by João Alves
Of the miraculous springs, some faucets remain at the base of the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (photo by Miguel Angel Gutierrez)
During the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, no water sprang forth, as it did in Lourdes. This created a vital and extremely difficult problem to solve: the lack of water for pilgrims. This difficulty was compounded by the nature of the terrain, which was limestone and highly porous, thus unable to retain moisture.
The inhabitants of Fatima and nearby settlements, to have water in their homes, were forced to collect rainwater that flowed from the gutters into cisterns.
How could hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather in a place devoid of water, such as the Cova da Iria? Moreover, the authorities were grappling with the need for a large amount of water for the planned constructions. From a human perspective, it seemed absolutely impossible.
Yet, once again, Providence intervened. Where man falls short, God steps in.
It was November 13, 1921. Immediately after the first Mass celebrated in the small commemorative chapel of the apparitions, the Bishop of Leiria was inspired to explore the ground. He therefore ordered the digging of a well at the bottom of the Cova, precisely in the spot where the little shepherds stood during the first apparition.
There was no shortage of farmers who laughed at the Bishop’s idea, claiming it was a waste of money, that the religious was not local, nor did he know the terrain, and so on.
In obedience to the zealous prelate’s order, the workers opened a small manhole and, to their great surprise, saw clear and abundant water gushing forth just a few steps from the sacred holm oak.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” said a surprised farmer. “No one here could have imagined a water vein. It was certainly a miracle from Heaven, or from the Bishop.”
Shortly afterward, since the water was insufficient, the Bishop ordered the digging of two more wells a few meters from the first, and here too, water flowed as it had the first time.
From that moment on, the precious resource never ran out, both for the needs of the constructions and for the pilgrims, who carried it in large quantities to their homes.
The water from the various springs was collected in a large reinforced concrete cistern built at the base of the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Subsequent works, unfortunately, completely defaced the miraculous spring, almost erasing its memory. However, we can get an idea of it from the accounts and photos of the time.
The miraculous spring was shaped like a circle, about two meters high and ten meters in diameter, resembling a fairly flared basin and thus somewhat steep, as is commonly found in Portuguese cities. The circular shape facilitated meeting the extraordinary water demands during large pilgrimages. Fifteen faucets were placed along the edge, corresponding to the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. During major pilgrimages, a group of volunteer boys was tasked with distributing the water.
Near the spring, signs were posted to inform people that the water was provided free of charge and that it was expressly forbidden to give or receive offerings for it.
There was also a plan to build a series of pools, as in Lourdes, so that pilgrims could bathe. Unfortunately, this too was abandoned in subsequent works.
Countless cases of miraculous healings have been attributed to the water from Fatima’s prodigious spring. By reviewing the accounts of graces reported in the sanctuary’s official publication, “Voz da Fatima,” it is easy to see that most of them were obtained through the application or use of the water.
Three moments of the miraculous springs:
Above: the small chapel at the site of the apparitions with the springs in front of the entrance
Center: during the construction of the Sanctuary, the springs still existed
Above: the Sanctuary in its current form: the springs have disappeared, leaving only some faucets at the base of the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Rivista “Tradizione, Famiglia, Proprietà”, Roma, Anno 23, n. 74 – Giugno 2017, pag. 38-39
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