No discussion of the rosary is complete without mentioning Fatima. In 1917, the Blessed Mother Mary appeared to three Portuguese children. This is a well-documented appearance as she appeared once a month for six months. The first appearance was on April 13, 1917, and the last appearance was October 13, 1917.
There were three warnings given, as well as other exhortations. One statement was that the war (World War I) would end soon, but if men did not repent, there would be a more terrible war break out. This happened in World War II.
On July 13, 1917, Mother Mary told Lucia (one of the three children) this:
“I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, to continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you.”
During this time, another miracle that happened was the Miracle of the Sun. Thousands of people viewed this, as well as newspaper reporters.
Bishop Fulton Sheen reviewed the events of Fatima in a talk given in 1954.