“Let the little children come to Me;
do not hinder them,
for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
(Mt 19:14; Mk 10:14)

«O Lord our God,
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That you may silence
the enemy and the avenger» (Psalm 8)

“Your heavenly Father
does not want
even one of these little ones
to be lost.” (Mt. 18:14)

«Children will save the world» (Padre Pio of Pietrelcina)

For the past two centuries, the Virgin Mary has appeared in various parts of the world, calling mankind to penance and prayer, so that the era of peace promised at Fatima may finally begin:
“In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph… I promise an era of peace for humanity.”

The many Marian messages have been acknowledged in some way, but it has rarely been considered that the recipients of these messages have always been children—children who were called first to live them and then to transmit them to others.

At Fatima in particular, the Virgin addressed her message to the three little shepherds in a clear and personal way:
“Are you willing to offer yourselves to God, ready to accept whatever He wishes to send you, for the peace of the world, for the conversion of sinners, to console the Heart of God, so deeply offended?”

It is a personal invitation to offer oneself to God so that the Kingdom of the Father’s Love—which we invoke in the “Our Father”—may come; so that He may be consoled in His sorrow as a Father who is not loved; so that mankind may become good and achieve the unity of Love to which we are called by our shared divine sonship.

The three shepherd children responded, “Yes, we are willing!”, and the Mother of Heaven confirmed her request:
“Very well, then you will have much to suffer, but the grace of God will be your comfort… pray the Rosary every day.”

Thanks to Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta of Fatima, the Virgin Mary assured the Portuguese people that they would never lose the faith. It is evident that the Virgin was not speaking solely to those three children, but through them, she was inviting all the children of the world to cooperate in her work of salvation.

And if she were to find thousands—millions—of children ready to say to her: “Yes, we are willing!” as the three shepherds once did, could she not transform the entire world?

This is why, since 1972, we have undertaken an apostolate which—under the name White Army—pursues the following goals:

1. To invite and prepare children for Consecration to Mary and to God the Father;

2. To teach them to pray the Rosary, and to gather those who commit to it into small groups known as Prayer Nests.

To achieve these goals, we go into schools and parishes with the permission of religious and civil authorities. A volunteer (preferably a priest) explains the meaning of consecration and invites the children to make it. Each participant receives a Rosary, a small card with the Mysteries, and is taught how to pray the Rosary.

The outpouring of grace that flows from children who consecrate themselves to Mary and the Father, and who commit to praying the Rosary, is immense. Some parishes have been transformed by children who brought the Rosary into their homes, who convinced parents and relatives to return to Sunday Mass, and who often helped them come back to the Sacraments.

In some countries, the apostolate is carried out house by house—distributing Rosaries and teaching families to pray together.

This mission is the simplest and most effective, because—while it saves the children by placing them safely in the Heart of God—it also uses the freshness of their innocence to gently but powerfully touch the hearts of adults. The Holy Family of Nazareth remains the example and model for every family: to rebuild on earth the unity that reigned in that home.
“That they may be one, Father, as You and I are one.”

The White Army is a deep and powerful apostolate, because through the little ones, the fullness of grace lives, acts, and works: in them, Jesus lives, prays, acts, suffers, and loves—and in Jesus, the omnipotent Love of the Father.

The Angel, who appeared to the three young seers in Fatima in 1916, a year before the apparitions of Our Lady, said to them:

“Pray! Pray very much! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy upon you. Offer constantly prayers and sacrifices to the Most High.”
— “How are we to make sacrifices?” asked Lucia, speaking for her cousins as well.
— “Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. In this way, you will bring peace upon your country. I am its Guardian Angel, the Angel of Portugal.”

Just as the three little shepherds—Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta—“drew down peace” upon Portugal and their homeland was spared from the Second World War, so too will the children who follow their example today save the world.