The Catholic Defender: Francisco (9) Marto
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Saint Francisco Marto (1908–1919) was a Portuguese shepherd child who, with his sister Jacinta and cousin Lúcia dos Santos, witnessed the Marian apparitions in Fatima in 1917. Known for his contemplative, gentle nature, he dedicated his short life to prayer, penance, and consoling the "Hidden Jesus" following the apparitions
Born on June 11, 1908, in Aljustrel, Fatima; died on April 4, 1919, at age 10 from the influenza epidemic.
He was 8 years old when he first saw the Angel of Peace (1916) and 9 when he saw Our Lady in 1917. While he saw the apparitions, he could not hear14 Mary speak; he relied on his sister and cousin to relay the messages.
Described as calm, peacemaking, and contemplative, he focused heavily on reparation for sins and praying the Rosary.
He was known for his quiet and contemplative nature. He often skipped school to pray before the "Hidden Jesus" in the Tabernacle, seeking to "console" God for the sins of the world.
According to the memoirs of their cousin Sister Lúcia, Francisco had a placid disposition, was somewhat musically inclined, and liked to be by himself to think. Francisco preferred to pray alone.
He was canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, along with his sister, Jacinta, during the 100th anniversary of the apparitions.
Francisco spent his final months in26 suffering, offering his pain to God without complaint. He was buried in the local cemetery before his remains were moved to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in Cova da Iria in 1952.
Francisco declined hospital treatment on 3 April 1919, and died at home the next day.
He died at the age of 10 on April 4, 1919, a victim of the Great Influenza pandemic (Spanish Flu).
Francisco and Jacinta were canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, the 100th anniversary of the first apparition. They are the youngest non-martyred saints in the history of the Catholic Church.
His feast day is celebrated on February 20, which is also the anniversary of his sister Jacinta's death.
He is a patron saint of sick people, prisoners, and Portuguese children.
While his sister Jacinta and cousin Lúcia both heard and spoke to the Virgin Mary, Francisco was only able to see her, never hearing her words.
On May 13th, 1917, when Francisco was eight years old and Jacinto seven years old, they saw a vision of Our Lady.
Saint Francisco Marto has on his halo the symbols of the silhouette of the Angel of Fátima, bearer of the Eucharist, the burning bush, a Biblical symbol of adoration to God, and the Eucharistic species, which remind us of the special bond Francisco had with the “hidden Jesus”.
Patron Saint of Bodily Ills, Portuguese children, Captives, People ridiculed for their piety, Prisoners, Sick people & Against Sickness.
Jacinta and Francisco are both buried at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima.
In 1979, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints convened a general assembly. Cardinals, bishops, theologians and other experts debated whether it was possible for children to display heroic virtue. Eventually, they decided that, like the very few children who have a genius for music or mathematics, "in some supernatural way, some children could be spiritual prodigies."They were declared venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1989.
When Pope John Paul II arrived in Fátima for the first time, in 1982, he said that he had come "because, on this exact date last year in St. Peter's Square, in Rome, there was an attempt on the life of your Pope, which mysteriously coincided with the anniversary of the first vision at Fátima, that of 13 May 1917. The coincidence of these dates was so great that it seemed to be a special invitation for me to come here."
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