, pray a lot for me, as I am dying alone.”“Do not think about it,” I told her one day.

“Let me think, because the more I think, themore I suffer; and I want to suffer for the love ofOur Lord and for sinners. And then I do not care!Our Lady is going there to fetch me to Heaven.”

She was also worried that she still had not beenable to receive Communion:

“Am I going to die without receiving the hiddenJesus? If only Our Lady would bring Him to mewhen she comes to get me!”

And when Lucia asked her what she would doonce in heaven, she replied:

“I am going to love Jesus and the Immaculate

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G 13

Jacinta, Lucia andFrancisco standing in front of the parishchurch in Fatima on July 13, 1917.

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G14

Heart of Mary very much, pray a lot for you, forsinners, for the Holy Father, for my parents andsiblings, and for all those who have asked me topray for them.”

If asked whether she needed anything, shereplied:

“No, thank you very much, I need nothing.”After people left, she would say to Lucia:“I’m very thirsty but do not want to drink; I offer

it up to Jesus for sinners.”On another occasion, Lucia found her kissing

an image of the Blessed Virgin and saying,“O my sweet heavenly Mother, will I then die

alone?”The poor child seemed frightened at the idea of

dying alone. To console her, Lucia recalled,“What do you care if you die alone, if Our Lady

will come fetch you?”“It’s true! I do not care at all. I don’t know what

will happen to me; sometimes I do not rememberthat she’s coming to get me, just that I will die with-out you standing by me.”

Jacinta’s Parents Make a Difficult DecisionIn mid-January, 1920, Canon Formigão, a priestwho had been present at several of the apparitionsand had been able to question the seers with tactand precision, returned with a doctor from Lisbon,a pious soul who came to pray at Cova da Iria with

Lucia. He then met Jacinta and her parents.Although they told him that she had shown no

improvement after the two-month stay at the hos-pital in Vila Nova de Ourém, and that they knewthe Blessed Virgin would soon take their little Jac-inta to heaven, the doctor finally convinced themto send her to Lisbon.

Knowing that the use of all possible remedies tocure the little patient was not opposed to the willof God, her parents agreed and her father went toannounce their decision.

Jacinta was saddened by the news but acceptedit with resignation.

Her father explained to her that they had tosend her to Lisbon so people would not say theyhad refused a treatment that could have cured her.

“Oh, daddy! Even if I recover, another illness willcome and I will die. If I go to Lisbon, you can bidme goodbye.”

Shortly before Jacinta left for Lisbon, where sheknew she was going to die away from her family, find-ing her immersed in her memories, Lucia told her,

“Do not be sad that I am not going with you. Itis a short time; you can spend it thinking of OurLady, Our Lord, and often saying these words thatyou like so much: “My God, I love You! ImmaculateHeart of Mary! Sweet Heart of Mary!”

“That’s right!” she answered in a lively way. “Iwill never tire of saying them until I die! And thenI will sing them many times in Heaven!”

Before leaving her home forever, Jacinta askedher mother to take her to the Cova da Iria, whereshe wanted to pray again and see the place wherethe Blessed Virgin had appeared.

With the help of a neighbor who lent a mule,they made the journey which they had traveled sooften in the past. The little one got off of the mule alittle before arriving in order to pluck a few flowers.These she placed in the little chapel that had beenbuilt where the little green oak once stood whichserved as a pedestal to the Queen of the Universe.

She prayed on her knees for a long while, andthen, rising, showed her mother the trees overwhich the Lady would pass when she went back toHeaven.

Departure from FatimaThe day of departure for Lisbon, January 21, 1920,finally arrived. Jacinta’s farewells to her dear Luciawere poignant. She embraced her for a long time,weeping and saying,

“We’ll never see each other again! Pray a lot forme, until I go to Heaven. Then, there, I will pray a lotfor you. Never tell anyone the secret, even if they killyou. Love Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Maryvery much, and make many sacrifices for sinners.”

Jacinta’s room (below)in the orphanage

(right) of Our Lady ofMiracles on Estrela

Street in Lisbon whereshe spent twelve daysbefore being moved tothe hospital where she

died. The orphanagewas later transformed

into a monastery forthe Poor Clare sisters.

Courtesy of Felipe Barandiaran

Then Jacinta departed with her mother to takethe train to the capital.

