CHICAGO – Natalie Martha Loya sits in the front pew of the Byzantine Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma, Ohio, every Sunday morning.

VATICAN CITY – As extraordinary as the apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, nearly 100 years ago were, the sanctity of the shepherd children did not hinge on their having seen Mary, a cardinal said.

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican stamp and coin office has big plans for early May: the release of stamps marking retired Pope Benedict XVI's 90th birthday and important events in the life of the church spanning almost 2,000 years.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis and cardinals present in Rome will formally approve the canonizations of two of the children who saw Mary in Fatima, a large group of Brazilian martyrs, three child martyrs from Mexico and two priests.

VATICAN CITY – Recent popes have had a special affection for Our Lady of Fatima, but no pope's connection can match that of St. John Paul II.