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Fatima English..THE STORY OF THE APPARITIONS
- THE STORY OF THE APPARITIONS
PROLOGUE
Now, Your Excellency, we come to the most difficult part of all
that you have commanded me to put in writing. First of all, Your
Excellency has expressly required of me to write about the Apparitions
of the Angel, putting down every circumstance and detail,
and even, as far as possible, their interior effects upon us. Then,
along comes Dr. Galamba to ask you to command me also to write
about the Apparitions of Our Lady.
“Command her, Your Excellency,” he said a little while ago in
Valença. “Yes, Your Excellency, command her to write everything,
absolutely everything. She’ll have to do the rounds of purgatory
many a time for having kept silent about so many things!”
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As for purgatory, I am not in the least afraid of it, from this point
of view. I have always obeyed, and obedience deserves neither
penalty nor punishment. Firstly, I obeyed the interior inspirations of
the Holy Spirit, and secondly, I obeyed the commands of those
who spoke to me in His name. This very thing was the first order
and counsel which God deigned to give me through Your Excellency.
Happy and content, I recalled the words I had heard long
ago from the lips of that holy priest, the Vicar of Torres Novas:
“The secret of the King’s daughter should remain hidden in the
depths of her heart.” Then, beginning to penetrate their meaning,
I said: “My secret is for myself.” But now, I can no longer say so.
Immolated on the altar of obedience, I say rather: “My secret belongs
to God. I have placed it in His hands; may He do with it as
best pleases Him.”
Dr. Galamba said then: “Your Excellency, command her to say
everything, everything, and to hide nothing.” And Your Excellency,
assisted most certainly by the Holy Spirit, pronounced this judgement:
“No, I will not command that! I will have nothing to do with
matters of secrets.” 10
Thanks be to God! Any other order would have been for me a
source of endless perplexities and scruples. Had I received a contrary
command, I would have asked myself, times without number:
“Whom should I obey? God or His representative?” And perhaps,
being unable to come to a decision, I would have been left in a
state of real inner torment!
Then Your Excellency continued speaking in God’s name: “Sister,
write down the Apparitions of the Angel and of Our Lady, because,
my dear Sister, this is for the glory of God and of Our Lady.”
How good God is! He is the God of peace, and it is along
paths of peace that He leads those who trust in Him.
I shall begin, then, my new task, and thus fulfil the commands
received from Your Excellency as well as the desires of Rev. Dr.
Galamba. With the exception of that part of the Secret which I am
not permitted to reveal at present, I shall say everything. I shall not
knowingly omit anything, though I suppose I may forget just a few
small details of minor importance.
.
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- Apparitions of the Angel
Although I cannot give the exact date, it seems to me that it
was in 1915 that the first Apparition took place. As far as I can
judge, it was the Angel, although at that time he did not venture to
make himself fully known. From what I can recall of the weather, I
think that this must have happened between the months of April
and October in the year 1915.
My three companions from Casa Velha, by name Teresa
Matias and her sister Maria Rosa, and Maria Justino, were with
me on the southern slope of the Cabeço. We were just about to
start praying the Rosary when I saw, poised in the air above the
trees that stretched down to the valley which lay at our feet, what
appeared to be a cloud in human form, whiter than snow and almost
transparent. My companions asked me what it was. I replied
that I did not know. This happened on two further occasions, but
on different days.
This Apparition made a certain impression upon me, which I
do not know how to explain. Little by little, this impression faded
away, and were it not for the events that followed, I think I would
have forgotten it completely.
The dates I cannot set down with certainty, because, at that
time, I did not know how to reckon the years, the months, or even
the days of the week. But I think it must have been in the spring of
1916 that the Angel appeared to us for the first time in our Loca do
Cabeço.
As I have already written in my account of Jacinta, we climbed
the hillside in search of shelter. After having taken our lunch and
said our prayers, we began to see, some distance off, above the
trees that stretched away towards the east, a light, whiter than snow,
in the form of a young man, transparent, and brighter than crystal
pierced by the rays of the sun. As he drew nearer, we could distinguish
his features more and more clearly. We were surprised, absorbed,
and struck dumb with amazement.