At the Orphanage of Mother GodinhoHaving arrived at the Lisbon station, three ladiescame to fetch them and took them to the orphan-age of Our Lady of Miracles, founded and directedby Mother Godinho, where Jacinta had to wait alittle while before being admitted to the hospital.

Her mother stayed with her for a few days, andafter a week returned to the hamlet, leaving her lit-tle Jacinta in the care of Mother Godinho, whomall the little orphans called “Godmother.”

Jacinta’s great consolation was to discover thatthe house where she was had a passage to the backof the church adjoining the pulpit. She was in-stalled on a small chair from which she could seethe tabernacle and the altar, and she would staythere for as long as they would allow it.

She was also permitted to receive Holy Com-munion almost daily while at the orphanage. Fi-nally, the hidden Jesus was the guest of her heart!

Having noticed that many visitors were talkingand laughing in the orphanage chapel, Jacintaasked Mother Godinho to admonish them aboutthe lack of respect that this represented to the RealPresence. When that didn’t work, she asked thatthe cardinal be warned: “Our Lady does not wantus to talk in church.”

Conversations with Our LadyIt is certain that the Most Holy Virgin came to seeher several times, conversing with her and an-nouncing the day and hour of her death. Jacintahad someone write this to Lucia, again recom-mending her to be very good.

Who can tell the depth of Jacinta’s conversa-tions with the Mother of God? Knowledge of cer-tain future events and discernment of souls arealso a small indication of what these conversa-tions were like. Following are several examples:

She confided to Godmother that the BlessedVirgin would have liked two of her sisters, aged six-teen and seventeen, to become nuns. But since hermother opposed it, Our Lady would soon takethem to heaven, something that happened shortlyafter Jacinta’s death.

A doctor who looked after her asked her to prayfor him when she was in heaven. Jacinta said yes, buttold him to be prepared, for he too would soon die.

She likewise predicted to another physician hiscoming death and that of his daughter.

After hearing the sermon of a priest whomeverybody admired, she said, “Godmother, whenyou least expect it, you will see how bad this priestis.” Indeed, shortly after that the priest left the

priesthood and began to liveopenly in scandal.

She was well aware that, even ifshe prayed for sinners, their con-version depended on themselvesand if they persisted in sin it wastheir own responsibility. Thus,when Godmother asked her topray for some people in a miser-able spiritual state, she replied,

“Yes, Godmother, but those arealready beyond any hope!”

Her Last DaysShe was finally admitted to thehospital on February 2nd withtwo ribs that were turningnecrotic and were about to be re-moved in the hope of containingthe infection in the lungs.

There she was separatedfrom the company of her good Godmother andespecially from the presence of Jesus hidden inthe tabernacle and frequent Communion.

Placed in a large, cold and sad infirmary withmany beds, she was as sorry as ever for sinners.

She blamed some nurses and visitors for theirfrivolous and hardly modest way of dressing:

“What’s all this for? If these people only knewwhat eternity is!”

Jacinta’s operation was performed on February10, 1920. Because of her great weakness they didnot use chloroform to make her sleep, but only thelocal anesthetic available at the time.

Her greatest suffering, however, was to have hersmall body undressed at the hands of doctors, solittle attentive to the admirable modesty of that lit-tle Christian girl. She cried a great deal.

Every day they had to tend to the gapingwound, which rekindled excruciating pain. Asthey were taking care of her, she groaned softly:

“Ai! Nossa Senhora! Ai! Nossa Senhora! (In Eng-lish it would have been, “Ouch, Mother of God!Ouch, Mother of God)

And then she would add:“Patience! We must all suffer to go to Heaven.”For the rest of the time she was never heard to

complain. The Most Holy Virgin, who came to seeher several times in this infirmary, completely re-moved her pain four days before taking her away.

To her “Godmother,” Mother Godinho whocame to see her once a day, Jacinta said,

“Our Lady has appeared to me again; she will sooncome for me and has already taken away my pains.”

As her Godmother was about to sit on a chairnearby, Jacinta protested:

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G 15

An inside balconyfrom whereJacinta was ableto attend Mass inthe orphanage.

Courte

sy of F

elipe Barandiaran

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . T F P . O R G16

“Not there, Godmother. That is where Our Lady sat.”Shortly before her death, someone asked her if she

wanted to see her mother. Jacinta replied:“My family will last a short time and we will soon

meet again in heaven. Our Lady will appear anothertime, but not to me, for without a doubt I will die asshe told me.”

