LOCATION AND DURATION
San Sebastian de Garabandal is a small hamlet of some 80 humble dwellings in the Cantabrian Mountains of northwest Spain. From June 1, 1961 to November 13, 1965, the Blessed Virgin appeared to four young girls of the village. During this four-year period, an extraordinary number of apparitions for its time occurred - more than 2000 - some lasting a few hours.
THE VISIONARIES
The four girls: Conchita Gonzales (the principle spokesperson with the Blessed Virgin); Mari Loli Mazon, Jacinta Gonzalez; and Mari Cruz Gonzalez were eleven and twelve years old at the time.
Today, three of the four visionaries have married Americans and live in the United States. They lead exemplary Christian lives totally dedicated to their vocations as wives and mothers. Conchita has four children, Mari Loli three and Jacinta one. Mari Cruz is also married, living in Spain and has four children.
THE EVENTS
The girls were playing on the outskirts of the village when they heard a sound like thunder. Suddenly, there stood before them a dazzling angel. He said nothing and quickly disappeared. Pale and visible shaken, the girls ran to the village church and the apparition soon became known. Over the next twelve days the angel appeared to them several more times and then on July 1, he spoke for the first time announcing that on the following day the Blessed Virgin would appear to them as Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
News spread quickly. On July 2, many priests were among the numerous visitors who joined the villagers to witness the great event. At about 6:00 o'clock p.m., the children were headed for the spot where they had been seeing the angel when the Blessed Virgin appeared with an angel on each side. They recognized one of the angels as the one who had been appearing to them (later identified as St. Michael the Archangel) and the other looked identical. Above the Virgin was a large eye that the children thought to be the eye of God. They spoke openly and familiarly with their Heavenly Mother and said the rosary in her presence. Over the next year and a half she would appear hundreds of times frequently appearing several times in a single day.
CHURCH INVESTIGATION
The events were controversial then and remained so until Bishop del Val Gallo reopened the investigative commission in 1986.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MESSAGES
The messages of Garabandal have to do with our need for a conversion of heart; we must ask forgiveness for our sins and strive to lead good lives. Some of the messages are of a prophetic nature, referring to extraordinary events that will occur in the near future (at least the first two events must occur within the lifetime of one of the visionaries, Conchita, who was twelve years old in 1961, now forty-five years old).
Out of over 2000 apparitions, there were two very important messages to the world given by the Virgin Mary. Along with these messages are the prophetic messages for the world given to prepare us for their fulfillment.
The messages help us to prepare for the coming warning and other events that God will send to purify our hearts. The following sections contain extracts from some of the messages from Garabandal. They have been prepared for you so that you can be able to judge for yourself their importance and their relevance to your life and to the world.
MESSAGES FROM OUR LADY FOR THE WORLD
OCTOBER 18, 1961
"We must make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. But first, we must lead good lives. If we do not, a Chastisement will befall us. The cup is already filling up and if we do not change, a very great Chastisement will come upon us."JUNE 18, 1965
"As my message of October 18 has not been complied with and has not been made known to the world, I am advising you that this is the last one. Before, the cup was filling up. Now it is flowing over. Many cardinals, many bishops and manypriests are on the road to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist. You should turn the wrath of God away from yourselves by your efforts. If you ask His forgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. I, your mother, through the intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel, ask you to amend your lives. You are now receiving the last warnings. I love you very much and do not want your condemnation. Pray to us with sincerity and we will grant your requests. You should make more sacrifices. Think about the passion of Jesus."
...
THE PROPHECIES
The relatively few messages of Garabandal contain prophesies of supernatural events that will affect the entire world, perhaps in this decade.
In the light of the many apparitions and messages being given by Mary continuously around the world since these early years of the sixties, Garabandal's messages are of extreme importance. The prophecies of Garabandal tell us of the four greatest supernatural events in the history of mankind:
APPARITIONS LIST ARCHIVES