Miracle Witnessed by 70,000!

It’s amazing that the entire world doesn't know about the Miracle of the Sun which happened in Fatima, Portugal. It took place in 1917 and was visible to over 70,000 people, yet somehow by the time I went through religious education in the 60s and 70s, no one talked about it. It was even an event that had been approved by the Catholic Church! It wasn’t until I started doing my own research into Marian Apparitions when I was around 30 years old that I discovered this amazing miracle.

It actually began a year earlier, in 1916, when three children in Fatima had an angel appear to them on three occasions. Lucia dos Santos, age 10, along with Francisco, age 9, and Jacinta Marto, age 7, were grazing sheep when the angel first appeared. He taught them prayers and prepared them to meet Mary, our Blessed Mother.

A year later, on May 13th, 1917, the children were once again grazing sheep and thought they saw lightning in a clear blue sky. After another flash of lightening the children saw a beautiful woman standing on a small rock oak. She was dressed all in white, told the children she was from Heaven, and wished for them to return for six months in succession on the thirteenth day at the same hour. She asked them to pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world and to end WWI.

She continued to appear to them on the 13th of each month, and the government became frustrated with what they considered “religious hysteria”. They kidnapped the children and began threatening them with torture and death, although the children stayed strong and finally were released. She promised she would send them a miracle in October, so that all might believe.

On October 13th, over 70,000 people gathered in Fatima. It was pouring down rain, and there were puddles and mud everywhere. When Lucia asked that people close their umbrellas, it stopped raining, as if someone had turned off the tap in the shower. A few seconds later the sun appeared. Beautiful and bright colors emanated from the sun while people’s clothes took on a golden shade and dried immediately. The sun began to spin and plunge towards the earth like a giant fireball. People were terrified, shouting, and begging God to forgive their sins because they felt it was the end of the world. After about 10 minutes, when the sun returned to the sky, people began to recognize the miracles that had occurred. The blind and lame were healed, throwing their crutches and regaining their sight.

Numerous newspapers, many of them secular, reported this incredible event as a miracle. They quoted many who had witnessed it, and reported the total number of people present was over 50,000. Yet it wasn’t only those present for the miracle who saw it. Investigations have proven that the miracle was visible over a six hundred square mile area. One building contractor related how he saw the miracle in a village about eight miles from Fatima. He said he saw the sun look as though it was falling from the sky and believed it to be the end of the world!

 John Haffert, who became the cofounder of the large organization called the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, wrote about this great miracle. He gathered testimonies of many eyewitnesses of the miracle and created an extraordinary book in 1960 called ‘Meet the Witnesses’. The book contains firsthand accounts of many who were present at the event, including believers, scientists, and even atheists. No one could deny that what happened on that day in 1917 was outside the laws of nature, and that it was one of the most obvious and colossal miracles of history.

Why it is not known to everyone is a mystery to me.

Although as we know, there are also forces of the enemy of God who want to keep His great supernatural works hidden. The Lord performed this amazing miracle so that we would listen to the messages that our Blessed Mother gave us through these apparitions. She begged us to pray often, especially the rosary, as it can change the world. Her message emphasized the need for penance, compassion, and the importance of turning back to God. The Lord gives us miracles to get our attention and speak His words of Love to us. Are we listening?

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles;  You display your power among the peoples.” Psalm 77:11-14

The Fatima Story - World Apostolate of Fatima USA