The day fixed for her departure to heaven, Febru-ary 20th, a Friday, finally arrived.

About six o’clock in the evening, feeling ill, sheasked to receive the last sacraments. A priest camefrom the nearby parish and heard her confession. Sheinsisted that she should be given Communion, butthe priest told her that he would bring It the next day.

Once he left, Jacinta insisted again in her requestto receive Communion, saying she was going to die.

About half-past ten Jacinta died very quietly, butwithout Communion. Only a young nurse, whom

she affectionately called “my little Aurora,” stood be-side her and watched over her remains for the restof the night.

“In Heaven I will pray much…”“I will return to Fatima, but only after my death,”Jacinta told Godmother. She was first buried in thecemetery of Vila Nova de Ourém, in the vault ofBaron de Alvaiázere, protector of her family.

Francisco was buried in the cemetery of Fatima.On September 12, 1935, Jacinta’s precious remainswere transferred to the Fatima cemetery and placedin a new grave prepared especially for her and herbrother. The tombstone bore this simple inscription:“Here lie the mortal remains of Francisco and Jacinta,to whom Our Lady appeared.”

Subsequently (in 1951 and 1952, respectively), theprecious remains were moved to the Basilica of Fatima,where they now rest.

The preparatory canonical processes for the beati-fication of the two Fatima seers were officially openedin 1949. And on June 28, 1999, a decree was issued

recognizing the authenticity of the miracle necessaryfor the beatification. Finally, on May 13, 2000, PopeSaint John Paul II went personally to the Sanctuary ofFatima where he solemnly beatified the servants ofGod Francisco and Jacinta Marto before a crowd cal-culated at 400,000. On May 13, 2017, the 100th an-niversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s first apparition, PopeFrancis canonized the two youngest seers of Fatimabefore a crowd of 500,000. Their canonical feast is cel-ebrated annually on February 20th.

* * *

Jacinta had told Lucia what she would do once inHeaven:

“I am going to love Jesus and the Immaculate Heartof Mary very much, pray a lot for you, for sinners, forthe Holy Father, for my parents and siblings, and forall those who have asked me to pray for them.”

* * *

The story of Jacinta Marto is not for the Catholicinclined to sentimentality. It is a story of a little girlwho saw the Mother of God with her own eyes, butshe also saw Hell. As a consequence of these facts andof her correspondence to graces received, Jacintawent from being a simple little shepherd girl in thefields of Portugal to a great Saint.

She understood what really matters in this life aswell as the immense importance and reality of eter-nity.  She was called to be what the Church calls an“expiatory victim” and she accepted this callingwith great love and generosity. Her life and examplestand in sharp contrast with the twenty-first cen-tury and that is precisely why her story is so rele-vant for us today.

Saint Jacinta, Pray for us! n

The final resting place of Saint Jacinta Marto and her cousinLucia dos Santos in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary inFatima, Portugal.

The infirmary inthe Hospital DonaEstefania whereJacinta died onFebruary 20, 1920.

America Needs Fatima members, supporters and friendsgathered and prayed the rosary at 4,121 public loca-

tions around the country to mark the 100-year anniversaryof Our Lady of Fatima’s first apparition. It was on May 13,1917 when Our Lady first appeared to Lucia dos Santos andher two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto.

e significance of this historic and most importantevent of the 20th century cannot be taken too lightly, asCatholics and non-Catholics alike recognize that the heav-enly messenger who appeared on that spring day in Fatima,Portugal was none other than the Mother of God Herself.Bearing an urgent message of conversion, penance andamendment of life, Our Lady appeared five more times. Eachtime she appeared, she insisted on the daily recitation of theHoly Rosary.

Heeding Our Lady’s request, America Needs Fatimamembers and supporters prayed the rosary and dis-played large banners that proclaimed loud and clear:“As human efforts fail to solve America’s key problems,we turn to God, through His Holy Mother, asking Hisurgent help.”

Even as awareness of the Fatima message makes arevival during its centenary year, there is no questionthat the current state of the country in terms of moral-ity has not improved since Our Lady gave her warn-ings and admonitions in 1917. e solutions that shegave to save our souls and solve the world’s problemsare more necessary now than ever before. n

America Needs Fatima®JULY/AUGUST 2017 P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . A N F . O R G 17

4,121 Rallies Mark 100-Year Anniversary of First Fatima Apparition

The Public Square Rosary Rallies for the Fatima Centennial beganwith 4,121 Rallies on May 13, 2017. Concerned Catholics around theworld joined this initiative and held rallies in such far-flung places asJinan, China (left). The goal for October, the 100th Anniversary ofthe Miracle of the Sun, is 20,000 Rosary Rallies.

