On May 13, 1917, Lucia and her two cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, were herding sheep at a location known as Cova da Iria, near their hometown village, Fatima. Lúcia described seeing a woman "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal ball filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun." Amazed, Lucia and her cousins ran back to their village and told everyone what they saw. A further appearance of the Virgin Mary were reported to be on the thirteenth day of the month in June and July. In these, the Virgin Mary asked the children to do acts of penance and Acts of Reparation as well as personal sacrifice to save sinners. The children subsequently wore tight cords around their waists to cause themselves pain, performed self-flagellation using stinging nettles, abstained from drinking water on hot days, and performed other works of penance. According to Lúcia's account, in the course of her appearances, the woman confided to the children three secrets, now known as the Three Secrets of Fátima.