Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History & Culture
The story of Fatima dates back to the 13
th
of May 1917, when three local children wit-
nessed an apparition of a 'lady dressed in white' on top of a tree, later referred to as Our
Lady of the Rosary. The apparition told the children she was sent by God to deliver a mes-
sage of repentance and prayer and would return to the same spot on the 13
th
of each month
for the next five months. Each month, the children reported successive apparitions and
word spread until the final appearance on the 13
th
of October 1917, which was witnessed
by over 70,000 pilgrims and named the 'Miracle of the Sun'. Three secrets were revealed
by the apparition; the first foretold World War II and the spread of atheism, the second told
of the spread of communism in Russia, and the third was held by the Vatican until May
2000 when it was revealed to have predicted an attempt on the life of Pope John Paul II
in 1981. The many pilgrims who visited each year allowed Fatima to expand and gain city
status in 1997.