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

As I prepared to attend a rally for traditionalmarriage, I wondered how people would

react to a public display on this issue that manyhave declared “settled.” Perhaps the publicwould be hostile and see us as divisive. Perhapsothers would become furious and seek to cur-tail our right to free speech.

I am sure many others had similar thoughtsas I joined tens of thousands of concernedAmericans from all walks of life who gatherednationwide in the public square on March 18th.In light of the disastrous U.S. Supreme Court’sObergefell decision approving same-sex “marriage,”these Americans held 3,109 rosary rallies register-ing their affirmation of one of America’s most fun-damental and cherished institutions.

Reactions to the RallyThe step into the public square seemed to be onethat would soon answer my question. Our inter-section was a busy artery with thousands of carsand trucks passing by. It could not have been a bet-ter place to gauge public opinion. It would not takelong to see what people thought.

The rally was just beginning when I arrived. Therally captain and his family had set up a large ban-ner reading: “God’s Marriage = 1 Man + 1 Woman.”There were also handmade signs, several of whichencouraged people to honk for traditional marriage.As I came into the field of battle, there were alreadysome people honking their support of the rally fromthe safety of their cars. Our extraordinary rally was

already being photographed from passing cars andposted on countless Facebook pages.

Surprising SupportBy the time we began praying the rosary, therewas a steady stream of support in the form ofhonks. Evidently, it shows that there are still alot of people out there that do not consider thematter settled.

The support varied in its intensity and passion.Some people were so overjoyed to see us standingup for traditional marriage that they honked longand loud. Others manifested their enthusiasm withmultiple honks as they sped by the rally. Truckerswould let loose with their loud horns. Shouts ofsupport and thumbs up were very common. It wasquite a symphony on that intersection that I hadfeared might be hostile.

There were also those who were more cautious.These ventured to register only a short toot. Others

B Y J O H N H O R V A T I I

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . A N F . O R G18

Banners with “God’sMarriage = 1 Man + 1Woman” were displayedand rosaries prayed inthe public square inmore than 3,000locations in the U.S.While the Stateconceded and theChurch remainedlargely silent on theissue of same-sex“marriage,” faithfulAmericans proclaimedloud and clear theirbelief and fidelity to God.

Over 3,000 Rallies for Marriage Make It Clear:It’s One Man and One Woman

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . A N F . O R G 19

honked on the run so as not to appear too com-mitted to the cause. When one honked, it seemedto give courage to the hesitant who would then joinin and contribute to the grand disharmony.

Crude OppositionOf course, there were also a few who opposed therally. However, they were generally quite crude andcowardly. These would usually consist of peoplewho would scream out something unintelligible ormake some obscene gesture as they sped away.

There were a brave few who took advantage ofthe traffic light to stop, open the window andscream out something about hatred, quite unawareof the hatred they themselves were exhibiting.

Far from discouraging us, the displays ofcounter-protest actually encouraged us, since itrevealed the weaknesses of the opposition. Theirdescent into irrationality showed they had no ar-guments—only insults. By our presence there, wehad shaken their certainties and proven the de-bate still rages.

And then there were the indifferent ones. Theypretend not to see what they cannot help seeing—even when next to a busy highway. They straddlethe line without commitment. The indifferentnever determine the course of history.

Public Square RalliesThese “public square” rallies are sponsored by theAmerican TFP’s America Needs Fatima campaign,which is dedicated to spreading Our Lady of Fatima’surgent message for society. The idea of these gath-erings is to bring the fight for America’s heart andsoul to the public square by inviting people to praypublicly for our nation. This might include groups offive, ten, fifty or hundreds gathered at conspicuouslocations with a large banner to pray the rosary andclearly bear witness to the need for America’s returnto order.

In March, these rallies bear witness to the fam-ily in what have come to be called the “Saint Joseph

traditional marriage ral-lies.” These rallies focus onthe agenda of the sexualrevolution that makes useof misguided public policyand judicial fiat to forceits agenda upon the nation,especially in the area of marriage.

