Before the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima in 1917, the three children were visited several times by an angel who prepared them for their mission in an extraordinary manner. The angel taught the children the importance of Eucharistic adoration.

Lucia describes the first angelic visit:

 “We were playing for a while when suddenly a strong wind shook the trees, which led us to wonder what was happening, because the day was sunny. Then we saw in the distance a light whiter than snow in the shape of a young man about fifteen years old, of great beauty. We were surprised and excited. We could not utter a word. He approached us and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.’ And he knelt and touched the ground with his forehead.

“Inspired, we imitated the angel and we began to repeat his words: O my God, I believe in you, adore you, trust you and love you. I beg pardon of you for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love you.”

“After repeating these words three times, the angel got up and said: ‘Pray thus; the Hearts of Jesus and Mary listen to your requests.’ Then he disappeared. The supernatural atmosphere that enveloped us was so strong that for a long time we almost did not notice our own existence, remaining in the same position in which the angel left us, and repeating the same prayer.”

The angel appeared to them again in the summer of 1916, near a well where the children were playing. Lucia recalls the angel saying:

“ ‘What are you doing? Pray! Pray a lot! The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary wish to show mercy through you. Offer prayers and mortification constantly to the Most High.’

“How are we to mortify? I asked.

“ ‘With everything you can, make a sacrifice to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended and as supplication for the conversion of sinners. In this way, bring peace to your homeland. I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Above all, humbly accept all the suffering, which God will send you.’ ”

A third apparition of the angel took place at the place called the Cabeco. Sister Lucy says:

“As soon as we came there, we began to say the Angel’s prayer on our knees with foreheads touching the ground: Oh my God I believe in you, adore you, trust you and love you etc.

“I do not remember how many times we repeated this prayer, when we saw a bright light on shining on us. We rose to see what was happening and we saw the Angel holding a chalice in his left hand. He held a Host in his right hand from which flowed drops of blood into the chalice. Leaving the chalice and Host suspended in the air, the Angel knelt beside us and said the following prayer three times:

“ ‘O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly and offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He is offended! And by the infinite merits of His Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners.’

“Then rising, he took the Chalice and Host in his hand. He gave the Host to me, and he gave the contents of the chalice to Jacinta and Francisco to drink, while saying: ‘Receive the Body and drink the Blood of Jesus Christ Who is insulted terribly by ungrateful men. Make reparation for the crimes of your people, and comfort your God.’

“Again he bowed down to the ground and repeated with us three times the same prayer: Most Holy Trinity etc. Then he disappeared.”