The Fatima crown has a rich and special history. It was crafted in 1942 by the Portuguese royalty’s own jewelers. Its materials were gifted from the jewelry boxes of women throughout Portugal in gratitude that their country was not involved in WWII.
The crown’s gold structure consists of a base topped with eight arches. The arches curve upward to meet each other, holding aloft an orb and a cross. Nearly 3,000 pearls and precious stones encrust base, arches, orb, and cross.
One gem, however, far outranks all the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and other stones. With dark grey coloring and a simple almond shape, this gem doesn’t look like much—because it’s not a gemstone at all.
It’s the bullet that struck Pope St. John Paul II.
One year after the attempt on his life—May 13th, 1981—the saintly pope went to Fatima, Portugal bearing this bullet as a gift for the Blessed Mother.
Uncertain what to do with this unique gift, the rector of the shrine went to the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and looked at her crown. At the top, where the eight arches met, was an empty space that just happened to be the exact circumference of the bullet.
Marian feast days—such as today’s feast of Our Lady of Fatima—are occasions of great joy for the Church. Serve your feast-day feast on a lovely piece of tableware that honors Our Lady—this handmade Our Lady of Fatima Platter! Beautiful and unbreakable, this sturdy dish displays the Blessed Mother speaking to the shepherd children in Marian blue and white. Pick up your platter today at The Catholic Company!
