Fatima and the Rosary

No discussion of the rosary is complete without mentioning Fatima.  In 1917, the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to three Portuguese children.  This is a well-documented appearance as she appeared once a month for six months.  The first appearance was on April 13, 1917, and the last appearance was October 13, 1917.

3 Fatima children
3 Fatima children

There were three warnings given, as well as other exhortations.  One statement was that the war (World War I) would end soon, but if men did not repent, there would be a more terrible war break out.  This happened in World War II.

On July 13, 1917, Mother Mary told Lucia (one of the three children) this:


During this time, another miracle that happened was the Miracle of the Sun.  Thousands of people viewed this, as well as newspaper reporters.

Newspaper about Fatima
Newspaper about Fatima miracles

Bishop Fulton Sheen reviewed the events of Fatima in a talk given in 1954.


St. Dominic

Saint Dominic was born in 1170 and died August 6, 1221. He was born and lived in present-day Spain. He was a Spanish priest and founder of the Dominican Order.

There is a story told about him that before his birth his mother made a pilgrimage. She dreamed a dog leapt from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth and “seemed to set the world on fire.” The order to which Dominic belonged to, and which was named after him, was called in Latin Dominicanus, or “Dog of the Lord.”

St. Dominic
St. Dominic receives the rosary

He was educated and later joined the Canons Regular. In 1203 or 1204 he was a accompaniment for a diplomatic mission to Denmark. Later, he was in southern France, involved with a program to convert Cathars, a sect which the Roman Catholic Church deemed heretical. He only managed a few converts.  When he prayed about this, he received this reply.


He became much more successful.

By 1215, and later 1216 and 1217, he was involved in creating a new Order, “The Order of Preachers,” popularly known as the Dominican Order. He travelled extensively, but his headquarters was in Rome.

The spread of the rosary is attributed to St. Dominic’s preaching. The rosary is at the heart of the Dominican Order.


According to tradition held by the Dominicans, there were fifteen promises made by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Christians. The fifteen promises fall under the category of “private revelation.”

15 Promises
