The Five First Saturdays Devotion: A Call from the Immaculate Heart of Mary

In 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, delivering a message of prayer, penance, and conversion. Among her many requests, Our Lady made a special appeal that has often been overlooked but holds immense spiritual power and significance: the Five First Saturdays devotion.

What Is the Five First Saturdays Devotion?

The Five First Saturdays devotion is an act of reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in response to the many offenses committed against her. It is not simply a series of rituals, but a heartfelt plea for conversion—our own, and that of the world.

On the first Saturday of five consecutive months, we are asked to complete the following four actions:

1. Go to Confession
   Ideally done on the First Saturday itself, but it can be within 8 days before or after, provided the intention is to offer it in reparation.
2. Receive Holy Communion
   Offered in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
3. Pray five decades of the Rosary
   Contemplate the mysteries of Christ’s life with Mary, allowing her to lead you more deeply into her Son’s love.
4. Keep Mary company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary
   This can be on one mystery or all, done separately from the recitation of the Rosary.

These acts must be done with the intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Why Five Saturdays?

When Sister Lucia (one of the Fatima visionaries) asked Our Lord why five Saturdays, He explained that there are five types of offenses and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

1. Blasphemies against her Immaculate Conception
2. Blasphemies against her perpetual virginity
3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity and refusal to acknowledge her as the Mother of all mankind
4. Blasphemies of those who openly seek to sow indifference, scorn, or hatred toward her
5. Blasphemies involving the desecration or abuse of her holy images

What’s the Promise?

Our Lady made an astonishing promise to those who complete the Five First Saturdays with devotion:

“I promise to assist at the hour of death with all the graces necessary for salvation.”
— Our Lady to Sister Lucia

This is not a magic formula or a shortcut to Heaven. It is an invitation to deeper union with Mary and Jesus, and a powerful way to grow in grace, purity, and love.

Why Now?

In our time, when war looms, confusion reigns, and the moral fabric of society continues to unravel, Our Lady’s call is more urgent than ever. The Five First Saturdays are a means of spiritual protection—not only for ourselves, but for the Church, the Pope, and the entire world.

She has warned us of chastisements if we do not repent, but she also offers hope: “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

How to Begin

You can begin the Five First Saturdays devotion on any month, but don’t delay. Invite your family and friends to join you. Create a prayer group. Unite your intentions with others around the world.

This simple yet profound act of love may be what turns the tide of history.

“Don’t lose heart. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
— Our Lady of Fatima