The Statue of Our Lady of Fatima

You know that beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima with an over sized golden crown.  That's not authentic.  There was no golden humongous jeweled filled crown.  Our Lady was dressed very simply.

Sister Lucy said  "that there were only two garments visible, a simple tunic and a long veil or mantle. The tunic had no collar and no cuffs. Nor was there a cincture or a sash around the waist, although the tunic was drawn in at the waist. The sleeves were not wide, and the mantle and the tunic were a wave of light. When Tom (the sculptor, Fr. Tom McGlynn, O.P.) asked her how one distinguished between the mantle and the tunic, she said,"There were two waves of light, one on top of the other." When Tom asked her if there was a line of gold on the mantle, she explained "It was like a ray of sunlight all around the mantle." She further explained that this ray around the mantle was like a thin thread. The mantle ... was a thing all made of light and very light, but it fell straight down. The clothing was all white. The cord was a more intense and yellow light....The light of Our Lady was white and the star was yellow."

The story of the Father Thomas McGlynn, O.P. making the statue is in an out of print book, Vision of Fatima, by Thomas McGlynn, O.P., Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1948.  It tells the story of Father McGlynn visiting with Sister Lucy and sculpting the statue under her direction.  I remember that one time, Sister became annoyed at the number of times she had to explain, so with her fingers, she took the top of the clay veil and pulled and flattened it.  That's a big "NO, NO!" to a sculptor.  But what could Father do?  He left her finger print on the veil.  That's the picture with Sister and the statue.

I use to own this book, but I lent it to a friar friend and he died.  I have no idea where the book is now.  I hope it's in the nursing home's library, and not in somebody's yard sale.  This book is where I learned that McGlynn's statue is the authentic apparition.  The one that travels around is much fancier.  That's the traveling Pilgrim Statue.  McGlynn's statue is the white marble statue in the niche above the entrance to the Basilica. I usually can pick it out because there's no crown and Mary's heart is outside her clothing surrounded by thorns.


Here is a picture of Father Thomas McGlynn, O.P., next to his statue.  






And here is the authentic statue, made according to Sister Lucy's directions, in front of the Basilica.


O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all
souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Your mercy.