Seminary
professor Father Manuel Formigao of Santander examined the children
after the apparition of October 13th, as he had done on two previous
occasions. Later on he would conduct further examinations, covering
most of the same territory as those of September and October 1917.
"Did St. Joseph and the Holy Child appear?"
"Our Lord appeared and blessed the people and our Lady of the
two cards."
"Our Lady appeared dressed like Our Lady of Sorrows but
without the sword in her heart, and our Lady dressed---I don't quite
know how, but I think it was Our Lady of Mount Carmel."
"No. First I saw Our Lady of the Rosary, then St. Joseph and
the Holy Child. After that I saw our Lord, then Our Lady of Sorrows
and at the end what I think was Our Lady of Mount Carmel."
"Was the Holy Child standing or being carried by St. Joseph?
"
"He was being carried by St. Joseph."
"Was He already a big child?"
"No. He was little."
"How old would He have been?"
"About a year."
"Why did you say that the Lady at one moment seemed to be
dressed like Our Lady of Mount Carmel?"
"Because she had two things hanging from her hand."
"Did they appear on the oak tree?"
"No, they appeared near the sun, after the Lady had
disappeared from the oak tree."
"Was our Lord standing?"
"I only saw Him from the waist."
"How long did the apparition on the oak tree last? Long
enough to say the Rosary?"
"I don't think it was as long as that."
"Did the figures you saw in the sun last long?"
"No, only a short time."
"Did the Lady say who she was?"
"She said that she was the Lady of the Rosary."
"Did you ask what she wanted?"
"Yes."
"What did she say?"
"She said that we were to amend our lives and not offend our
Lord any more because He was too much offended already, and that we
were to say the Rosary and ask pardon for our sins."
"Did she say anything else?"
"She said that a chapel was to be built in the Cova da Iria."
"Where was the money to come from?"
"I think it would be what was left there."
"Did she say anything about our soldiers who were killed in
the war?"
"No, she said nothing about them."
"Did she tell you to tell the people to look at the
sun?"
"No."
"Did she say that the people were to do penance?"
"Yes."
"Did she use the word penance?"
"No. She said we were to say the Rosary and amend our lives
and ask pardon of our Lord, but she did not use the word
penance."
"When did the sign in the sun begin? Was it after the Lady
disappeared?"
"Yes."
"Did you see the Lady come?"
"Yes."
"Where did she come from?"
"From the east."
"And the other times?"
"I didn't look the other times."
"Did you see her go?"
"Yes."
"In which direction?"
"To the east."
"How did she disappear?"
"Little by little."
"What disappeared first?"
"Her head. Then her body, and the last thing I saw was her
feet."
"When she went did she go with her back toward or away from
the people?"
"With her back toward the people."
"Did she take long to go?"
"Only a short time."
"Was she surrounded by any light?"
"I saw her in the middle of brilliant light. This time, too,
she was blinding. Sometimes I had to rub my eyes."
"Will our Lady appear again?"
"I don't think so; she said nothing about it."
"Will you return to the Cova da Iria on the 13th?"
"No."
"Will our Lady do any miracles? Cure any sick people?"
"I don't know."
"Didn't you ask her anything?"
"I told her today that I had various petitions to give and
she said she would grant some and not others."
"Did she say when she would grant them?"
"No."
"Under what title is the chapel of the Cova da Iria to
be?"
"She said today that she was the Lady of the Rosary."
"Did she say that many people were to go there from all
parts? "
"She didn't say that anybody was to go."
"Did you see the signs in the sun?"
"I saw it going round."
"Did you see signs on the oak tree?"
"No."
"When was the Lady the most beautiful, this time or on other
occasions? "
"She was the same."
"How long was her dress?"
"It fell below the middle of her legs."
"What color was our Lady's dress when she was near the sun?
"
"The mantle was blue and the dress white."
"And our Lord and St. Joseph and the Holy Child?"
"St. Joseph's was red and I think our Lord and the Child
wore red too."
"When did you ask our Lady to make the people believe in her
apparitions?"
"I asked her several times. I think the first time I asked
was in June."
"When did she tell you the secret?"
"I think it was the second time."
Lucia Jacinta
Francisco