Garabandal

1. The proper name for Garabandal is San Sebastian de Garabandal. The locals simply refer to their little mountain village as San Sebastian.

2. The location is in the mountains of Cantabria about 53 miles southwest of the provincial capital, Santander, by automobile and about 21 miles directly south of the Cantabrian Sea, also known as the Gulf of Biscay.

3. In the early evening of June 18, 1961 St. Michael the Archangel suddenly appeared to four young girls on the edge of the village of San Sebastian de Garabandal. He returned several times over the following days, and on July 1, 1961 he told the children that the Virgin Mary would appear to them the next day. The Virgin Mary did appear to the four girls, eleven and twelve years of age, the following day. It was July 2, 1961 and Feast of the Visitation, celebrated in the Catholic Church at that time. The heavenly Lady was dressed as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel holding the Baby Jesus in her arms.

The Virgin Mary, appeared at Garabandal more than 2000 times during the next four years and four months, fulfilling a promise She had made to the three shepherd children of Fatima on October 13, 1917—the day of the great Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. On that day in Fatima, dressed as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and holding the Baby Jesus in her arms, She bade farewell to the three shepherd children saying, “until San Sebastian, Spain” (“até Sao Sebastiao da Hesphana”).

There is a large city on the northern coast of Spain, near the coastal border with France, which is named San Sebastian. However, Our Lady had in mind the little, mountain village of San Sebastian de Garabandal. Her prediction at Fatima to return at San Sebastian de Garabandal was published in a 1921 book, “Os Episodios Maravilhosos de Fatima” (“The Marvelous Episodes of Fatima”) by Rev. Dr. Manuel Formigão, who had interviewed the three shepherd children of Fatima on several occasions. This matter of Mary’s promise to return—at San Sebastian de Garabandal—is also written about in the 1937 annals of the Carmelites, a copy of which is reported to be in the Carmelite convent in Coimbra, Portugal where Sr. Lucia died in February,2005. A reference to Rev. Fr. Formigão’s 1921 book is found in, “The Lady More Brilliant than the Sun” by Fr. John de Marchi.

This underlines a direct linkage between the two series of apparitions—Fatima and Garabandal; and the two can be called one story in two parts, separated by 44 years.

A glaring and serious observation of this relationship between Fatima and Garabandal is the fact that Pope John XXIII did not reveal the Third Secret of Fatima in 1960 as Sr. Lucia had requested, saying:”by that time, it will be more clearly understood”, and, “because the Blessed Virgin wishes it so”, and the fact that Our Lady appeared the following year in 1961 at San Sebastian, Spain as She had promised, and that her messages at San Sebastian de Garabandal, Spain are strongly indicative of what the Third Secret of Fatima likely contained in the yet undisclosed, handwritten part on one sheet of paper of 20-25 lines. That single sheet was described by Bishop João Pereira Venâncio in his story about the day he forwarded the Third Secret to Rome in 1957, although he did not actually read the words. The single sheet description is also supported by comments of Bishops working with Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, and Father Joaquin Alonso—official Fatima archivist for 16 years.

The Vatican’s disclosure of the Third Secret of Fatima in the year 2000 was taken from four sheets of paper—not one sheet—thus, much mystery! It seems from the investigative evidence that the four-sheet version was in one envelope and the one-sheet version was in another. The one-sheet version was kept in the Pope’s bedroom; the other in the Holy Office archive.

There is not sufficient space here to write about the sincerity, humility and holiness of Bishop João Pereira Venâncio, mentioned above, but it is germane to this subject to point out that he said, “Garabandal is the continuation of Fatima.” The whole drama of the apparitions of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Michael the Archangel at Garabandal is replete with instuctions, messages both direct and indirect based on their actual words, their actions, marvelous occurrences, signs in the sky, as well as the actions of the four young girls to whom they appeared. There were many predictions made during the years of the apparitions (1961-1965) of things to come, many of which have already occurred.

The most important messages and still pending predictions are as follows:

1. The First Formal Message

“We must make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. But first we must be very good. 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.” (October 18, 1961)

2. The Two Nights of the Screams on June 19 and 20, 1962.

On the first night of the screams the girls screamed for 50 minutes having been shown the future Tribulation of Communism that would come one day, suddenly and unexpectedly, and will gain dominion of the whole world.

On the second night of the screams the girls screamed for 3 hours having seen the future Chastisement of fire from Heaven. The Chastisement will come at some unknown time after a Great Miracle, mentioned below.

3. The Miracle of the Eucharistic Host on July 19, 1962

This miracle, predicted in advance, actually occurred in the early hours of July 19, 1962, although it had been predicted for July 18. The delay was due to either or both of the following reasons: The unruly, worldly atmosphere of some people in the village that night and the fact that Conchita had already taken Holy Communion on the Eighteenth.

The miracle of the Host consisted of one of the young girls, Conchita, receiving the Eucharistic Host visibly on her tongue from St. Michael the Archangel. She had already received the Eucharistic Host many times before, but invisibly. This miracle was photographed.

4. The Second Formal Message

As my message of October 18th 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 many priests 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 for 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.

(June 18, 1965 – delivered by St. Michael the Archangel on behalf Our Lady because the message was too sorrowful for Her to deliver Herself because what had to be said of her Priests.)

5. Prediction of a Warning from God to every person on earth, which will stop the coming Communist Tribulation and change the Conscience of the World. It will happen in an even numbered year and prior to the Great Miracle.

6. Prediction of the Greatest Public Miracle in all history to occur within 12 months after the Warning in the spring of a future year between the 8th and 16th of a month in that future spring, on a Thursday Evening at 8:30 PM. It will coincide with a happy event in the Church and will occur on the feast day of a Saint Martyr of the Eucharist.

It will take place at Garabandal. The sick there will be cured, the sinners will be converted, the unbelievers will believe, and best of all the people there will see the Glory of God and not die. The Miracle has already been seen in advance by two Catholic Priests—Fr. Luis Andeu, S.J., who died of joy shortly after seeing the Miracle on August 8, 1961 and St. Padre Pio, OFM Cap., who saw the Miracle shortly before his death in 1968.

7. There will be a unification of the Churches. After the miracle, Russia will be converted and also many other nations. It seems that Russia will become an example to other nations, including the USA.

8. If the people of the world drift back to godlessness at some point after the Miracle, God will send a Chastisement of Fire from Heaven. Other sources of prophecy speak of a long period of true holiness and happiness following the Chastisement.