Fourth Apparition of the Virgin:

Sunday, August 19th

Our Lady appeared in the village of Los Valinhos. The apparition did not occur on August 13th in Cova de Iria because the Council Administrator captured and took the shepherd children to Vila Nova with the intention of forcing them to reveal the secret. They were imprisoned in the administration and in the municipal jail.

They were offered the most valued gifts if they would reveal the secret. The young visionaries responded:

- "We will not say it even if the whole world was given to us."

They were taken to jail. The prisoners advised: "Reveal the secret to the Administrator. Who cares if that Lady doesn’t want to ?"

- "O no, Jacinta responded with liveliness, I would rather die first!"

The three children prayed the rosary with the prisoners before a medal Jacinta hung on the wall. To intimidate them, the Administrator commanded that a pot of boiling oil be prepared, threatening the children that they would be fried in it if they did not obey him. Even though the children believed what was told to them, they were not revealing anything. On August 15th, Feast of the Assumption, they were taken out of jail and returned to Fatima.

Lucia narrates the events of this apparition

“We were with our sheep in a place called Los Valinhos, Francisco and his brother John accompanied me.

We felt something supernatural approaching and embracing us; suspecting Our Lady was about to appear and fearing Jacinta would not be present to see her, we asked her brother John to bring her. Meanwhile, Francisco and I saw the reflection of the light we call lightning and at the moment Jacinta arrived we saw our Lady on the oak tree.

- “What is it that you desire?”

- “I desire for you to continue to go to Cova de Iria on the 13th, to continue praying the rosary every day. On the last month I will perform a miracle for all to believe."

- “What should we do with the money the people leave at Cova de Iria?”

- “Make two bags, one for you and Jacinta to carry along with two other girls dressed in white; Francisco will take another bag with three other boys.”

The money collected in the bags is for the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, what is left over will help for the construction of a chapel.
- “ I would like to ask for the healing of some of the sick.”
- “ Yes, some I will cure during the year.”

With a very sorrowful look, the Virgin added: “Pray, pray very much and make a sacrifice for sinners, because many souls are going to hell because no one offers sacrifices for them.” The Virgin elevated towards the east as usual.