On reaching us, he said:
“Do not be afraid. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.”
Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead
touched the earth. Led by a supernatural impulse, we did the same,
and repeated the words which we heard him say:
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“My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon
of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and
do not love You!”
Having repeated these words three times, he rose and said:
“Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the
voice of your supplications.” Then he disappeared.
The supernatural atmosphere which enveloped us was so intense,
that we were for a long time scarcely aware of our own existence,
remaining in the same posture in which he had left us, and
continually repeating the same prayer. The presence of God made
itself felt so intimately and so intensely that we did not even venture
to speak to one another. Next day, we were still immersed in
this spiritual atmosphere, which only gradually began to disappear.
It did not occur to us to speak about this Apparition, nor did we
think of recommending that it be kept secret. The very Apparition
itself imposed secrecy. It was so intimate, that it was not easy to
speak of it at all. The impression it made upon us was all the greater
perhaps, in that it was the first such manifestation that we had experienced.
The second Apparition must have been at the height of summer,
when the heat of the day was so intense that we had to take
the sheep home before noon and only let them out again in the
early evening.
We went to spend the siesta hours in the shade of the trees
which surrounded the well that I have already mentioned several
times. Suddenly, we saw the same Angel right beside us.
“What are you doing?” he asked. “Pray! Pray very much! The
Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs of mercy on you. Offer
prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Most High.”
“How are we to make sacrifices?” I asked.
“Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as
an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in
supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down
peace upon your country. I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of
Portugal. Above all, accept and bear with submission, the suffering
which the Lord will send you.”
These words were indelibly impressed upon our minds. They
were like a light which made us understand who God is, how He
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loves us and desires to be loved, the value of sacrifice, how pleasing
it is to Him and how, on account of it, He grants the grace of
conversion to sinners. It was for this reason that we began, from
then on, to offer to the Lord all that mortified us, without, however,
seeking out other forms of mortification and penance, except that
we remained for hours on end with our foreheads touching the
ground, repeating the prayer the Angel had taught us.
It seems to me that the third Apparition must have been in
October, or towards the end of September, as we were no longer
returning home for siesta.
As I have already written in my account of Jacinta, we went
one day from Pregueira (a small olive grove belonging to my parents)
to the Lapa, making our way along the slope of the hill on the
side facing Aljustrel and Casa Velha. We said our Rosary there
and the prayer the Angel had taught us at the first Apparition.
While we were there, the Angel appeared to us for the third
time, holding a chalice in his hands, with a host above it from which
some drops of blood were falling into the sacred vessel. Leaving
the chalice and the host suspended in the air, the Angel prostrated
on the ground and repeated this prayer three times:
“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You
profoundly, and I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul
and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the
world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference
with which He Himself is offended. And, through the infinite merits
of His most Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg
of You the conversion of poor sinners.”
Then, rising, he once more took the chalice and the host in his
hands. He gave the host to me, and to Jacinta and Francisco he
gave the contents of the chalice to drink, saying as he did so: “Take
and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by
ungrateful men. Repair their crimes and console your God.” Once
again, he prostrated on the ground and repeated with us three
times more, the same prayer “Most Holy Trinity…”, and then disappeared.
Impelled by the power of the supernatural that enveloped us,
we imitated all that the Angel had done, prostrating ourselves on
the ground as he did and repeating the prayers that he said. The
force of the presence of God was so intense that it absorbed us
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and almost completely annihilated us. It seemed to deprive us even
of the use of our bodily senses for a considerable length of time.
During those days, we performed all our exterior actions as though
guided by that same supernatural being who was impelling us
thereto. The peace and happiness which we felt were great, but
wholly interior, for our souls were completely immersed in God.
The physical exhaustion that came over us was also great
.
- Lucia’s Silence
I do not know why, but the Apparitions of Our Lady produced
in us very different effects. We felt the same intimate joy, the same
peace and happiness, but instead of physical prostration, an expansive
ease of movement; instead of this annihilation in the Divine
Presence, a joyful exultation; instead of the difficulty in speaking,
we felt a certain communicative enthusiasm. Despite these
feelings, however, we felt inspired to be silent, especially concerning
certain things.