In October, the rallies are dedicated to the moregeneral theme of the need to return to God as re-quested by the Fatima message. These rallies havegrown steadily. Last year, there were 16,323 rosaryrallies. This year, the 100th anniversary of the Fatimaapparitions, the goal is 20,000 rallies nationwide.

Making HistoryThe most rewarding part about these rallies is theimpression that you are participating in some-thing historic. These are not just isolated protests.They are part of a whole movement that calls uponGod to address what appears to be an impossiblesituation in desperate times.

We may be reviled, ridiculed and even physi-cally attacked by “tolerant” individuals at these ral-lies. However, this is more than compensated bythe outpouring of support of so many Americanswho are relieved at seeing people defending moralvalues in the public square.

It is actions like these that will determine whichway America will go. That is why I went to the rally.I was not protesting, but making history. n

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

C r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 7 n w w w . A N F . O R G20

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

The sound of bagpipes and drumsechoed as a large crowd marched

down Broadway in New York City. Whatwas the occasion? The first “Gift of LifeWalk” in the Big Apple.

The event took place on March 25th,the Feast of the Annunciation, and wasorganized by the director of PersonhoodEducation New York, Mrs. Dawn Eskew.Among the many pro-life advocates pres-ent were several high-profile activists, in-cluding Dr. Alveda King, director of CivilRights for the Unborn, and Eileen Slat-tery of Expectant Mother Care. Studentsfor Life were also present.

Prior to the commencement of themarch, Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., thanked thecrowd for coming and gave a special ac-knowledgement to the combinedmarching bands of the American TFPand the St. Louis de Montfort Academy.

The march itself began at Foley Squareand passed by iconic landmarks of thecity such as Ground Zero and the Wall

Street Charging Bull. At the rear of themarch was a sight not unfamiliar tothose who attend the annual Marchfor Life in Washington, D.C., the TFP’sband, its crimson standards and astatue of Our Lady of Fatima carriedby an honor guard wearing the TFPceremonial habit. Behind them werebanners, which displayed messagessuch as “Pray and Act to End the Sin ofAbortion” and “a Child, not a Choice.”

Despite New York’s reputation of beingliberal, the march was surprisingly wellreceived by onlookers. The typical first re-action of those who saw the parade wasto film it with their smart-phones. Oth-ers watched in awe and a few Catholicsblessed themselves when the statue ofOur Lady of Fatima passed them. Oneman from Long Island reported that hesaw passive onlookers step off the side-walk and join the march.

Indeed, it is difficult to imagine howsomeone accustomed to the doldrums ofthe city would not react with admirationupon seeing hundreds of pro-life advo-cates—mostly young Americans—marching down Broadway, singingpatriotic and religious hymns.

TFP volunteers also distributed“Thank You” packages containing SaintMichael medals to the New York policeofficers who were protecting the march.New York’s finest received the packageswith gratitude. One officer returned toask for three more packages “to give tothe men under me.”

As the march came to an end,

demonstrators converged at the inter-section of Broad and Stone streets. Yetalthough the event had officially con-cluded, everyone continued singinghymns and chanting pro-life slogans foranother thirty minutes. Catholics alsogathered around the statue of Our Ladyto venerate their heavenly Queen.

The atmosphere was positive. In thewords of nineteen-year-old TFP StudentAction volunteer Robert Nunez: “I cameexpecting the usual angry people shout-ing curse words, as they did at an earlierpro-life march in Washington, D.C. Butthat didn’t happen. Today was more of atriumph. It was like a crusade for the un-born that conquered the city.”

One woman added, “I’ve been doingpro-life work in New York almost my en-tire life and I’ve never seen anything likethis. This is from heaven.”

As we commemorate the Fatimacentennial, may Our Lady bless thisnoble initiative and allow it to flourishand expand. n

First “Gift of Life Walk”Conquers New York City

The bagpipes and drums gave a militant noteto the first “Gift of Life Walk” in Manhattan.

As the pro-life movement grows across thenation, the first “Gift of Life Walk” took placein New York City this past March. As in theWashington, D.C. March for Life, a largepercentage of the participants were young.

Images from the TFP Archive

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ANF PROGRESS REPORT

Beginning in March 2017, the Ameri-can TFP hosted regional confer-

ences around the United States. eimportant 100th anniversary of the ap-paritions of Our Lady at Fatima servedas a timely theme for the various events.Informative talks and fruitful discussiongave hope and encouragement for con-tinuing to fight Our Lady’s battles today.

