2023-06-11 07:59:00
June 11, 2023 / 12:59 a.m.
A day like today but in 1908 San Francisco Marto came into the world, one of the three little shepherds witnessing the apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Fatima (Portugal).
Francisco Marto was born on June 11, 1908 and was baptized nine days later. At eight years old, he began to shepherd his parents’ flock together with his sister, Jacinta, in the Cova de Iría region.
Both children and their cousin Lucía witnessed the apparitions of the Virgin Mary, who between May and October 1917 transmitted a message of penance and conversion to them.
After the apparitions, Francisco continued with his daily activities. Lucía went to school, as the Virgin asked her to, and her two cousins accompanied her. On the way they passed by the church and greeted Jesus in the Eucharist.
The child, knowing that he would not live long and driven by his desire to comfort the heart of Jesus, said: “You go to school, I will stay here with Jesús Escondido.”
Thus, when they left school, the girls found him in an attitude of recollection as close as possible to the tabernacle.
Little Francisco was the most contemplative of the three and wanted to console God, so offended by the sins of humanity. On one occasion, Lucía asked him: “Francisco, what do you prefer: comfort the Lord or convert sinners?”, and he replied: “I prefer to comfort the Lord”.
“Did you not see how sad Our Lady was when she told us that men should no longer offend the Lord, who is already so offended? I would like to comfort him and, later, convert sinners so that they do not offend him anymore, ”she assured.
“Then I will be in Heaven. And when I arrive, I am going to console Our Lord and Our Lady very much”, he added.
On October 18, 1918, Francisco fell ill with bronchopneumonia, known as the Spanish flu, which devastated Portugal and caused the death of thousands of people. As the months passed, the boy’s health deteriorated.
According to the Sanctuary of Fátima, on April 2, 1919, the little shepherd confessed and received Communion for the last time “with great lucidity and piety”, as the parish priest of Fátima wrote in the obituary when registering his death two days later.
“He confirmed that he had seen a Lady in Cova de Iría e Valinho,” said the priest.
Little Francisco’s corpse was buried in the Fatima cemetery. His remains were exhumed on February 17, 1952 and transferred to the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Fátima in March of that same year, where they are to this day.
Francisco Marto was canonized along with his sister Jacinta by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, as part of the celebrations for the centenary of the apparitions of the Virgin of Fatima.
The miracle that allowed the canonization of the brothers was the healing of a Brazilian boy named Lucas, who when he was five years old fell from a window from a height of 6.5 meters and was left in a coma.
Translated and adapted by María Ximena Rondón. Originally Posted by Rafael Tavares on ACI Digital.
#San #Francisco #Marto #shepherd #Fatima #born #day #today