10/14/2026
OCTOBER 13 + The Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima’s Miracle of the Sun in Fatima, Portugal — a miracle "so that all may believe.”
In 1917, Portugal, like the majority of the world, was embroiled in war. As World War I raged throughout Europe, Portugal found itself unable to maintain its neutrality and joined forces with allies, in order to protect colonies in Africa and to defend their trade with Britain. About 220,000 Portuguese civilians died during the war; thousands due to food shortages, and thousands more from the Spanish flu.
Government stability in the country had been rocky at best. A new liberal constitution separating Church and state was drafted under the influence of Freemasonry, which sought to omit the Faith – which for many was the backbone of Portuguese culture and society – from public life. Anti-Catholicism in Portugal had initially begun in the 18th century and flared up again after the drafting of the new constitution. Catholic churches and schools were seized by the government, and the wearing of clerics in public, the ringing of church bells, and the celebrating of religious festivals were banned. Nearly 2,000 priests, monks and nuns were killed by anti-Christian groups.
This was the backdrop against which the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children – Lucia (10), and her cousins Francisco (9) and Jacinta (7) – in a field in Fatima, bringing with her requests for the recitation of the rosary, for sacrifices on behalf of sinners, and secrets regarding the fate of the world.
To prove that the apparitions were true, Mary promised the children that during the last of her six appearances she would provide a “sign” so people would believe in the apparitions and in her messages.
What happened on October 13, 1917, has come to be known as the “Miracle of the Sun,” or “the day the sun danced.”
On that day, reporters, journalists, photographers, and a crowd of 70,000 people – believers, skeptics and atheists alike – gathered to see the miracle that Mary had promised. After appearing and speaking to the children for some time, Mary then “cast her own light upon the sun.”
Though the region had been subjected to three days of torrential downpour, the rainy sky cleared and the clouds dispersed. A transparent veil came over the sun, making it easy to look at, and multi-colored lights were strewn across the landscape. The huge fireball whirled rapidly with dizzy and sickening speed, flinging out all sorts of brilliant colors that reflected on the faces of the crowd.
The sun continued to gyrate in this manner and then plunged in a zigzag course toward the earth. The crowd was terrified, fearing this was the end of the world.
However, the sun reversed its course and returned to its normal place in the sky. All of this transpired in approximately ten minutes. After realizing they were not doomed, the crowd began ecstatically laughing, crying, shouting and weeping.
The ground, which had been wet and muddy, was completely dried and many discovered their previously drenched clothing to be dry. The amount of heat needed to completely dry the earth in such a short period of time would have surely incinerated human flesh. But instead, numerous miracles of healings of chronic illnesses and ailments were reported and the Miracle of the Sun was understood by the people to be the guarantee that the three children were telling the truth.
