Fátima · The Day a Hundred Thousand Waited

In 1917 three shepherd children in Fátima said they had seen the Virgin Mary on a holm oak, and foretold that she would appear again on the thirteenth of each month. Word spread, and tens of thousands gathered at the last one.

It rained heavily that day, and many claimed to see the clouds part and the sun “turn in the sky,” and their clothes dry. After years of investigation the Church recognised the apparitions.

Today a vast pilgrimage square has been built here, and hundreds of thousands come each May and October. A path for walking on the knees is laid through the middle of the square — some really do crawl the whole way.

Folklore / Fátima · Portugal / 1917