TFP Louisiana hosted the first re-gional conference in Lafayette. Despiteheavy thunderstorms predicted for thewarm Saturday in March, thankfully theweather held out. Mr. John Horvat gaveopening and closing presentationsabout America’s Fatima Future. Livelyconversations between friends old andnew filled the time between talks. emore than eighty souls who attendedwere filled with hope and enthusiasm.Most importantly, TFP supporters andfriends took the opportunity to renewtheir commitments to carrying on thefight for the future of our country.

e end of March saw another suc-cessful conference in Topeka, Kansas.Mr. Norman Fulkerson gave a series oftalks about the Protestant Revolution,the French Revolution and the Com-munist Revolution. His informative pre-sentations helped show the origins of

the present crisis. e important con-text he gave also reiterated the timeli-ness of Our Lady’s Fatima message. ecrowd of fifty gathered that afternoonleft with newfound enthusiasm forChristian civilization.

On the first weekend of April, morethan ninety gathered in Hazleton, Penn-sylvania for the third regional conferenceof 2017. e confusion surroundingAmoris Latitiae and the crisis in theChurch led to some heated discussions.TFP member Danniel Pribble defendedthe traditional Catholic position during

his presentation on thesubject. His defense oftrue principles and theother inspiring presenta-tions encouraged the au-dience to continue thefight for perennialCatholic truth.

e month of Maybegan with two Californiaconferences. On the firstSaturday, friends fromnear and far gathered in

Anaheim for the Southern California re-gional conference. e following day, theNorthern California regional conferencetook place in Sacramento. At both events,those gathered appreciated the rare op-portunity to be among so many like-minded members of the Church militant.e varied presentations saw many tak-ing notes and asking questions. Seriousconversations centered on advancing theCounter-Revolution in the Golden State.

e last conference took place in Hon-olulu, Hawaii on May 13th. e centen-nial day of the first apparition at Fatimaunderscored the importance of puttingOur Lady’s messages into action. e fullday of presentations concluded witheveryone fulfilling part of Our Lady’s re-quests: recitation of the Most HolyRosary. Participants also made plans forcontinuing and increasing Hawaii’s nu-merous monthly Rosary Rallies.

At each conference it was clear: thehope for 2017 lies with Our Lady of Fa-tima. May she bless the fight of the TFParound the country as we work for thetriumph of her Immaculate Heart. n

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TFP Regional Conferences: Giving Hope for Today’s Battles

Photos on this page are from the Hazleton,Pennsylvania Regional Conference where morethan ninety participants attended the TFPconference with great interest. One of thetopics discussed was the controversial issue ofthe acceptance of divorcees to the Sacraments.

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ANF PROGRESS REPORT

On Good Friday, April 14, 2017, I hadthe distinct privilege of represent-

ing America Needs Fatima members bycarrying a special cross along the ViaDolorosa in Jerusalem. Made from10,000 thin wood pieces inscribed withprayer intentions, the cross was de-signed and assembled by Mr. Michael R.Shibler, our in-house carpenter, who ac-companied me to the Holy Land.

We planned to be at the First Stationof the Way of the Cross one hour beforethe Catholic procession at 12:15 p.m. Asour taxi approached the old walls ofJerusalem, police blocked us from get-ting closer to the Lion’s Gate, our start-ing point. So we jumped out of the taxi,and with the cross only partially assem-bled, walked through the Jaffa Gate.

Weaving through the throngs of pil-grims, a human wall stopped us halfwayto the First Station. When we tried to goaround through other streets, Israeli po-licemen barred our way. ey were onlyletting the local residents through thesurrounding streets of the Via Dolorosabecause we were inside the Moslem

Quarter. Frustrated, I decided toretrace our steps and try to go out-side the city walls and walkaround to our starting point.

On our way, a boy asked me inbroken English, “Where you go?”I told him we needed to go to theLion’s Gate. “I take you,” he said.

Against my better judgement, I de-cided to follow the boy. He took us upan unguarded street devoid of touristsor pilgrims. Finally, just before a busystreet, the boy said, “Okay, go left andthree streets you at Lion Gate.” Then hestuck out his hand. I suspiciously gavehim four dollars. “What is this? Whatis this? More!” he demanded. Then assoon as I gave him another four dollars,he ran away.

