OCTOBER 13 – LAST APPARITION AT FÁTIMA

It was on October 13, 1917 that the last apparition of Our Lady was reported in the Cova da Iria, near Fatima, Portugal. The event was witnessed by the three little shepherds and a crowd of 50,000 people, including journalists who were able to photograph the moment.

The three little shepherds, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, had reported that in the first apparition, on May 13, the Virgin Mary had promised them a miracle for October 13, in the Cova da Iria, “so that everyone could believe” in Her apparitions.

This last apparition was also known as the “Miracle of the Sun”, when the torrential rain stopped, the clouds dissipated in the firmament and the Sun appeared as an opaque disc, spinning in the sky. This event was observed by all present in the Cova da Iria and also in some nearby places. It was reported that the Sun would have moved in zigzags, frightening the people; and that the wet clothes of those present dried quickly. The Miracle of the Sun lasted approximately ten minutes.

On this day, Our Lady revealed to Lucia that the war would end and asked that a chapel be erected in Her honour at that place, now the Shrine of Fatima. Furthermore, the three little shepherds reported seeing in the light the Holy Family, Jesus with Our Lady of Sorrows and, finally, Our Lady of Carmel blessing the crowd from the firmament.