WHAT IS GARABANDAL?: A MOTHERLY PRESENCE

Sunday, June 3, 2007

A MOTHERLY PRESENCE

Conchita offering a pebble to the Child Jesus

To amuse the Child Jesus, the girls, in a spontaneous gesture, offered Him some little pebbles off the road. He did not take them but He really smiled.
The Blessed Virgin kissed these pebbles and asked the visionaries to distribute them around. Soon the Blessed Virgin would designate precisely the persons to whom they should be given. . .
This "practice," unique in its kind, was established very soon at Garabandal. Those present would entrust to the visionaries, on Mary's indications, only objects of devotion to be kissed by Her.

The children, their hands full of rosaries and medals, not knowing whose they were, with their eyes fixed on the vision, always handed them back to the owners.
A very soft scent sometimes emanated from these objects . . . As to their value, Conchita explained this on September 14, 1965: "The Blessed Virgin said that Jesus would perform miracles through these objects and that those who would wear them with faith and trust would do their Purgatory on earth," thus sparing themselves the purifications they would have to undergo to pass into Heaven.
An important detail: never did the Blessed Virgin at San Sebastian de Garabandal bless any object or person. This is totally in conformity with the Church's Canon Law that assigns this function to priests [and deacons] only. [Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 50.]

As a believer in Garabandal, I always wear a "kissed object", which in my case is a tiny piece of a prayer book that was kissed by Holy Mary, and sewn into my Brown Scapular, which I NEVER take off! I have a strong faith in Our Lady's words about serving my Purgatory here on earth and believe me, I really am!!! As for any miracles, I'm a walking one cause Our Lady has turned my life around through my on-going conversion, teaching me, and leading me to Her Son, Jesus,
especially in the Eucharist!

In that last paragraph about blessings, I added "and deacons", but in the early 1960's, the Permanent Diaconate renewal had not even been discussed yet. After Vatican II, when the diaconate was brought back as a part of Holy Orders, the function of blessing people and objects was restored to deacons.

Also, I was just thinking that mothers & fathers can bless their own children, so Our Blessed Mother can certainly bless us! What do you think?
Deacon John

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UPDATE: THE CHURCH"S POSITION ON GARABANDAL

The magazine "Garabandal Journal" has updated some information regarding the village of Garabandal, the current Bishop and Pastor.
For many years, while never being condemned, the Garabandal events were under a dark cloud as some of the first bishops (but not all) opposed the events. But the tide started to change with Bishop Juan Antonio del Val Gallo (1971-1991). While he at first did not believe in the apparitions he took a more open position. In 1981, he became a believer and during his reign, he lifted the ban on priests going up to the village and allowed them to celebrate Mass in the village church with the permission of the village pastor. The next bishop, Jose Vilaplana Blasco, was a non-believer, but left in place the positive changes made by Bishop del Val. In 2006, he was transferred to another diocese in southern Spain and Archbishop of Oviedo, Carlos Osoro Sierra, was made Apostolic Administrator of Santander. The Archbishop, building on the positive measures taken by Bishop Del Val, allowed priests visiting Garabandal to celebrate Mass in the village church even if the pastor was not there (he ministered to a number of other villages and was not always in Garabandal). The Archbishop also gave visiting priests faculties to hear confessions.
In 2007, Ed Kelly from the United States, wrote to the Archbishop requesting the current status of Garabandal and received a letter from the prelate, under his own stationary and signed by him dated May 7, 2007, in which he said: "I respect the apparitions and have known of authentic conversions. In light of these events, how can we not always feel the need to open our heart to our mother Mary to tell her that we need her protection, help, spirit, desire, hope and love! I encourage you to continue maintaining this devotion to our Mother."
In 2011, two 50th anniversaries were celebrated in Garabandal (1) for the first appearance of St. Michael on June 18, 1961, and (2) the first vision of Our Lady on July 2, 1961. The celebrations were conducted under the auspices of the Santander Diocese represented by the village pastor Fr. Rolando Cabeza (also dean of the area). During the celebrations, another ban was lifted when Fr. Cabeza, spoke of the apparitions from the pulpit, and read the two formal Messages of Our Lady at Garabandal.
On May 6, 2012, current Bishop of Santander, Vecente Jimenez Zamora (installed in 2007) celebrated a Mass in Garabandal in commemoration of the completion of a restoration project of the village church. In a refreshments period after Mass, he was open and most cordial with all the villagers and visitors. On May1, 2013, the Bishop again celebrated Mass in the village church of Garabandal and prior to the Mass, kissed a crucifix belonging to villager David Toribio that was kissed by the Blessed Virgin at Garabandal. We don't know if the Bishop knew that but we suspect he did.
Bishop Jimenez's Masses in Garabandal were firsts, since no Bishop of Santander had ever said Mass in the village church from the time the apparitions began in 1961.
Deacon John

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WHAT IS GARABANDAL?

Sunday, June 3, 2007

A MOTHERLY PRESENCE

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