8 Gulf Pine Catholic • February 13, 2026 The Feast of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto falls on February 20, which is just two days after the start of Lent this year. Along with their cousin, Lucia dos Santos, brother and sister Francisco and Jacinta witnessed several apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1917 in Fatima, Portugal. Francisco was eight and Jacinta was seven when Mary first appeared to them on May 13, 1917. On that day, they were tending their family’s sheep with Lucia. They later reported an apparition of “a Lady more brilliant than the sun,” who asked them to pray the Rosary and offer sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. Not revealing yet that she was our Blessed Mother, the lady asked the children to return to that same spot on the 13th of every month for the next five months. On October 13, 1917, the day of the sixth and final apparition, something happened called the Miracle of the Sun. Thousands of people were gathered in the field where the apparitions were known to be happening. There was a period of rain but then clouds parted to reveal the sun spinning in radiant colors before it briefly fell and then zigzagged back into place. People who were drenched moments before were suddenly dry, and the children reported that Mary spoke these words to them: “I am the Lady of the Rosary, I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and ask for pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day. I would like a chapel built here in my honor. The war will end soon.” World War I ended one year later, and a chapel was built at Fatima, which has grown into one of the most important places in the world for spiritual pilgrimage. But Francisco and Jacinta did not live beyond childhood. They both fell ill in the 1918 influenza pandemic and died in 1919 and 1920, respectively. Before her death, Jacinta told Lucia, “Tell everybody that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that people are to ask her for them; and that the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at His side. Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God entrusted it to her.” The message of Fatima makes clear that God wants Mary to act as a spiritual mother to all of humanity. She loves us with the immensity of a mother’s heart and desires to see all people turn to Christ for healing and renewal. As we embark upon our Lenten journey, let us keep Francisco and Jacinta and the amazing occurrences at Fatima in focus so that we might heed Mary’s call for repentance in order for the world to return to Christ. For those who feel called to take on hard challenges during Lent, let’s also remember Mary’s request at Fatima for sacrifices to be made in order for others to convert. There’s much that our sacrifices during Lent can accomplish in our own lives and in the lives of others, so let’s offer every last bit of our struggle up to God during this Lent, uniting our sufferings to Christ on the cross and answering the call of Fatima to bring about renewal for the whole world. Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M., serves on The Christophers’ Board of Directors. For a free copy of the Christopher News Note, GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, write: The Christophers, 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org. Mary’s call at Fatima Light One Candle Fr. Dougherty One of the great blessings of retirement is being able to say “Yes,” or “No” to an invitation to engage in some invited form of priestly for a time or just for a weekend. Retirement allows one the freedom of not being “on call” 24/7 and, instead pursue other interests that otherwise would be impossible. I have developed an interest in organic vegetable growing, keeping tabs on how my home’s solar panels are doing and comparing their production from month to month. Of course, at the same time, one is conscious of the savings on utilities being achieved. Along with the freedom to do some non-required reading is the opportunity of being able to have one’s own various fruit trees including apple, pear, blackcurrants and gooseberries. One of my latest adventures into is into juicing. Of late, I have been involved in studying and engaging somewhat in AI (Artificial Intelligence). On the one hand, it is a promising new field of discover and, at the same time, elicits a certain amount of fear and caution. I have tried to allow Copoilet to guide me cautiously through the mine fields of possibilities. I have used AI to upscale photos and videos while others use it to write, edit, or enhance their own resumes. I have developed a special interest in ChatGPT which seems to be very popular as well as leading to some serious questions about its ongoing impact. Researchers are using tools such as ChatGPT because it is easy and available, not necessarily because it is the safest for the job. Still users hope for more guidance and rules in using it as well as having concerns about privacy issues. One has only to explore any of the social platforms to discover that the knowledge that is created and posted on them generate facts and knowledge that shape our world without any critical analysis or judgment. ChatGPT has updated its platform to detect and react to mental health and emotional distress clues. What this means is that it should be able to answer, with some comforting and reassuring words that proposes to steer a person to resources that may be available. I read recently from a survey by Common Sense Media that nearly three-quarters of American teens say they use AI for companionship. More than half of them use it daily. Even some teens use AI as tools for learning how to start conversations or resolve conflicts, while others say that they confide in it things that they wouldn’t tell friends or family. Many even say that their conversations are more satisfying and productive than having it with other people. One can easily imagine oneself at one’s lowest point and, by signing in, it becomes very therapeutic to be able to talk to someone who responds immediately, offering sympathy and a listening ear A recent article by Samantha Rose Hill in “The New York Times” said, “AI gives you what you want, how you want it, when you want it. The user is always affirmed, never challenged. That’s not a relationship. That’s an echo chamber. It serves only to create a distraction that is transfixing and seductive and ultimately delivers only more isolation. The danger is that if young people become accustomed to “fictionless” relationships; surely real relationships will sour. “ Experts are concerned that early and unrestricted access to AI could affect children’s development in terms of how they learn and process information. While it can assist in problem-solving, the readymade answers provided by AI can reduce their natural curiosity and motivation to explore or learn new skills independently. I have three guests living with me. Most times, I don’t even know they are there. They are all females. They don’t bother me and I don’t bother them unless I have something important to ask them. Oh! Yes! Their names -- Google, Alexa and Siri. Often, I catch them listening to me. I might be having a conversation with someone, watching something on TV or just scanning some social platform sites, when, all of a sudden, they hear a word that triggers their curiosity and they chime in with an answer or a comment I didn’t want or ask for. Moreover, I didn’t ask any of my three female friends for suggestions or input into writing this column. In fact, this column was written entirely by a human being whose real name appears in the byline. Father Michael Tracey is retired and lives in Ireland. He can be contacted by email at mtracey1@ bellsouth.net. His website is www.michaeltracey.net AI and the lonely runner Across the Pond Father Tracey
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