I have already described how Francisco spent the day praying and weeping, perhaps even more upset than I was when my father received an order to present me before the administrator at Vila Nova de Ourém. In prison, he was quite courageous and tried to cheer up Jacinta when she felt most homesick. While we were saying the Rosary in prison, he noticed that one of the prisoners was on his knees with his cap still on his head. Francisco went up to him and said: “If you wish to pray, you should take your cap off.” Right away the poor man handed it to him and he went over and put it on the bench on top of his own.
During Jacinta’s interrogation, he confided to me with boundless joy and peace: “If they kill us as they say, we’ll soon be in heaven! How wonderful! Nothing else matters!” Then after a moment’s silence he added: “God grant that Jacinta won’t be afraid.” I am going to say a Hail Mary for her!” He promptly removed his cap and prayed. The guard seeing him praying, asked him: “What are you saying?” “I am saying a Hail Mary so that Jacinta won’t be afraid.” The guard made a scornful gesture and let him go ahead.
One day after our return from Vila Nova Ourém, we began to be aware of the presence of the supernatural all around us and to feel that we were about to receive some heavenly communication. Francisco at once showed his concern over Jacinta’s absence. “What a pity it would be,” he exclaimed, “if Jacinta did not get here in time!” He begged his brother to go quickly and get her, adding: “Tell her to run here.” After his brother had left us, Francisco said: “Jacinta will be very sad if she doesn’t arrive in time.” After the apparition, his sister wanted to stay there the whole afternoon, so he said: “No! You must go home because mother didn’t let you come out with the sheep.” And to encourage her, he went back to the house with her.
In prison, we noticed that it was already past midday, and that they would not let us go to the Cova da Iria. Francisco said: “Perhaps Our Lady will come and appear to us here.” On the following day, he could not hide his distress and almost in tears, he said: “Our Lady must have been very sad because we didn’t go to the Cova da Iria, and she won’t appear to us again. I would so love to see her!”
While in prison, Jacinta wept bitterly, for she was so homesick for her mother and all the family. Francisco tried to cheer her saying: “Even if we never see our mother again, let’s be patient! We can offer it for the conversion of sinners. The worst thing would be if Our Lady never came back again! That is what hurts me the most. But I offer this as well for sinners.”
Afterwards he asked me: “Tell me! Will Our Lady not come and appear to us anymore?”
“I don’t know. I think she will.”
“I miss her so much!”
The apparition at Valinhos was, therefore a double joy for him. He had been tormented by the fear that she would never return. He told me later: “Most likely, she didn’t appear on the 13th, so as to avoid going to the administrator’s house, maybe because he is such a bad man.”