The two saints we recognize today in the church and read about in the book In Caelo et in Terra are Jacinta and Francisco Marto. They were visited by Mary at Fatima. Mary told them many things, including some secrets that they were not to tell anyone until a certain time. They were told to pray the Rosary every day for world peace, and they were told that Mary would take them to heaven soon.
The local mayor (horrifically) separated the children and told them they were going to die, and that the other child had already died. But still they refused to deny what they saw, and they refused to give up the secret. They both died shortly thereafter, taken to heaven as Mary had promised.
You can read more about them here.
So it's pretty clear why they seem so serious in the pictures, right? They had been given a very serious mission, and they had been told some very serious things about the world and sin and how it needed to repent. And then they were treated terribly by the people they told these things to. You can read more about the miracles at Fatima here.
When God calls you to do something big, it can be scary, and is often very serious. But there is joy in doing His will, too. It may mean dying for your faith. But there is no greater honor than that.
God, thanks for the wonderful inspiring example of these two serious young people. Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto, pray for us.
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