Whenever I was interrogated, I experienced an interior inspiration
which directed me how to answer, without either failing in
truth or revealing what should remain hidden for the time being. In
this respect, I still have just this one doubt: “Should I not have said
everything in the canonical enquiry?” But I have no scruples about
having kept silence, because at that time I had as yet no realization
of the importance of this particular interrogation. I regarded it,
at the time, as being just like the many other interrogations to which
I was accustomed. The only thing I thought strange was the order
to take the oath. But as it was my confessor who told me to do so,
and as I was swearing to the truth, I took the oath without any
difficulty. Little did I suspect, at that moment, that the devil would
make the most of this, in order to torment me with endless scruples
later on. But, thank God, all that is over now.
There was yet another reason which confirmed me in my conviction
that I did well to remain silent. In the course of the canonical
enquiry, one of the interrogators, Rev. Dr. Marques dos Santos,
thought he could extend somewhat his questionnaire, and began
therefore to ask more searching questions. Before answering, I
looked enquiringly at my confessor. His Reverence saved me from
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my predicament, and answered on my behalf. He reminded the
interrogator that he was exceeding his rights in this matter.
Almost the same thing happened when I was questioned by
Rev. Dr. Fischer. He had the authorization of Your Excellency and
of Rev. Mother Provincial, and seemed to have the right to question
me on everything. But, thank God, he came accompanied by
my confessor. At a given moment, he put to me a carefully studied
question about the Secret. I felt perplexed, and did not know how
to answer. I glanced towards my confessor; he understood me and
answered for me. The interrogator understood also, and confined
himself to picking up some magazines Iying nearby and holding
them in front of my face. In this way, God was showing me that the
moment appointed by Him had not yet arrived.
I shall now go on to write about the Apparitions of Our Lady. I
shall not delay over the circumstances that preceded or followed them,
since Rev. Dr. Galamba has kindly dispensed me from doing so.
- The 13th of May, 1917
High up on the slope in the Cova da Iria, I was playing with
Jacinta and Francisco at building a little stone wall around a clump
of furze. Suddenly we saw what seemed to be a flash of lightning.
“We’d better go home,” I said to my cousins, “that’s lightning;
we may have a thunderstorm.”
“Yes, indeed!” they answered.
We began to go down the slope, hurrying the sheep along
towards the road. We were more or less half-way down the slope,
and almost level with a large holmoak tree that stood there, when
we saw another flash of lightning. We had only gone a few steps
further when, there before us on a small holmoak, we beheld a
Lady all dressed in white. She was more brilliant than the sun, and
radiated a light more clear and intense than a crystal glass filled with
sparkling water, when the rays of the burning sun shine through it.
We stopped, astounded, before the Apparition. We were so
close, just a few feet from her, that we were bathed in the light
which surrounded her, or rather, which radiated from her. Then Our
Lady spoke to us:
“Do not be afraid. I will do you no harm.”
“Where are you from?”
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“I am from Heaven.”
“What do you want of me?”
“I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession,
on the 13th day, at this same hour. Later on, I will tell you
who I am and what I want. Afterwards, I will return here yet a seventh
time.” 11
“Shall I go to Heaven too?”
“Yes, you will”
“And Jacinta?”
“She will go also.”
“And Francisco?”
“He will go there too, but he must say many Rosaries.”
Then I remembered to ask about two girls who had died recently.
They were friends of mine and used to come to my home to
learn weaving with my eldest sister.
“Is Maria das Neves in Heaven?”
“Yes, she is.” (I think she was about 16 years old).
“And Amélia?”
“She will be in purgatory until the end of the world.” 12 (It seems
to me that she was between 18 and 20 years of age).
“Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the
sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins
by which He is offended, and of supplication for the conversion of
sinners?”
“Yes, we are willing.”
“Then you are going to have much to suffer, but the grace of
God will be your comfort.”
