PORT ST. LUCIE | May 13, 2026, on the 109th anniversary of the first apparition at Fatima, Portugal, faithful from area parishes commemorated the occasion with a public rosary at Southwest California and St. Lucie West boulevards in Port St. Lucie.
“The answer to peace is to pray the rosary,” said Maria Egerton, rosary rally organizer, “Pray from your heart because the rosary is the life story of her Son, and the rosary is our weapon, our spiritual weapon, that will stop the devil.”
An “America Needs Fatima” banner was on display, along with two statues of Our Lady of Fatima and images of Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Guadalupe. Frank J. Seidl, a volunteer with the America Needs Fatima organization in Sarasota, travels all over the state with the pilgrim virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima to churches and to rosary rallies, wherever there is a need. He brought the statue to Port St. Lucie.
“This is a special day, May 13, the first apparition of Fatima, because Our Lady predicted many things for our times,” he said. “She asked for prayer and penance for peace, but we need to pray.” In the end, “she promised, her Immaculate Heart will triumph.”
At Fatima in 1917, there were six apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children: Lúcia dos Santos and her two cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The first apparition occurred May 13, and the Virgin Mary asked the children if they would be willing to suffer to save souls. The children answered “yes.” She told the children to “pray the rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war (World War I).”
During subsequent apparitions, the children reported various messages delivered by Our Lady. She warned: “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend our Lord anymore, for He is already too much offended.”
In the July 13 apparition, the children had a vision of hell. Our Lady told the children, “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.”
The sixth and last apparition, the “Miracle of the Sun,” occurred Oct. 13, 1917. On that day, it was reported that about 70,000 people witnessed the “dancing sun.” In 1930, the Catholic Church officially recognized the Fatima apparitions as worthy of belief.
Pope Francis canonized Francisco and Jacinto Marto May 13, 2017, the centennial anniversary of the first apparition. Sister Lúcia dos Santos died at age 97, Feb. 13, 2005. Her cause for canonization is ongoing, and she was declared Venerable by Pope Francis June 22, 2023.
The annual pilgrimage to Fatima May 13, is one of the world’s largest Catholic gatherings. The feast of Our Lady of Fatima draws pilgrims from across the world each year, and this year more than 250,000 faithful were in attendance at the candlelight vigil Mass May 12, according to EWTN.
Patricia Bowers of St. Paul of the Cross in North Palm Beach, attending the Port St. Lucie rally, said, “The rosary is the answer for world peace. Just like at the Battle of Lepanto, when they went to battle with the rosary, they won.”
Vidalia Santos, a member of St. Bernadette in Port St. Lucie, said, “We just had a beautiful Fatima procession at the Portuguese club last night. For peace, we need to pray to God to help us, and we need to ask Mary for her intercession.”
To participate in future rosary rallies, call Maria at 772-497-4653. Check your parish bulletin for a rosary prayer group.
