The First Saturdays Devotion, also called the Communion of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is a

Catholic devotion Catholic devotions are particular customs, rituals, and practices of worship of Trinity, God or honour of the saints which are in addition to the Catholic liturgy, liturgy of the Catholic Church, described as "expressions of love and fidelity th ...

which, according to Lúcia dos Santos, was requested by the

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

during the apparitions of

Our Lady of Fátima Our Lady of Fátima (, ; formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fátima) is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portu ...

in Fátima,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, on 13 May 1917, as well as during apparitions in

Pontevedra Pontevedra (, ) is a city in the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, in northwestern Spain. It is the capital of both the ''Pontevedra (comarca), Comarca'' and Province of Pontevedra, and the capital of the Rías Baixas. It is als ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, on 10 December 1925 and February 15, 1926. The purpose of this devotion is to perform

acts of reparation Reparation is a Christian theological concept closely connected with those of atonement and satisfaction. In ascetical theology, reparation is the making of amends for insults given to God through sin, either one's own or another's. The response ...

to the

Immaculate Heart of Mary The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Catholic devotion which refers to the view of the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for ...

, and a promise of assistance at the hour of death by Mary was reportedly attached to this devotion during the Pontevedra apparitions. The First Saturdays devotion was approved by José Alves Correia da Silva, the bishop of Leiria-Fátima, on September 13, 1939 in Fátima.

History

The pious practice of honoring the Blessed Mother on Saturday is an ancient custom largely attributed to the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk

Alcuin Alcuin of York (; ; 735 – 19 May 804), also called Ealhwine, Alhwin, or Alchoin, was a scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Ecgbert of York, Archbishop Ecgbert at Yor ...

(735-804), "Minister of Education" at the court of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, who composed a

Votive A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

formulary for each day of the week. Alcuin assigned two formularies to Saturday in honor of Mary. The practice was quickly adopted by both clergy and laity. The practice of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the First Saturday was initiated in

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, by Maria Dolores Inglese, a

Servite The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary (; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothers), contemplative nun ...

tertiary Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to: * Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago * Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...

in 1889. She started among her friends the pious practice of "Communion in Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary". The practice was endorsed by Bishop Antonio Polin of the

Diocese of Adria The Diocese of Adria-Rovigo () is a Latin Church, Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in the Triveneto. It has existed under this name since 1986. It is a Latin suffragan to the Patriarchate of Venice.sodalities throughout Italy and elsewhere. On July 1, 1905,

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

approved and granted indulgences for the practice of the First Saturdays of twelve consecutive months in honor of the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

. This practice greatly resembled the reported request of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Pontevedra apparitions. Inglese wished to establish a religious congregation dedicated to the apostolate of Marian reparation. Bishop

Tommaso Pio Boggiani Tommaso Pio Boggiani O.P. (19 January 1863 – 26 February 1942) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who had a varied career that included a stint as the Apostolic Delegate to Mexico, service as bishop of Adria and archbishop ...

recommended that she join the Servite sisters, known for their devotion to

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...

. She joined the Servites as Sister Maria Dolores in 1911. She and foundress Mother Mary Elisa Andreoli revised the rule, making propagation of Communion of Reparation on the First Saturday of each month the congregation's main apostolate. They also changed the name of the group from "Servants of Mary" to "Servants of Mary of Reparation". The sisters also published a monthly magazine that helped spread the devotion throughout Europe.

Fátima

At the age of 10, Lúcia dos Santos, one of the three Portuguese seers of the

Marian apparitions A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of Jesus. While sometimes described as a type of vision, apparitions are generally regarded as external manifestations, whereas visions are mor ...

, reported in her 1941 memoir that Mary asked the following during the third apparition in Fátima on 13 July 1917.

The war is going to end. But if people do not stop offending God, another, even worse one will begin in the reign of
Pius XI Pope Pius XI (; born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, ; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939) was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 until his death in February 1939. He was also the first sovereign of the Vatican City State u ...
. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown light know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. To prevent it, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of reparation on the first Saturdays.