As she pronounced these last words “…the grace of God will
be your comfort”, Our Lady opened her hands for the first time,
communicating to us a light so intense that, as it streamed from
her hands, its rays penetrated our hearts and the innermost depths
of our souls, making us see ourselves in God, Who was that light,
more clearly than we see ourselves in the best of mirrors. Then,
moved by an interior impulse that was also communicated to us,
we fell on our knees, repeating in our hearts:
11
”.
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“O most Holy Trinity, I adore You! My God, my God, I love You
in the most Blessed Sacrament!”
After a few moments, Our Lady spoke again:
“Pray the Rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the
world, and the end of the war.”
Then she began to rise serenely, going up towards the east,
until she disappeared in the immensity of space. The light that surrounded
her seemed to open up a path before her in the firmament,
and for this reason we sometimes said that we saw heaven
opening.
I think that I have already explained in my account of Jacinta,
or else in a letter, that the fear which we felt was not really fear of
Our Lady, but rather fear of the thunderstorm which we thought
was coming, and it was from this that we sought to escape. The
Apparitions of Our Lady inspired neither fear nor fright, but rather
surprise. When I was asked if I had experienced fear, and I said
that we had, I was referring to the fear we felt when we saw the
flashes of lightning and thought that a thunderstorm was at hand. It
was from this that we wished to escape, as we were used to seeing
lightning only when it thundered. Besides, the flashes of lightning
were not really lightning, but the reflected rays of a light which
was approaching. It was because we saw the light, that we sometimes
said we saw Our Lady coming; but, properly speaking, we
only perceived Our Lady in that light when she was already on the
holmoak tree. The fact that we did not know how to explain this,
and that we wished to avoid questions, caused us to say sometimes
that we saw her coming, and other times that we did not.
When we said we saw her coming, we were referring to the approach
of the light, which after all was herself. And when we said
we did not see her coming, we were referring to the fact that we
really saw Our Lady only when she was on the holmoak.
- The 13th of June, 1917
As soon as Jacinta, Francisco and I had finished praying the
Rosary, with a number of other people who were present, we saw
once more the flash reflecting the light which was approaching
(which we called lightning). The next moment, Our Lady was there
on the holmoak, exactly the same as in May.
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“What do you want of me?” I asked.
“ I wish you to come here on the 13th of next month, to pray
the Rosary every day, and to learn to read. Later, I will tell you what
I want.”
I asked for the cure of a sick person.
“ lf he is converted, he will be cured during the year.”
“I would like to ask you to take us to Heaven.”
“Yes. I will take Jacinta and Francisco soon. But you are to stay
here some time longer. Jesus wishes to make use of you to make
me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to
my Immaculate Heart.” 13
“Am I to stay here alone?” I asked, sadly.
“No, my daughter. Are you suffering a great deal? Don’t lose
heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your
refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”
As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands
and for the second time, she communicated to us the rays of that
same immense light. We saw ourselves in this light, as it were,
immersed in God. Jacinta and Francisco seemed to be in that part
of the light which rose towards Heaven, and I in that which was
poured out on the earth. In front of the palm of Our Lady’s right
hand was a heart encircled by thorns which pierced it. We understood
that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the
sins of humanity, and seeking reparation.
You know now, Your Excellency, what we referred to when we
said that Our Lady had revealed a secret to us in June. At the time,
Our Lady did not tell us to keep it secret, but we felt moved to do so
by God.
- The 13th of July, 1917
A few moments after arriving at the Cova da Iria, near the
holmoak, where a large number of people were praying the Rosary,
we saw the flash of light once more, and a moment later Our
Lady appeared on the holmoak.
.”
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“What do you want of me?” I asked.
“ I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, to continue
to pray the Rosary every day in honour of Our Lady of the
Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the
war, because only she can help you.”
“ I would like to ask you to tell us who you are, and to work a
miracle so that everybody will believe that you are appearing to us.”
“Continue to come here every month. In October, I will tell you
who I am and what I want, and I will perform a miracle for all to see
and believe.”
