MANILA, Philippines?This month, we recommend three Marian movies guaranteed to stir the hearts of the Catholic faithful: ?The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima,? ?The Song of Bernadette? and the Nora Aunor-starrer, ?Himala.?

?The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima? (1952) is based on the story of three peasant children who claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary while they were tending sheep in Fatima, Portugal on May 13, 1917.

Pilgrims

When news spread, thousands of pilgrims flocked to Fatima to wait for the miracle which the children had been told about. Five months later, more than 70,000 pilgrims witnessed the ?sinking? of the sun in the sky, and some of those present claimed to have been miraculously cured of their illnesses.

?The Song of Bernadette? (1943) tells the story of Bernadette Soubirous (played by Jennifer Jones) who witnessed 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary, from February to July 1858 in Lourdes, France. One of the film?s most riveting scenes showed Bernadette going into the woods with her friends to gather firewood near the caves of Massabielle. Suddenly, she felt a strange breeze, even as the bushes and leaves of trees didn?t move. Then, she found a beautiful lady standing in brilliant light and holding a pearl rosary, who greeted Bernadette with a nod.

The miraculous lady later asked her to dig a hole in the ground, which then turned into a miraculous spring. Then, the lady finally revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception.

Miracles

?Himala? (1982) is the story of Elsa (Aunor), an unassuming barrio lass who claims to have seen the Blessed Virgin. She then begins to ?heal? the sick. A filmmaker (Spanky Manikan) arrives in the erstwhile isolated barrio to capture the ?miracles? on film, but instead witnesses the rape of Elsa and her friend, Chayong (Laura Centeno), who later commits suicide. In the end, Elsa reveals that her miracles were a hoax and an illusion. The last scene shows her being shot to death.

Directed by Ishmael Bernal, the film is a sad commentary on Filipinos? penchant for believing that even coincidental situations are heaven-sent.

There are nine major Church-approved Marian apparitions?at Fatima, Portugal, Guadalupe, Rue du Bac, La Salette, Pontmain, Knock, Beauraing and Banneux. In all those apparitions, the Blessed Virgin Mary had the same message: Penance, sacrifice and prayer for the conversion of sinners.