(I met with Jacinta Marto, the niece of St. Jacinta, on Sunday, it was the second time I have met her, the last time being in 2023. See a short video at the end of today’s blog. I wish I had taped her retelling the story of her father, Joao, who was given two coins by Lucia to run to get Jacinta, because she felt the Blessed Mother coming – it is in the book. Also, she discussed how her father and the village were so excited when Lucia visited both in 1946 and the times when

On this Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we thank God for the apparitions in Mexico in 1531, where over nine million conversions were realized because God sent Mary to turn their hearts to Jesus. At the time, they were worshipping idols and sacrificing humans to appease the gods. To Juan Diego, the pious poor instrument God chose, Mary said . “Am I not here?  I who am your mother?”   You will note in the 2 nd  Apparition (my Sunday blog) she gives the same assurance to the chi

I want to thank all those who have sent me messages regarding your appreciation for this blog. I am encouraged by the number of people who have joined from over 36 countries, with good representation from Canada, Singapore, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom, and of course, the United States, from where I write. Tomorrow, I will begin posting on the apparitions of Mary to the children of Fatima. Thus far, if you have followed the past three posts, they have been about th

Yesterday, December 8th, with thousands of other Catholics in Fatima, Portugal, I participated in the holy sacrifice of the Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  As I was reviewing the video that I took after mass, I thought to myself that our brothers and sisters in Christ of other faiths might be aghast at seeing such a spectacle of white handkerchiefs waiving, the adornment of flowers, and candles burning – even the sacrificial expression of individuals and fami

I was too young to remember, but my older brothers and sisters tell stories of our first home, which was later converted to store hay and eventually torn down to make way for the local church parish center.  The only thing I recall is how cozy it felt when Dad would start up a fire in the stove, and Mom would warm our shoes on it; contrary to belief, it does get cold in Texas during the winter. There was a very small kitchen, two small bedrooms shared by my parents and seven

"Pray The Rosary Every Day," Mary to the Children of Fatima On May 13, 2017, my sister Lucia and I found ourselves among nearly one million people who had arrived in Fatima, Portugal, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three shepherd children. Two of them, Jacinta and Francisco, would be canonized that day by Pope Francis. From across the world, the respectfully quiet crowds spilled into the entire city. My sister had suffere