I then made some requests, but I cannot recall now just what
they were. What I do remember is that Our Lady said it was necessary
for such people to pray the Rosary in order to obtain these
graces during the year. And she continued:
“Sacrifice yourselves for sinners, and say many times, especially
whenever you make some sacrifice: O Jesus, it is for love
of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins
committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands
once more, as she had done during the two previous months. The
rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth, and we saw as it were
a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human
form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished
bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air
by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great
clouds of smoke now falling back on every side like sparks in huge
fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of
pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear.
(It must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people
say they heard me). The demons could be distinguished by
their terrifying and repellent likeness to frighfful and unknown animals,
black and transparent like burning coals. Terrified and as if to
plead for succour, we looked up at Our Lady, who said to us, so
kindly and so sadly:
“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To
save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my
Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be
saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people
do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during
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the pontificate of Pius Xl. When you see a night illumined by an
unknown light 14, know that this is the great sign given you by God
that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war,
famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.
“To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of
Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation
on the First Saturdays 15. If my requests are heeded, Russia
will be converted, and there will be peace 16; if not, she will spread
her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of
the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have
much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my
Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate
Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will
be granted to the world. In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will
always be preserved; etc… Do not tell this to anybody. Francisco,
yes, you may tell him.
“When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: O my
Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fire of hell. Lead all souls to
Heaven, especially those who are most in need.”
After this, there was a moment of silence, and then I asked:
“Is there anything more that you want of me?”
“No, I do not want anything more of you today.”
Then, as before Our Lady began to ascend towards the
east, until she finally disappeared in the immense distance of
the firmament.
- The 13th of August, 1917
As I have already said what happened on this day, I will not
delay over it here, but pass on to the Apparition which in my opinion,
took place on the 15th in the afternoon 17. As at that time I did
17
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not yet know how to reckon the days of the month, it could be that I
am mistaken. But I still have an idea that it took place on the very
day that we arrived back from Vila Nova de Ourém.
I was accompanied by Francisco and his brother John. We
were with the sheep in a place called Valinhos, when we felt something
supernatural approaching and enveloping us. Suspecting
that Our Lady was about to appear to us, and feeling sorry lest
Jacinta might miss seeing her, we asked her brother to go and call
her. As he was unwilling to go, I offered him two small coins, and off
he ran.
Meanwhile, Francisco and I saw the flash of light, which we
called lightning. Jacinta arrived, and a moment later, we saw Our
Lady on a holmoak tree.
“What do you want of me?”
“ I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the 13th,
and to continue praying the Rosary every day. In the last month, I
will perform a miracle so that all may believe.”
“What do you want done with the money that the people leave
in the Cova da Iria?”
“Have two litters made. One is to be carried by you and Jacinta
and two other girls dressed in white; the other one is to be carried
by Francisco and three other boys. The money from the litters is for
the “festa” of Our Lady of the Rosary, and what is left over will help
towards the construction of a chapel that is to be built here.”
“I would like to ask you to cure some sick persons.”
“Yes, I will cure some of them during the year.”
Then, looking very sad, Our Lady said:
“Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many
souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves
and to pray for them.”
And She began to ascend as usual towards the east.
7.The 13th of September, 1917
As the hour approached, I set out with Jacinta and Francisco,
but owing to the crowds around us we could only advance with
difficulty. The roads were packed with people, and everyone wanted
to see us and speak to us. There was no human respect whatsoever.
Simple folk, and even ladies and gentlemen, struggled to break
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through the crowd that pressed around us. No sooner had they
reached us than they threw themselves on their knees before us,
begging us to place their petitions before Our Lady. Others who
could not get close to us shouted from a distance:
“For the love of God, ask Our Lady to cure my son who is a
cripple!” Yet another cried out: “And to cure mine who is blind!… To
cure mine who is deaf!… To bring back my husband, my son, who
has gone to the war!… To convert a sinner!… To give me back my
health as I have tuberculosis!” and so on.
All the afflictions of poor humanity were assembled there. Some
climbed up to the tops of trees and walls to see us go by, and
shouted down to us. Saying yes to some, giving a hand to others
and helping them up from the dusty ground, we managed to move
forward, thanks to some gentlemen who went ahead and opened
a passage for us through the multitude.
