From ‘O Secula’ the anti-Catholic, Masonic daily paper of Lisbon, Portugal, by Avelino de Almedia, Editor in Chief

Despite his leanings, Mr. Almedia honestly reported what he witnessed regardless of the heckling that he knew he would receive from his employers and fellow journalists

“…One could see the immense multitude turn toward the sun, which appeared at its zenith, coming out of the clouds.

It resembles a dull silver disc, and it is possible to fix one’s eyes on it without the least damage to the eye. It does not burn the eyes. It does not blind them. One might say that an eclipse is taking place.

An immense clamor bursts out, and those who are nearer to the crowd hear a shout: ‘Miracle! Miracle! Prodigy!

“The attitude of the people takes us back to biblical times. Stupefied and with heads uncovered, they watch the blue sky. Before their dazzled eyes the sun trembled, the sun made unusual and brusque movements, defying all the laws of the cosmos, and according to the typical expression of the peasants, ‘the sun danced…’ “What did I see at Fatima that was even stranger? The rain, at an hour announced in advanced, ceased falling; the thick mass of clouds dissolved; and the sun – a dull, silver disc-came down into view at its zenith, and began to dance in a violent and convulsive movement, which a great number of witnesses compared to a ser;entine dance, because the colors taken on by the surface of the sun were so beautiful and gleaming.”

Doctor Garrett also described “a disc, with a clear cut rim, luminous and shining, but which did not hur the eyes. I do not agree with the comparison which I have heard made in Fatima – that of a dull silver disc. It was a clearer, richer, brighter color, having something of the lustre of a pearl. It did not in the least resemble the moon on a clear night because one saw it and felt it to be a living body … it looked like a glazed wheel made of mother-of-pearl.

A Wheel of Fire

As witnesses testified, the “dance of the sun” was repeated three times, with many likening is movements to a ‘a wheel of fire, a bicycle wheel, a captive ball of fire, etc. For ten to twelve minutes the people stood transvixed in wonder, before their amazement turned to terror as the sun suddenly crashed toward the earth.

As if from a bolt from the blue, the clouds were wrenched apart, and the sun at its zenith appeared in all its splendor.. It began to revolve vertiginously on its axis, like the most magnificent firewheel that could be imagined, taking on all the colors of the rainbow and sending forth multi colored flashes of light, producing the most astounding affect. This sublime and incomparable spectacle, which was repeated three distinct times, lasted for about ten minutes. The immense multitude, overcome by the evidence of such a prodigy, threw themselves on their knees. “The Creed, the Hail Mary, Acts of Contrition burst from all lips, and tears, tears of thanksgiving and repentance sprang from their eyes..”

” It seemed like a wheel of fire which was going to fall on the people.” Maria Carreira

“It spun like a firewheel.” Maria do Carmo Marques da Cruz Menezes

“…it spun round upon itself in a mad whirl.” Dr. Almeida Garrett

“It came down as if to the height of the clouds and began to whirl giddily upon itself like a captive ball of fire.” Father Pereira da Silva

“I saw the sun spinning around and it seemed about to come down on us. It revolved like a bicycle wheel. Afterwrd, it returned to its place … I wasn’t afraid, but I heard people cry out: “O we’re going to die! We are going to die.” John Carreira, the crippled sun of Maria Carreira, and later sacristan of the Fatima shrine.

“I saw the sun, as if it were a ball of fire, begin to move in the clouds. It had been raining all morning the sky was full of clouds, but the rain stopped. It lasted for several seconds, crushingly pressing down on us. Wan faces, standing here, from every side great ejaculations, acts of contrition, of the love of God. An indescribably moment. We feel it. We rramain dominated by it. Tut it is not possible to describe it.” Carlos Mendes, a lawyer

“At a certain moment, the sun seemed to stop and then began to move and dance” Ti Marto, father of Francisco and Jacinta Marto

“Ten suddenly, one heard a clamor, a cry of anguish breaking from all the people. The sun, whirling windly, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth, as if to crush us with its huge and fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.” Dr. Almeida Garrett

“At a certain moment, the sun seemed to stop and then began to move and dance unti it seemed that it was detached from the sky and was falling on ut. It was a terrible moment” Ti Marto

“It suddenly seemed to come down in a zig-zag, menacing the earth. Terrified, I ran and hid myself among the people, who were weeping and expecting the end of the world to come at any moment.” Father Lourence, who witnessed the Miracle as a schoolboy.

“I looked at the sun and saw it spinning like a disc, rolling on itself. I saw people changing color. They were stained with colors of the rainbow. The sun seemed to be falling form the sky … They were afraid and screaming.” Antonio de Oliveiro, farmer

“I saw the sun turn upon itself; it seemed to fall from the sky … The people around me were crying that the world was going to end.” Maria dos Prazeres, widow

” The sun started to roll from one place to another and changed to blue, yellow-all colors. Then we saw the sun coming towards the children. Everyone was crying out. Some started to confess their sins because there was no priest around here. My mother grabbed me to her and started to cry, ‘It is the end of the world!’ And then we saw the sun come right into the trees …” Dominic Reis, in a 1960 television interview

“Suddenly the rain stopped and a great splendor appeared and the children cried, ‘Look at the sun!’ I saw the sun coming down, feeling that it was falling to the ground. At that moment, I collapsed.” Maria Candida da Silva

“I looked and saw that the people were in various colors yellow, white, blue. At the same time, I beheld the sun spinning at great speed and very near to me. At once I thought: ‘I am going to die’ ” Father Joao Menitra

“The sun at its zenith whirled upon itself; it detached itself in descending towards the right, all the while whirling with sudden movements never seen before, to the right and the left, having almost arrived at the horizon line, it went back up to the zenith on the left, tracing a sort of winding ellipse as it went.” Baron de Alvaiazere

The frightened people, watching the sun return to its place in the heavens, had not yet noticed that their drenched and mud-soaked clothing was now clean and dry. Certainly, one can ponder even this prodigy, which reminds us of God’s abiding Providence. So many pilgrims had for days traveled to Fatima, and then faced a downpour that led them through mud up to two feet deep. Their shoes and lower apparel were caked with mud, their hair and clothes soaked, their bodies thoroughly chilled and then within the ten to twelve minutes during the Miracle of the Sun, they were spotless, warm dry, restored. This wonder, however, was not what moved them to instinctively raise their voices in an ecstasy of exultation.

“We have seen the sign of God!” the crowd cried in joy and thanksgiving, “spontaneously using the most exact biblical term, which also evokes the mysterious prophecy of the Apocalypse.

“A great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun … Apoc 12:1

From:The Memoirs of Sister Lucia, the Last Fatima Visionary