On the 13th of May 1917, in the mountain village of Fatima in faraway Portugal, three children - Lucy 9, Jacinta 8, and Francisco 6, were watching over their flock by day. Suddenly, a bright flash of light cut through the skies, then another followed and yet another. A dazzling light hovered over the topmost branches of a small Holm-oak tree directly in their path, and amazingly, in that light was a form of a very lovely lady. She was clothed in a long white dress, and the mantle over her head and shoulders reaching to her feet was edged in burnished gold. Her feet were hidden in a simmering cloud, her hands joined before her breast, an exquisite rosary of white pearls hanging down the right hand. The children looked on in awe. Behold, it was Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary!

And on the same day, every month from thence until October of that year, she appeared again and again to the children and the hordes of people who had come to gather at the spot, bringing messages from heaven. On the 12th of September, 1976, in Aguda - Surulere in the urban city of Lagos, men and women of good conscience gathered to witness the blessing of a new church by Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, now Cardinal. To the glory of God and in honour of that beautiful Lady of Fatima, the Church was named Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, Aguda.

Earlier, the Church had started as an outstation of St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Gbaja,Surulere, Lagos. In 1975, it was carved out of St. Anthony's as a Parish of its own. This was a gradual process which took root with the erection of the new Church building, and was consolidated by the efforts of Priests through regular Mass and other activities.

From the beginning, it was evident that the blessing of God was on the new Church as His mighty finger was visible in its foundation. The land on which the Church is built, as well as that on which the Convent of the Sisters of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ) stand was donated by a devout and practising Muslim, Alhaji Nurudeen Badana Sule (a.k.a Nuru Oniwo) gave the land to the Archdiocese of Lagos in 1965 in the days when His Grace Archbishop Taylor shepherd the Catholic flock in the Metropolitan See of the City. Our Lady of Fatima" was chosen as the name of the new Church to link her with the religion of the donor of the land, 'FATIMA' being a name known and recognised by Catholics and Muslims alike.

Once carved out of the mother Parish, the new Church grew rapidly, thanks particularly to the efforts of the Very Rev. Fr. Jeremiah Coakley, SMA., who was then at St. Anthony's, Late Pa Ogunleye, Pa Martins, Mr. Ndu, and Sir E. O. Koya, KSS. These men and a few others took out time to go round publicising the Church to Catholics in and around Aguda. And the congregation poured in as they knew the Priests were ready and waiting with great gifts from heaven.

Amongst the Priests who helped as the Church was developing, through regular celebration of the Sacraments and visitations were:

1. Very Rev. Fr. Jeremiah Coakley, SMA.
2. Rev. Fr. Raphael Ikegwuonu
3. Rev. Fr. Peter Adeyemi
4. Rev. Fr. Hugh Ford, SMA.
5. Rev. Fr. John Burke, SMA. ( who also helped supervise the building of the Father's House in the Church compound)
6. Rev. Fr. Vincent Pratt
7. Rev. Fr. Paschal Atomori
8. Priests from the Catholic Secretariat Lagos especially Msgr. Anasiudu and Fr. Okeke
9. Jesuit Priests
10. Priests from the Opus Dei Prelature
The Sisters of the HHCJ also helped, and are still playing an invaluable role in the development of the Parish spiritually and otherwise.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

STRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT
(i) Church Building
Almost 40 years after, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church has grown in leaps and bounds, at inception, a building which seated only a few thousands of people was erected. As the Church grew, it became obvious that the building could no longer serve the teaming population of worshippers. Something had to be done fast. The Priest and Parishioners rose to the occasion, and in 1991, an expansion scheme was embarked upon which saw the Church building been redesigned from its hitherto boxlike look with no aesthetic factors to its present attractive design. Rev. Fr. Michael Akintolu was Parish Priest then.

Not long after the expansion, the Church was again to face the same problem. The population had exploded again and the building was overflowing with worshippers. And again, the Priest and people of OLF (as the Church is simply known) were quick to respond. In 1999, Rev. Fr. Anthony Abela initiated the erecting of temporary structures of expansion in the Church, and Rev. Fr. Paulinus Anaedu continued when he took over in 2000 as Parish Priest.

(ii) Revd. Father's House
The first two Parish Priests of OLF resided at the Rev. Fathers' House at the former St. Joseph's Teachers Training College compound in Atunrase, Surulere. Meanwhile, spirited efforts were made by the Parishioners to erect a befitting Fathers' House within the Church compound. The house was eventually completed in 1984 and Rev. Fr. Festus Ogunshakin, having stayed a few months at the Priests' residence at St. Joseph's Teachers' Training College Compound, moved in as the first Parish Priest to reside within the Church compound.

(iii) Other Structural Landmarks
A Church Clinic run by Sisters of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus was built. It was commissioned by His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, to the glory of God and to cater for people (especially parishioners) who are ill.

1. Sunday, 12th September, 1976 - Blessing of the Church by His Grace Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie

2. Sunday, 28th May, 1978 - Investiture of Sir Emmanuel. Koya ( the first Papal Knight in the Parish) at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, Gbaja, Surulere, Lagos

3. Sunday 23rd May, 1982 - First Communion Ceremony in the Parish celebrated by His Grace Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie

4. Friday 27th - Sunday 29th March, 1987 - First Canonical visitation of His Grace Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie to the Parish
 

Slogan:

Our Lady Of Fatima....One Happy Family!

Building Towards Modesty, Honesty & Truth

PARISH MISSION STATEMENT

Tapping from the riches of God’s mercy through sustained pastoral and spiritual development of Men, Women, Youth & Children.