The 19th of August, 1917
On the 13th of August was supposed to take place the fourth apparition but the children were kidnapped by the Administrator of Vila nova de Ourém. So they missed the heavenly meeting. The Little Shepherds wandered arrested brought from one place to another and finally put in prison for three days to be forced to reveal the “secret”. They were offered valuable gifts to fall for in exchange to entice them, but the little seers answered:
“We will not tell it for anything in this world”.
The other prisoners sought to console them:
“But all you have to do –they said– is to tell the Administrator the secret! What does it matter whether that Lady wants you to or not!”
“Never!” was Jacinta’s vigorous reply, “I’d rather die”.
At that time, they decided to pray the Rosary with the prisoners. Jacinta took off a medal that she was wearing around her neck, and asked a prisoner to hang it up on a nail in the wall. The Administrator, threatened them, prepared a pot with boiling oil if they didn’t discover the secret, but the Children remained firm. On August 15th, Festivity of the Assumption of our Lady, they were released and taken back to Fatima.
The 19th of August, 1917.- I was accompanied by Francisco and his brother John. We were with the sheep in a place called Valinhos, when we felt something supernatural approaching and enveloping us. Suspecting that Our Lady was about to appear to us, and feeling sorry lest Jacinta might miss seeing her, we asked her brother to go and call her. As he was unwilling to go, I offered him two small coins, and off he ran.
Meanwhile, Francisco and I saw the flash of light, which we called lightning. Jacinta arrived, and a moment later, we saw Our Lady on a holmoak tree.
“What do you want of me?”
“I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the 13th, and to continue praying the Rosary every day. In the last month, I will perform a miracle so that all may believe.”
“What do you want to be done with the money that the people leave in the Cova da Iria?”
“Have two litters made. One is to be carried by you and Jacinta and two other girls dressed in white; the other one is to be carried by Francisco and three other boys. The money from the litters is for the “feast” of Our Lady of the Rosary, and what is left over will help towards the construction of a chapel that is to be built here.”
“I would like to ask you to cure some people who are sick.”
“Yes, I will cure some of them during the year.”
Then, looking very sad, Our Lady said:
“Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.”
And She began to ascend as usual towards the east.