We walked to the busy street and Iimmediately realized our “guide” hadtaken us in a circle! However, the humanwall that blocked us earlier had disap-peared and we proceeded a few blocksbefore another crowd barred the way.Policemen with machine guns had com-pletely sealed off the Via Dolorosa at the

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A Good Friday to Remember

Top: A crowd of pilgrims is held back byIsraeli police at St. Helena Road near theChurch of the Holy Sepulcher. Below: The glow of twilight hovers overJerusalem as seen from the top of theMount of Olives.

Assembling the cross made from blessed woodpieces inscribed with over 10,000 prayer petitions.

Courtesy of Michael Gorre

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

Fourth Station. ankfully, we found asympathetic policeman who told us tospeak to his commanding officer. Afterwe explained that we needed to carryour cross in the procession up the road,the officer asked, “Just the two of you?Okay, go.” He opened the barrier for us.

We reached the courtyard of theChurch of the Flagellation where wefully assembled the cross. About fiftyother pilgrims were also waiting to jointhe Catholic procession. Yet, the Israelipolice barricaded us in the courtyardand informed us that the Moslems hadamassed around the Via Dolorosa. eIsraeli police were concerned therewould be violence on the part of theMoslems if they did not stop the flow ofthe Catholic procession. Before, we werefrustrated. Now, we were scared.

Finally, after an hour, the police allowed us to start our procession. Wefollowed Our Lord’s steps as we carriedthe 47-pound ANF cross from one sta-

tion to the next for half a mile. A group ofPolish pilgrims enthusiastically helpedus carry the cross. At the doors of theChurch of the Holy Sepulcher, the crowdpressed hard and it was a struggle to getinside. We made it inside and placed thecross at the Stone of the Anointing. enwe squeezed back outside.

It was a tremendous honor for us to

take the ANF cross on the Via Dolorosa.e difficulties we encountered werenothing compared to what Our Lordsuffered for our sins in that very placetwo thousand years ago. However, we of-fered our little sufferings and all of ourprayers for the intentions of all AmericaNeeds Fatima members, especiallythose whose intentions made up thecross we carried. n

ANF volunteers Michael R. Shibler(left) and Michael Gorre (right) carrythe ANF cross following in thefootsteps of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

On May 13th, two members of America Needs Fa-tima took a large white Rosette wreath to Our

Lady of Fatima representing thousands of her devo-tees in America. We also prayed for all those whowere responsible for this beautiful wreath. Weprayed for them and for their loved ones and alltheir intentions.

A large number of petitions and intentions slipswere also taken to Fatima. ese petitions came tous through the regular mail andin response to our on-line cam-paign. ose who could not phys-ically be present in Fatima werewell represented that day andtheir heart-felt petitions will notgo unheard by that august Queen.

Finally, two large candles werepresented to Our Lady and lit in Fa-tima. is was the result of a multi-tude of small red candles meltedinto large ones. n

On May 13, 2017 in Fatima: Rosette Wreath, Petitions and CandlesB Y J O H N S I E B E N M O R G E N

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It was May 13, 2017 and the America Needs Fatimadelegation had arrived in Fatima, Portugal. e Virgin Mary had come 100 years previous to

announce the end of a war and the beginning of another. She came asking for prayer and sacrificeand, if her requests had been heeded, world peacewould have been the reward; but the presence of soldiers in Fatima was yet another sign that peace stillevades mankind.

We were on a mission: to deliver 10,000 roses to thespot where Our Lady appeared a century ago.Friends of America Needs Fatima nationwide weregiven the opportunity to choose roses as an offeringto the best of all Mothers. e result: magnificentbouquets expressing…

Love with red rosesGratitude with pink roses

Warmth and friendship with yellow roses andReverence for her purity with white roses.

Pilgrims from all over the globe came to inquire asto the reason for so many beautiful roses. A frequentand repeated commentary was, “Oh, this is for OurLady? How appropriate!”

Later that same day, a large banner listing 17,358names of friends of America Needs Fatima was carried aloft during the candlelight procession. Aswe walked shoulder to shoulder in this processionwith Marian devotees from all over the world, ourbanner represented the love we all have for Our Ladyand the hope we place in her promise that:

“Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”While absolutely true that the world at large has not

responded to Mary’s requests made in 1917, it becameobvious for anyone in Fatima this May 2017, that shenevertheless is Queen of many a heart. e 10,000roses and the long list of names on the America NeedsFatima banner were proof of it. n

RosesA Multitude of

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Images courtesy of Felipe Barandiaran