THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, TO SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1962:

Conchita with her own doll

NEW CIRCUMSTANCES OF
THE FUTURE "D" DAY

Conchita learned on this day that an almost generalized disaffection for Garabandal would come only one week before "D" day, in other words, as early as the day following the announcement that she would make. There will be few people at the village to attend the great Miracle on site. Nevertheless, it will be seen on television, could be filmed, etc.

The visionary declared on the other hand, that, as the future great events will draw near "presumed and false manifestations of the Blessed Virgin will increase considerably." She also predicted, the same day, "the disappearance, on the day of the Miracle, of the Note Dr. Pinal had forced her to sign, in Santander, which Note was saying that the apparitions of San Sebastian de Garabandal were frauds, and that herself was mad!"

Mari-Loli and Conchita Fernandez also revealed, on December 8, to Paloma Pacheco Larrauri, another important witness, present during these days with her husband, that "you will have a son for the day of the Miracle!" The sterility of the couple, source of a long separation of the two, is a trial that will come to an end in a prodigious and miraculous way. Paloma, born in 1931, will be at least 70 years old when the prophesy will be fulfilled!
[From 'Garabandal' Book, page 160]

Well, now we get to hear some controversial prophecies! This last one is strange indeed. If Paloma was born in 1931, she would be 79 years old now, if she's still living. Like some other prophecies, a supernatural answer to this question could be the answer. Maybe she had a mis-carriage and doesn't know it. She could have a son in heaven! This has happened to many women. My wife had two still-borns. I baptized them at home. I know for sure they are in heaven and I will meet them one day.

Yes, the devil loves to trick people with false apparitions. He could be doing that right now around the world with all the reported sightings of Jesus and Mary, weeping icons and statues, pictures in the clouds and on walls, windows, and even toast! The Vatican warned about a certain woman who claims to receive "Messages" from Jesus and she writes them down as if her hand is guided supernaturally. Maybe everybody will be so fed up with all these reported sightings that they will stop believing in Conchita's announcement of the Miracle.

I found out long ago to never say "Never!" So I won't say I will "never" stop believing in Garabandal, I know I believe firmly right now. St. Peter said he would "never" deny Our Lord, but we all know what happened when Jesus was arrested and was suffering his sacred Passion. St. Peter said, "I don't know the man!" And he suffered greatly for that denial . . . Let us persevere!!!
Deacon John

MONDAY, APRIL 16, TO SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 1962:

Mercedes Salisachs in 1950

THE "HOLY WEEK" AT GARABANDAL

Mercedes Salisachs, a Catalonian mother of five children, and also a woman of Letters well known in Spain, became an outstanding protagonist of theGarabandal event. She went to the famous little village four times, her first and overwhelming stay occurring during the Holy Week of April 1962. And quite understandably, since she was then to learn, at the end of the paschal vigil, through Mari-Loli but on behalf of the Blessed Virgin, that one of her sons, Miguel, a young talented artist-painter, killed in a car accident at the age of twenty-one, "was in heaven and that he was 'accompanying' her every day!"
[From 'Garabandal' Book, page 130]

This one little paragraph does not tell the whole story about Mercedes Salisachs. I read more about her and her trials in other books about Garabandal. It seems that after her son died she had stopped going to church or even praying, because she was upset with God for taking her son from her at such an early age. Many of us have lost children or loved ones, and we have questioned God with "Why did he or she die and leave me?" But most of us do not lose our faith and stop going to church, as a matter of fact, some of us are brought closer to God because of the death of a loved one. Mercedes wondered if her son was in heaven, and that drove her to go to Garabandal, in the hopes of finding out where he was, heaven or hell! So she asked the girls to ask the Blessed Mother about her son. Each time they asked, Our Lady ignored the question and did not answer. Little by little, as Mercedes watched the girls in ecstasy and saw them talking to Mother Mary, her faith started to return, but so did her conscience. It told her that she needed to go to confession, and she did. Well, guess what! As soon as Mercedes was back in good graces with God through the Sacrament of Confession, that's when Our Lady told the girls that Mercedes' son "was in heaven and that he was 'accompanying' her every day!"


A great story and a good lesson for us. There's a time to be born, and a time to die! But we really never die, we just pass on to a New Life in God, [Our Lady said "it's like walking from one room to another."] and we never leave our loved ones who stay here on earth. We will be able to see them and pray for them while we await their day to fly to heaven. The saints say that as long as the person on earth is in a 'state of grace', our family members in heaven can see us! That's another reason to keep ourselves free of mortal sin, praise God!
Deacon John