Jacinta de Jesus Marto was born in Aljustrel on March 10, 1910 and died in Lisbon on February 20, 1920.
Before the apparitions of the Virgin in Fatima, Jacinta was an affectionate and very sensitive little girl who liked to dance and play, like most children. At the age of 7 she was deeply impressed by the supernatural beauty of the Virgin, by the request She made for reparation to Her Immaculate Heart, and by the vision of hell, where sinners who do not repent go.
From that moment on, the little shepherd girl became mature and reflective. She began to pray and make sacrifices.
Thus her cousin Lucia describes her
What I felt was what one ordinarily feels beside a holy person who in everything seems to communicate God.
Jacinta always carried herself in a serious, modest, and kind manner that seemed to reflect the presence of God in all her actions, something proper to people of advanced age and great virtue. I never saw in her that excessive frivolity or enthusiasm proper to girls for ornaments and games. This was after the apparitions; because before them, she was number one in whims and enthusiasm.
I cannot say that the other girls ran to be with her as they did with me. And this perhaps because she did not know how to sing as much or tell as many stories to teach and entertain them; or also because the seriousness of her demeanor was far beyond her age. If in her presence a girl or even older people said something or did something less proper, she would reprimand them saying:
— Do not do that, for it offends God Our Lord, who is already greatly offended.
During her illness
The older people who visited her also showed admiration for her conduct, always the same, patient, without the slightest complaint or demand. In whatever position her mother left her, she remained. If they asked whether she was better, she would answer:
— I am the same, or: It seems I am worse. Thank you very much.
With a rather sad expression she remained silent before the visitor. People would sometimes sit there for a long time, apparently feeling happy. There too long and tiring interrogations took place, and she, without ever showing the slightest impatience or annoyance, only told me afterward:
— My head hurt so much from listening to those people! Now that I cannot run away to hide, I offer even more of these sacrifices to Our Lord.
Converting sinners
She lived passionately for the ideal of converting sinners, in order to snatch them from the torment of hell, whose dreadful vision had so deeply impressed her.
At times she would ask: «Why does Our Lady not show hell to sinners? If they saw it, they would no longer sin, so as not to go there. You must tell that Lady to show hell to all those people. You will see how they convert. How sorry I am for sinners! If only I could show them hell!»
She also said: «I suffer very much; but I offer everything for the conversion of sinners and in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.»
Before dying, Our Lady deigned to appear to her several times.
Last recommendation to Lucia
«Soon I shall go to heaven. You will remain here to say that God wishes to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When you are to say it, do not hide. Tell everyone that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let them ask Her for them, for the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at His side. If only I could place in the hearts of all people the light that I have here within my chest, which burns me and makes me love so much the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary.»
Jacinta Marto, who together with her cousin Lucia and her brother Francisco had the privilege of contemplating with their innocent eyes the incomparable beauty of the Lady clothed with the Sun, was beatified in Fatima by Pope Saint John Paul II on May 13, 2000 and canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, during the commemoration of the Centenary of the Apparitions of Our Lady. Her Feast is celebrated, together with her brother Francisco, on February 20.
