With the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in earlier this year, it became quite clear that Russia has not been converted. Sister Lucia reported on Aug. 29, 1989 that the consecration of Russia to Mary’s Immaculate Heart had been done by Pope John Paul II in 1984. Just to make sure, Pope Francis consecrated Russia (and Ukraine) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25 of this year.
So why hasn’t Russia been converted? Because Mary asked for two things to occur for this conversion. These are Mary’s words from July 13, 1917:
“When you see the sky lit up by an unknown light, know that it is the great sign that God gives you that He will punish the world for its crimes. [This will come about] by means of war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father.
“To prevent this, I have come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the communion of reparation on the first Saturdays. If they respond to my requests, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed.
“In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, it will be converted and a certain time of peace will be granted to the world...”
She asked for “The communion of reparation on the first Saturdays” as well as the consecration of Russia. That first Saturday request has been largely ignored.
What did she mean by the “communion of reparation?”
On Dec. 10, 1925, Mary and the Child Jesus appeared to Sister Lucia in her convent room. Jesus spoke first and then Mary explained further the First Saturday devotions: “...I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary of salvation, all those who, on the first Saturdays of five consecutive months, confess, receive Holy Communion, recite part of my Rosary, and keep me company for a quarter hour meditating on its mysteries with the intention of offering me reparation.”
At Lucia’s request, Jesus eased the time requirements to allow Confession within eight days of the First Saturday, and even more time, “provided that, when they receive Me, they are in the state of grace and have the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
It was pointed out by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception in 2022:
“The First Saturdays are not simply to be done once in a set of five — the Five First Saturdays merely secure for an individual Our Lady’s assistance at the time of death. Rather, the First Saturdays are to be an ongoing act made by the faithful, the remnant holding back the wrath of God in the modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah, the Body of Christ making reparation on behalf of the world and thus securing the world’s conversion, sanctification, and peace.”
As the spiritual director for the World Apostolate of Fatima in Washington, D.C., I have put together a leaflet which explains what the first Saturday devotion entails and 20 short meditations on the mysteries of the Rosary. These meditations take about 15 minutes to read, and thus fulfill the request of Mary for the first Saturdays. We use these at St. Raphael Raphael Parish in Rockville, Maryland every first Saturday. In addition, we priests hear confessions after the first Saturday Mass.
We would be happy to send 100 copies of this leaflet to anyone who might request them for their parish to facilitate the first Saturday devotions. Just send an email with your address to nreidy@verizon.net and we will mail them out to you.
The current situation in Ukraine should give a great urgency to the request of Our Lady for the conversion of Russia. Laity and clergy should work together to celebrate First Saturday devotions in every parish. Mary has asked very little. The stakes are high.
Father Thomas Morrow is a retired priest of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington serving at St. Raphael Parish in Rockville, Maryland. He is author of several books, including Overcoming Sinful Anger (Sophia) and Fatima in Brief.
