As the youngest of seven children, six girls and one boy, Lucia was the family favourite and was surrounded with affection from her earliest childhood. Although the family met with many troubles and misfortunes, Lucia’s mother bore them all in an exemplary Christian spirit. At the age of six, Lucia received her first Holy Communion, the account of which will move our readers to joy and wonder. Family circumstances obliged her to start out in life straight away as a shepherdess. At first, in 1915, her companions were the girls and boys of Aljustrel and its surroundings. As from 1917, her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto were her sole companions. That was the year in which the Blessed Virgin appeared. Lucia had a special role during the apparitions, as the Vision spoke only to her, and gave her a message which was only to be revealed at a future date. She lived and suf fered, together with Francisco and Jacinta, on account of the apparitions. She alone has remained on earth for a longer period, in order to fulfil her mission.

As a young girl of 14 years and three months, Lucia entered the College of Porto, and there she received an excellent moral and religious formation. Her schooling was rather inadequate however, as it went barely beyond elementary levels. From the beginning, she was thoroughly trained in domestic work. Nevertheless, with her great ability, her good memory, her perseverance and her serious behaviour, this young girl succeeded in acquiring a fairly complete education.

Even before she entered the College, Lucia already felt drawn to dedicate herself to God in the religious life. The intensely pious life of the College, however, caused her to reflect more deeply, and her first thought went to the Carmelites... But the example of her teachers and her gratitude towards them made her decide to enter the Institute of St. Dorothy. The Portuguese Novitiate was at that time, 1921-1925, at Tuy, where Lucia entered on October 24th, 1925, at the age of 18. She went first to the house at Pontevedra, where she spent some months as a postulant. This house was situated in a side street known as “Travesía de Isabel II”, and there she stayed from the 25th October, 1925, to the 20th July, 1926. She then went to the Novitiate House of Tuy to complete her postulancy, and began her novitiate with her Clothing on 2nd October, 1926. After two years, she made her profession of Vows on the 3rd October, 1928. She remained on in the same house, but with the professed Sisters, until she took her Perpetual Vows on the 3rd October, 1934. A few days later, she was transferred to the Convent of Pontevedra and only returned to Tuy in May, 1937, where she remained until she was sent to Portugal at the end of May, 1946.

After a few days’ visit to the Cova da Iria and Aljustrel, where she identified the places of the Apparitions, Sister Lucia was assigned to the house at Sardão in Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto. And finally, when the desire she had had for a long time to live in seclusion and solitude re-awakened, she received, by kind favour of Pope Pius Xll, permission to change over to the Discalced Carmelites, whom she joined on March 25th, 1948. And there she lived a life of prayer and penance until her holy death, which occurred on 13 February 2005, at the great age of almost 98 years.

‹…› I should remain in silence, prayer and penance. This is the best way in which I can and should help. It is necessary that the entire apostolate have this principle as a basis; and this is the part that the Lord chose for me: to pray and sacrifice myself for those who fight and work in the vineyard of the Lord and for the extension of His Kingdom.

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Unfortunately, the majority of people are ignorant in religious matters and let themselves be tossed wherever the wave carries them. Therefore the great responsibility lies with those who have the office to lead them; and all of us are each other’s leaders, because we all have the obligation to mutually help one another, and walk the good path.

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And I remain in my place, praying for you, and for all those with whom you are going to work, that it may be a battle which gives much glory to God and brings much light and grace to souls, peace to Holy Mother the Church and peace to a world stained by the blood of wars.

I also have not been feeling very well in my heart, in my eyes, etc. but it is necessary to complete in one’s self what is wanting in the Passion of Christ. It is necessary that Our Lord’s members be one with Him, by physical pain and by moral anguish… Our poor Lord, Who saved us with such love, and how little understood He is! How little loved! How badly served!

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Voluntarily I sacrifice myself and offer my life to God, for peace in His Church, for priests and for all consecrated souls, above all for those who carry on so erroneously and so deceived! For our separated Brothers: May God give light to all of them and put them on the right path — the path of Truth, which is Jesus Christ.

This life is for suffering. Afterwards we will have an eternity to take delight in. Then up in Heaven, all that we have suffered will appear to us as nothing and, if we could feel pity, it would be at not having suffered more for the love of Our Lord.