While he was ill, Francisco always appeared joyful and content. I asked him sometimes: “Are you suffering a lot, Francisco?”
“Quite a lot, but never mind! I am suffering to console Our Lord, and then afterwards, within a short time, I am going to heaven!”
“Once you get there, don’t forget to ask Our Lady to take me there soon as well.”
“That, I won’t ask! You know very well that she doesn’t want you there yet.”
The day before he died, he said to me: “Look! I am very ill; it won’t be long now before I go to heaven.” “Then listen to this. When you’re there, don’t forget to pray a great deal for sinners, for the Holy Father, for me and for Jacinta.” “Yes, I’ll pray. But look, you’d better ask Jacinta to pray for these things instead, because I’m afraid I’ll forget when I see Our Lord. And then, more than anything else I want to console Him.”
One day, early in the morning, his sister Teresa came looking for me. “Come quickly to our house! Francisco is very bad, and says he wants to tell you something.” I dressed as fast as I could and went over there. He asked his mother and brothers and sisters to leave the room, saying that he wanted to ask me a secret. They went out, and he said to me: “I am going to Confession so that I can receive Holy Communion, and then die. I want you to tell me if you have seen me commit any sin, and then go and ask Jacinta if she has seen me commit any.”
“You disobeyed your mother a few times,” I answered, “when she told you to stay at home, and you ran off to be with me or to go and hide.”
“That’s true. I remember that. Now go and ask Jacinta if she remembers anything else.”
I went, and Jacinta thought for a while, then answered: “Well, tell him that, before Our Lady appeared to us, he stole a coin from our father to buy a music box from Jose Marto of Casa Velha; and when the boys from Aljustrel threw stones at those from Boleiros, he threw some too!” When I gave him this message from his sister, he answered: “I’ve already confessed those, but I’ll do it again. Maybe, it is because of these sins that I committed that Our Lord is so sad! But even if I don’t die, I’ll never commit them again. I’m heartily sorry for them now.” Joining his hands, he recited the prayer: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need.”
Then he said: “Now listen, you must also ask Our Lord to forgive me my sins.” “I’ll ask that, don’t worry. If Our Lord had not forgiven them already, Our Lady would not have told Jacinta the other day that she was coming to take you to heaven. Now, I’m going to Mass, and there I’ll pray to the Hidden Jesus for you.”
“Then, please ask Him to let the parish priest give me Holy Communion.”
“I certainly will.” When I returned from the church, Jacinta had already gotten up and was sitting on his bed.
As soon as Francisco saw me, he asked: “Did you ask the Hidden Jesus that the parish priest would give me Holy Communion?”
“I did.”
“Then, in heaven, I’ll pray for you.”
“You will? The other day you said you wouldn’t!”
“That was about taking you there very soon. But if you want me to pray for that, I will, and then let Our Lady do as she wishes.”
“Yes, do. You pray.”
“Alright. Don’t worry, I’ll pray.”
Then I left them, and went off to my usual daily lessons and work. When I came home at night, I found him radiant with joy. He had made his Confession, and the parish priest had promised to bring him Holy Communion next day. On the following day, after receiving Holy Communion, he said to his sister: “I am happier than you are, because I have the Hidden Jesus in my heart. I’m going to heaven, but I’m going to pray very much to Our Lord and Our Lady for them to bring you both here soon.” Jacinta and I spent almost the whole of that day at his bedside. As he was already unable to pray, he asked us to pray the Rosary for him.
Then he said to me: “I am sure I shall miss you terribly in heaven. If only Our Lady would bring you there soon, also!”
“You won’t miss me! Just imagine! And you right there with Our Lord and Our Lady! They are so good!”
“That’s true! Perhaps, I won’t remember!”
Then I added: “Perhaps you’ll forget! But never mind!”