Apparitions of the Angel of Portugal
The First Apparition of the Angel
The angel first appeared either in the spring or summer of 1916 at Loca do Cabeço, a rocky outcrop near the top of a knoll called Cabeço, not far from Aljustrel.
This is Sister Lucia's account of the apparition:
"We had been playing for a while when a strong wind shook the trees.
Since it was a calm day, we looked up to see what was happening. Then we
began to see, well above the trees that covered the stretch of land to
the east, a light whiter than snow in the shape of a transparent young
man who was more brilliant than a crystal struck by the rays of the sun.
"As
he approached, we began to see his features. He was a young man of
great beauty about fourteen or fifteen years old. We were surprised and
ecstatic. We did not utter a word.
"Once he drew near us, he said:
'Fear not. I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.' "Kneeling down, he bowed until his forehead touched the ground.
Led by a supernatural inspiration, we imitated him, and repeated the words we heard him say: 'My
God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I beg Thee
forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and
do not love Thee.'
"After he had repeated this twice, he rose and said: 'Pray thus. The
Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your
supplications.' Then he disappeared.
"The supernatural atmosphere
that enveloped us was so intense that we were almost unaware of our own
existence. For a long time, we remained in the same position repeating
the same prayer. The presence of God was so intense and intimate that we
dared not speak to each other. On the following day, we felt our
spirits still enveloped in that atmosphere, which was but slowly
disappearing.
"None of us thought of talking about this
apparition or of recommending secrecy, for the incident itself demanded
it. It was so intimate that it was difficult to utter a word about it.
This might well have been the apparition that impressed us the most,
because it was the first one thus manifested."
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I beg Thee forgiveness for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.'
