Francisco Marto was born in Aljustrel, parish of Fatima, in Portugal, on June 11, 1908.
He was the  son of Manuel Pedro Marto and Olimpia de Jesus dos Santos, modest farmers and good Christians.
He got along well with everyone.  He loved nature.  He delighted in the solitude of the
mountains and loved to look up to the skies.  He would try to count the stars in the sky and he would call them the Angel's lamp, the moon was Our Lady's Lamp and the sun was Our Lord's lamp.

After Our Lady visited him at Fatima, he began to be more pious and reserved; he frequently recited the prayer taught by the angel.  He was always ready to offer sacrifices for the salvation of those who do not believe, do not hope or do not love. After these apparitions he seemed to want seclusion.. He hid behind the rocks and trees in order to pray alone, while at other times he climbed to the highest and most solitary places and prayed so intently he didn't hear people that called his name.

He wanted to pray and suffer according to Our Lady's request.

He used to say: "How beautiful God is, how beautiful! But He is sad because of the
sins of men. I want to console Him, I want to suffer for love of Him." He maintained this attitude to the very end. He accepted his suffering with firm spirit.  He accepted the injuries, the persecutions, being called a liar even the imprisonment.   He firmly resisted the local authority who tried everything in order to discover the "secret",  giving courage to his sister and his cousin. Every time they threatened him with death he replied: "If they kill us we'll soon be in heaven! Nothing else matters!" The parish priest tried to make him deny what had happened in the Cova da Iria, but he, although he revered priests very much, simply confirmed what he had seen.

He wanted to sacrifice.  He deprived himself of food in order to give it to the poor.  He wouldn't drink water for days, especially in the hot weather.  He  wore a rope around his waist.  He loved God and wanted to make Him happy.  He gave up his favorite games in order to devote more time to prayer. He fasting during Lent.
He sought silence and solitude.  He assisted at Mass on feast days, and also on weekdays when it was possible. He had a special devotion to the Eucharist and spent much time in church, adoring the Blessed Sacrament  which he called the "Hidden Jesus". He recited the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary daily and more most days and to that he loved to add prayers and ejaculations which the angel, Our Lady, and priests had taught him. He prayed with the intention of consoling God, of honoring Our Lady, whom he loved so much, of helping the souls in purgatory, and of helping the Pope.   He prayed for the needs of the world ravaged by hatred and sin; he prayed for the Church and for the eternal salvation of souls. He prayed alone, with his family and friends.

With a firm commitment, he was avoiding every form of sin and, at the age of nine years, he began frequently taking  the Sacrament of Penance. He was truthful and honest. He had total disregard for earthly goods and for his own life and health. Since Our Lady had told him his life would be short, he spent the days in the desire of entering heaven.  Though he had always had good health, in October 1918 he was attacked by a serious broncho-pulmonary epidemic.

Once confined to bed he never got up again.  He suffered with joy.  When Lucia
asked him if he was suffering he replied: "Quite a lot, but never mind. I am suffering to console Our Lord, and afterwards, within a short time, I am going to heaven." In spite of being so sick, he nevertheless prayed many Rosaries, asking others to pray with him. On April 2, he received the Sacrament of Penance, and on the following day he received the Body of Christ for the first and only time.  He promised to pray for everyone in heaven. He died April 4, 1919. He was buried in the cemetery, but later he was moved to the sanctuary, which has been built on the spot where Our Lady appeared.
 
 

•A summary of Fatima Summary

•See how it all started The Begining

•Apparitions May June July August September October

•How did the people react? The People

•You are here •The seers Jacinta Francisco Lucia

•The miracle of the sun Sun