Saints
The Miracle of the Sun is an alleged miraculous event that was
witnessed by as many as 100,000 people on 13 October 1917
in the Cova da Iria fields near Fátima, Portugal[.
According to many witness statements, after a downfall of rain,
the clouds broke and the sun appeared as an opaque, spinning
disk in the sky. It was said to be significantly less bright than
normal, and cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the
shadows on the landscape, the people, and the surrounding
clouds. The sun was then reported to have careened towards
the earth in a zigzag pattern[, frightening some of those present
who thought it meant the end of the world. Witnesses reported
that the ground and their previously wet clothes became
completely dry.
Estimates of the number of witnesses range from "thirty to forty
thousand" by Avelino de Almeida, writing for the Portuguese
newspaper O Século[, to one hundred thousand, estimated by
Dr. Joseph Garrett, Professor of Natural Sciences at Coimbra
University, both of whom were present that day.
The miracle was attributed by believers to Our Lady of Fatima,
an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three young
shepherd children in 1917, as having been predicted in
advance by the three children on 13 July , 19 August , and 13
September 1917. The children reported that the Lady had
promised them that at mid-day on 13 October in the Cova da
Iria the Lady would reveal her identity to the children and
provide a miracle "so that all may believe."
According to witness reports, the miracle of the sun lasted
approximately ten minutes. The three shepherd children, in
addition to reporting seeing the actions of the sun that day, also
reported seeing a panorama of visions, including those of
Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of Saint Joseph blessing
the people.
Fatima Miracle