According to Lúcia, this was the first reported request for the First Saturdays Devotion directly from Mary, who told Lúcia that she was to return and ask again for the establishment of the devotion. This request is part of the approved

message A message is a unit of communication that conveys information from a sender to a receiver. It can be transmitted through various forms, such as spoken or written words, signals, or electronic data, and can range from simple instructions to co ...

of Our Lady of Fátima, and was requested in order to prevent the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

from happening. The purpose of this devotion is to perform acts of reparation for sins committed against the

. In 1939, she also wrote: “Whether the world has war or peace depends on the practice of this devotion, along with the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Pontevedra

Four years later, on June 17, 1921, Lúcia dos Santos was admitted at the age of 14 as a boarder to the school of the Sisters of Saint Dorothy in Vilar, near the city of

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

. On 24 October 1925, she entered the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Dorothy as a

postulant A postulant (from , "to ask") was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a Christian monastery or a religious order for the period precedi ...

in the convent in Tui, Spain, just across the northern Portuguese border. According to a document she wrote, recorded in her book “ Fatima in Lucia’s Own Words”, Lúcia later reported that on 10 December 1925, the Virgin Mary appeared to her at the Dorothean convent in

, and by her side on a luminous cloud was the

Child Jesus The Christ Child—also known as Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, Child Jesus, Divine Child, Divine Infant and the Holy Child—refers to Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ during his early years. The term refers to a period of life of Jesus, Jesus' l ...

. According to Lúcia, Mary requested the institution of the Devotion of the Five First Saturdays in reparation to her Immaculate Heart and attached a personal promise to the devotion:

Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at very moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You at least try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive
Holy Communion The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...
, recite five decades of the
Rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to Me.

On February 15, 1926, Lúcia reported an encounter while emptying a garbage can outside the garden, where she saw a child she thought she recognized. After speaking with the child, the child asked her: "Have you revealed to the world what the Heavenly Mother has asked you ?". The child then transformed into the

, who reproached Lúcia for not doing more to promote the First Saturdays Devotion. He also expressed sorrow that "many souls begin them, but few finish them", and lamented the lack of fervor and spirit of reparation. Following this conversation, the Child Jesus eased the conditions of the devotion, as they are known today.

Devotion

Practice of the five First Saturdays

The First Saturdays Devotion consists of a series of practices that must be performed on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month. Each one of these practices should be done with the intention of making reparation for sins against the

. # Go to Sacramental confession. The confession can be made up to eight days before or after the first Saturday, but the individual must be in a state of grace to receive Communion. The confession should be made with the intention of reparation, and if this intention is forgotten, it can be formed at the next confession. # Receive

Holy Communion The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...

. It can be received at a Saturday daily mass or at a Saturday evening anticipatory Mass. # Pray five decades of the

Rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

. # Keep Mary company while meditating on one or more of the

mysteries of the Rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...

for 15 minutes, in addition to the recitation of the Rosary. According to Lúcia dos Santos, a promise of assistance at the hour of death and all the graces necessary for salvation was made by the Virgin Mary during the Pontevedra apparition on 10 December 1925.

Sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary

On May 30, 1930, in the convent of Tui, Spain, Lúcia dos Santos, in response to a written inquiry from her

confessor In a number of Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism, a confessor is a priest who hears the confessions of penitents and pronounces absolution. History During the Diocletianic Persecut ...

, prayed to Jesus asking about the significance of the five First Saturdays. According to Lúcia, Jesus revealed that the five First Saturdays are linked to five specific offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. # Blasphemies against the

. # Blasphemies against her perpetual virginity. # Blasphemies against her divine maternity, while refusing at the same time to recognize her as Mother of men. # The blasphemies of those who publicly seek to implant in the hearts of children indifference or contempt, or even hatred towards the Immaculate Mother. # The offenses of those who outrage her directly in her holy images.

Church Approval

On September 13, 1939, the local bishop of the Leiria-Fátima diocese, José Alves Correia da Silva, approved the First Saturdays Devotion at the diocesan level in Fátima. However, the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

has still not officially approved this devotion at the level of the universal Church, despite Lúcia's efforts.

References

External links

"Devotion of the Five First Saturdays" by the Dominican Fathers of ''The Rosary Center''

Communal First Saturdays Apostolate (CFSA)
{{Authority control Marian devotions Our Lady of Fátima Catholic devotions