Now, when I read in the New Testament about those enchanting
scenes of Our Lord’s passing through Palestine, I think of those
which Our Lord allowed me to witness, while yet a child, on the
poor roads and lanes from Aljustrel to Fatima and on to the Cova
da Iria! I give thanks to God, offering Him the faith of our good
Portuguese people, and I think: “If these people so humbled themselves
before three poor children, just because they were mercifully
granted the grace to speak to the Mother of God, what would
they not do if they saw Our Lord Himself in person before them?”
Well, none of this was called for here! It was a distraction of
my pen, leading me away where I did not mean to go. But, never
mind! It’s just another useless digression. I am not tearing it out, so
as not to spoil the notebook.
At last, we arrived at the Cova da Iria, and on reaching the
holmoak we began to say the Rosary with the people. Shortly afterwards,
we saw the flash of light, and then Our Lady appeared on
the holmoak.
“Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the
war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Dolours
and Our Lady of Carmel. Saint Joseph will appear with the Child
Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. He
does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but only to wear it
during the daytime.”
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“I was told to ask you many things, the cure of some sick
people, of a deaf-mute…”
“Yes,I will cure some, but not others. In October I will perform a
miracle so that all may believe.”
Then Our Lady began to rise as usual, and disappeared.
- The 13th of October, 1917
We left home quite early, expecting that we would be delayed
along the way. Masses of people thronged the roads. The rain fell
in torrents. My mother, her heart torn with uncertainty as to what
was going to happen, and fearing it would be the last day of my life,
wanted to accompany me.
On the way, the scenes of the previous month, still more numerous
and moving, were repeated. Not even the muddy roads
could prevent these people from kneeling in the most humble and
suppliant of attitudes. We reached the holmoak in the Cova da Iria.
Once there, moved by an interior impulse, I asked the people to
shut their umbrellas and say the Rosary. A little later, we saw the
flash of light, and then Our Lady appeared on the holmoak.
“What do you want of me?”
“ I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honour.
I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary
every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return
to their homes.”
“I have many things to ask you: the cure of some sick persons,
the conversion of sinners, and other things…”
“Some yes, but not others. They must amend their lives and
ask forgiveness for their sins.”
Looking very sad, Our Lady said:
“Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is
already so much offended.”
Then, opening her hands, she made them reflect on the sun,
and as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to
be projected on the sun itself.
Here, Your Excellency, is the reason why I cried out to the
people to look at the sun. My aim was not to call their attention to
the sun, because I was not even aware of their presence. I was
moved to do so under the guidance of an interiorimpulse.
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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 appeared to bless the world, for they traced
the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When, a little later, this apparition
disappeared, I saw Our Lord and Our Lady; it seemed to
me that it was Our Lady of Dolours. Our Lord appeared to bless the
world in the same manner as St. Joseph had done. This apparition
also vanished, and I saw Our Lady once more, this time resembling
Our Lady of Carmel.
EPILOGUE
Here then, Your Excellency, you have the story of the Apparitions
of Our Lady in the Cova da Iria, in 1917. Whenever and for
whatever motive I had to speak of them, I sought to do so in as few
words as possible, with the desire of keeping to myself alone those
more intimate aspects which were so difficult for me to reveal. But
as they belong to God and not to me, and as He now, through Your
Excellency, requires them of me, here they are. I return what does
not belong to me. To the best of my knowledge, I keep nothing
back. I think I have only omitted some minor details referring to the
petitions which I made. As these were merely material things, I did
not attach such great importance to them, and it is perhaps because
of this that they did not make such a vivid impression on my
mind; and then there were so many of them, so very many! It was
possibly because I was so anxious to remember the innumerable
graces that I had to ask of Our Lady, that I was mistaken when I
understood that the war would end on that very 13th 18.
Not a few people have expressed considerable surprise at the
memory that God has deigned to give me. In this matter indeed I
have, through His infinite goodness, been quite favoured in every
respect. Where supernatural things are concerned, this is not to be
wondered at, for these are imprinted on the mind in such a way
that it is almost impossible to forget them.
18