Episode 1564: The Miracle of the Sun

The Miracle of the Sun, also known as the Miracle of Fátima, occurred on October 13, 1917, in the town of Fátima, Portugal. The events were witnessed by thousands of people, (70K or more) including skeptics, journalists, and believers, and are associated with three young shepherd children: Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto.

The children experienced a series of apparitions of the Virgin Mary, starting on May 13, 1917, and recurring on the 13th day of each subsequent month until October. During these apparitions, they received messages from the Virgin Mary, including predictions of future events and calls for prayer and penance.

On October 13, 1917, a large crowd gathered at the Cova da Iria, a field near Fátima, in response to the children's and to witness what had been prophesied as a miraculous event. The sun, according to reports, appeared to dance, spin, and emit multicolored lights. This phenomenon lasted for about ten minutes and was witnessed by thousands of people within a 20-to-40-kilometer radius of Fátima.
Let me provide the accounts from the secular newspapers of the day:
O Século (Portugal):
October 15, 1917: "How the Sun 'Danced' at Noon in Fatima: Astonishing Solar Phenomenon Witnessed by 30,000 People."
October 17, 1917: "At one o'clock in the afternoon, midday by the sun, the rain stopped. The sky, pearly gray in color, illuminated the vast arid landscape with a strange light. The sun, at its zenith, was covered with a gauzy veil of cloud, which caused it to appear as a silver moon."
October 18, 1917: "Last Sunday, there was a shocking atmospheric event never before seen by human beings... The sun, in the form of a silver disk, was seen to revolve upon itself with great velocity... It was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl."

O Dia (Portugal):
October 17, 1917: "Miracle of the Sun, witnessed by thousands of people: The great prodigy of the sun spinning at Fátima."

The New York Times (USA):
October 18, 1917: "In addition to the reports of new marvels, there are numberless stories about cures that have been brought about by the application of holy water... The astounding devotion of the people rather tends to increase with each successive day, and they now plan to erect on the spot a church."

The Times (UK):
October 18, 1917: "The correspondent of O Século records, at the moment of the greatest intensity of the phenomenon, that he himself and all who were present, apart from the three children, looked steadily at the sun for a short time. It appeared to be a flat, revolving disc of silver. 'The light was not dazzling,' he says, 'it was soft and silvery.'"

Diário de Notícias (Portugal):
October 14, 1917: "The sun, resembling a dull silver disc, emerged from behind the clouds and was seen to whirl upon itself like a pinwheel."
October 17, 1917: "The silver moon, so clear and radiant in a sky so pure, was surrounded by a splendid light that blinded the eyes."

O Primeiro de Janeiro (Portugal):
October 14, 1917: "Then, it seemed that the whole countryside, the trees, the house, the air, were lit up with a supernatural light... People then began to ask each other what they had seen."

Ilustração Portuguesa (Portugal):
October 29, 1917: "All the phenomena which the children had announced, took place: the unknown light, the sudden temperature drop, the falling of the rain, the solar disk with an extraordinary dance of light, heralding the decisive battle."

La Razón (Spain):
October 17, 1917: "The sun, at noon, shone as a very bright silver disc, without scorching, with a soft and pleasant light, and it seemed to revolve on itself. Suddenly the sun trembled, to the fear of all present, who were filled with amazement and terror. The sun made a sudden, erratic movement, resembling a figure of 8, making a most unusual and frightening movement."

The Boston Globe (USA):
October 18, 1917: "Fátima in Portugal continues to be the objective of numerous pilgrims, who go there in order to pray and obtain graces."

The Chicago Tribune (USA):
October 17, 1917: "Sun Dances - Thousands Say They Saw It - Miracle Reported From Portugal - Crowd Says Sun Whirled in Sky - Virgin Mary Declares World War Soon Will End."

So this was indeed a world event, and some say the greatest miracle witnessed since the Ascension.

But what about the Blessed Mother referring to herself as Our Lady of the Rosary? Why so much reference to the Rosary? Its simple. It is our weapon against the evils of this world. The Blessed Mother constantly told the 3 children to recite the rosary and encourage others to say the rosary.

Let me tell you about two other miracles that occurred some 28 years later. When the United states dropped two atomic bombs on Japan which cities did our Masonic President (Harry Truman) select? That’s right two of the Catholic locations of Japan (Nagasaki and Hiroshima).

Nagasaki, Japan, survived the atomic bombing in 1945. The church is known as the Uramaki Cathedral (St. Mary's Cathedral) which was operated by the Jesuits who help convert Japan. It was located close to the hypocenter of the explosion.

On August 9, 1945, when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, much of the city was devastated and many buildings were destroyed. However, the Uramaki Cathedral remained standing, even though it was located less than 1.5 kilometers (about 1 mile) from the blast epicenter.

This event has been interpreted by many as a miraculous occurrence, and it has become a symbol of hope and resilience for many Catholics and others who reflect on the tragedy of the atomic bombings. The rebuilt cathedral, named the Nagasaki Peace Park, now stands on the same site.

The same miracle happened in Hiroshima to a Church operated by the Franciscans founded by St Max Kolbe.