The Fatima Apparitions: October 13, 1917

How many of you were able to watch the movie “The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima”?

That movie left a very strong impact on me and our classmates at the RVM-run St. Mary’s College in Quezon City. Many of our batch continue to be Marian devotees, meeting nightly until now to pray the rosary as Mama Mary requested during her Fatima apparitions.

Since that movie, of course, we have proceeded to read and learn more about the Fatima apparitions. The first-hand account of Lucia, one of the three children to whom Our Lady appeared and the many accounts of others recorded in various sources, continue to fascinate and astonish us.

There has been papal affirmation of the apparitions, including the dramatic October 13th apparition when witnesses described what they saw was the Miracle of the Sun.

One source notes that there appears to have been two apparitions that October 13th --one, which the Fatima children alone beheld, and the other, the miracle of the sun which 70,000 or more spectators witnessed.

One account notes that, “from the night of 12-13 October it had rained throughout, soaking the ground.” Thousands of travelled to Fatima by foot, by cart and by car.

It was reported that the lady would appear by noon, but it was not until “the sun arrived at its zenith when the Lady appeared as she had said she would.”

Then, the first apparition for that day, October 13th, witnessed by the Fatima children was described as follows:

“The seers first saw a bright light, and then saw the Blessed Mother over the holm oak.”

After asking the lady what she wanted her to do, Mama Mary told Lucia that she (Blessed Mother) wants a chapel to be built at Fatima and for them/for all to continue to pray the rosary every day.

When asked her name, she replied, I am the Lady of the Rosary.

Then she also revealed that World War I was going to end soon, and it did, as the Blessed Mother said.

Lucia then asked the Blessed Virgin Mary if she will grant the many petitions she had with her.

Mama Mary replied: “Some yes, others no. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins. They must not offend our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended.”

She also asked Lucia to tell the world for man to stop offending God.

When Lucia replied "And is that all you have to ask,” Mama Mary answered “there is nothing more.”

Then, “as the Lady of the Rosary rose toward the east, she turned the palms of her hands toward the dark sky. While the rain had stopped and while dark clouds continued to obscure the sun, then suddenly --these cries from the crowd!

“Look at the sun!

“And this much-awaited promised miracle from our Lady of Fatima witnessed by the reported 70,000 spectators- “the sun moved, trembled, danced in the sky, accompanied by different colors, At one point, the sun seemed to detach itself from its place and fall upon the spectators but it halted.”

Lucia, later wrote what they, the children, beheld next:

“After our Lady had disappeared into the immense distance of the firmament, we beheld St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. St. Joseph and the Child Jesus seemed to bless the world, tracing the Sign of the Cross with their hands. Then, when this apparition disappeared, I saw Our Lord and Our lady. Our Lord appeared to bless the world like St. Joseph did. This apparition vanished. I saw Our Lady once more.”

“Repentance, rosary, return to the Lord” --our Mama Mary’s continuing message for us all.