San Sebastian de Garabandal is a small hamlet tucked away in the Cantabrian Mountains of northwest Spain. On the evening of June 18, 1961, four young girls, eleven and twelve years old, were playing together when they heard a noise that sounded like thunder. Suddenly, there stood before them, a dazzling angel. He said nothing and quickly vanished from their sight. The children, awestruck and frightened, ran towards the village church. Their pale faces aroused the questions of others and the apparitions became known. Over the next 12 days, the angel appeared eight more times and then on July 1st, he spoke to them for the first time. "Do you know why I have come?" he asked. "It is to announce to you that tomorrow, Sunday, the Virgin Mary will appear to you as Our Lady of Mount Carmel." The angel had thus prepared the children for Our Lady's coming.
News spread quickly. On July 2nd, many priests were among the numerous visitors from out of town who joined the villagers to witness the great event. At about six p.m., the children headed for the spot where they had been seeing the angel and before they even arrived, the Blessed Virgin appeared with two angels, one on each side. They recognized one of the angels as St. Michael the archangel, who had been appearing to them and the other looked identical. Above the Virgin was a large eye that seemed to the children to be the eye of God. They spoke openly and familiarily with Our Lady and said the rosary in her presence. Over the next four years, she would appear to the girls some 2000 times frequently appearing several times in a single day.
Our Lady gave two formal messages. On July 4th, 1961, she gave a message to the children and directed them to make it known publicly on October 18, 1961. Having been alerted in advance, 3,000 people were in the village that rain soaked day to hear the following: "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." It was the Blessed Virgin's desire that this message be made known universally.
The second formal message came four years later. Our Lady told the visionaries that she was displeased because her first message went unheeded. She therefore announced that she would give a second and final message, through the intercession of St. Michael, on June 18, 1965.
As the day arrived, thousands of visitors from Spain and many foreign countries swelled the little mountain village to witness the apparition and hear this further communication from the Blessed Virgin: "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 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 His forgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. I, your Mother, through the intercession of St. 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."
Our Lady also foretold three great future events. The first is a world-wide WARNING that will be seen and felt by everyone on the face of the earth. No one will escape it and no one will have the slightest doubt that it comes from God. This WARNING will serve to purify mankind for the great MIRACLE which will occur shortly thereafter at a grove of nine pine trees overlooking the village of Garabandal. Conchita knows the date of the MIRACLE and will announce it eight days in advance. Everyone in the village or surrounding mountainsides will see it. The sick will be cured, sinners converted and the incredulous will believe. As a result of the MIRACLE, Russia will be converted. A permanent supernatural sign will remain at the pines after the MIRACLE until the end of time. If, after the WARNING and MIRACLE, the world still does not change, then the CHASTISEMENT will come.
Our thanks to The Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for this inspiring story. For more information and the Padre Pio connection click here:
www.garabandalny.com |
