The Apparitions of Our Lady at Garabandal Page 1 of 2

Written by Fr. Joseph A. Pelletier, A.A.
Page 1 of 2 Garabandal is a quaint hamlet of three hundred souls isolated in the gorgeous Cantabrian mountains of northwestern Spain. It lies about sixty miles southwest of the provincial capital and episcopal see of Santander. Some seventy solid rustic stone houses stand huddled together on a narrow strip of land overlooking the delightful wooded valley which stretches north Image by garabandal archives via Flickr ward toward the plain below. The story of Garabandal opens on June 18, 1961, on a Sunday at eight-thirty in the evening. Four simple, unsophisticated girls were playing in a sunken lane, called the calleja, at the southern extremity of the village. The sound of thunder was suddenly heard and later a brilliant angel appeared, first to Conchita (Maria Concepcion) Gonzalez and then almost immediately afterward to Loli (Maria Dolores) Mazon, Jacinta Gonzalez and Maria Cruz Gonzalez. Notwithstanding the identical family names, none of the girls were closely related. The first three girls were twelve years old and the other only eleven. However, because of the backward village environment, their mental and psychological age was considerably less. The angel came bac Image via Wikipedia k eight more times during June. Our Lady Comes The first time he spoke was on July 1st. He said: "Do you know why I have come? It is to announce to you that tomorrow, Sunday, the Virgin Mary will appear to you as Our Lady of Mount Carmel." The angel's mission was to prepare the children for Our Lady's coming and to be her messenger. He returned with her the next day but came back much less frequently after that. However, the Blessed Virgin began appearing almost every day and occasionally was accompanied by the Infant Jesus whom she carried in her arms. A Mother and Her Children The four girls talked with the Blessed Virgin with great simplicity. They talked about their everyday life, about going out to the fields to make hay and about getting bronzed by the sun. Our Lady delighted in their childish talk. A charming and almost disarming spontaneity marked the apparitions. In her Diary, Conchita mentions that the angel and Our Lady smiled profusely and that they laughed at some of their childish remarks. She says that several times the Blessed Virgin kissed them. On a few occasions when she came with the Infant Jesus, she allowed them to take him in their arms. They also did simple little things to amuse and please him, such as hiding pebbles in their sleeves and in the tresses of their hair. Once, Our Lady took the crown of small golden stars from her head and permitted them to hold it in their hands. Many have seen in all this an indication of the childlike attitude we should have in our relationship with Christ and his Blessed Mother. First Formal Message On July 4th, Our Lady gave the girls what has come to be known as the first message. This message affirmed that it was important to make many sacrifices, to perform much penance and to visit the Blessed Sacrament often. It said that first, people should lead good lives, and that if they did not do this, a chastisement would befall them. It warned that the cup was already filling up and that if men did not change, a very great chastisement would come. This message had been inscribed on a sign that had appeared under the angel's feet in June, but the children had not understood the inscription at the time. Our Lady told the girls to announce the message publicly to the people on October 18th, which they did. Second Formal Message The second message was given much later toward the end of the apparitions. The Blessed Virgin told Conchita on January 1, 1965, that the archangel Saint Michael would appear on June 18th, and would deliver a message in her name. Through Saint Michael, Our Lady complained that her first message had not been complied with and warned that this message would be her last. She said that the cup which previously had been filling up was now flowing over. She stated that many priests, bishops and cardinals were on the road to perdition and taking many souls with them. She deplored the fact that less and less importance was being given to the Eucharist. She said that we should turn the wrath of God away from us by our efforts and that God would pardon us if we asked forgiveness with sincere hearts. She affirmed that if we asked with sincerity, our requests would be granted. Her final words were to exhort us to make more sacrifices and to reflect on the passion of Jesus. Message Doctrinally Sound Bishop Eugenio Beitia, one of the former bishops of Santander, issued a decree on July 8, 1965, in which he refused to recognize the supernatural character of the apparitions at Garabandal. However, in that same decree, he acknowledged the doctrinal integrity of the Garabandal message: "we point out, however, that we have not found anything deserving of ecclesiastical censorship or condemnation either in the doctrine or in the spiritual recommendations that have been publicized as having been addressed to the faithful, for these contain an exhortation to prayer and sacrifice, to Eucharistic devotion, to veneration of Our Lady in traditional praiseworthy ways, and to holy fear of God offended by our sins. They simply repeat the common doctrine of the Church in these matters." Rosary Message and Renewal of Private Prayer Bishop Beitia mentions "an exhortation to... veneration of our Blessed Lady in traditional praiseworthy ways" as part of the spiritual recommendations of Garabandal. He is apparently referring to the rosary message of Garabandal. Now this is not part of what could be termed the official or formal messages, those given by the Blessed Virgin, either directly, as in 1961, or through Saint Michael, as in 1965. But the broader message of Garabandal definitely does involve an exhortation to that traditional Marian prayer, the rosary. The Blessed Virgin took the pains to teach the girls how to say it properly, that is, very slowly and attentively. She also made them recite it during every apparition and she commanded them to recite it daily. It is interesting to note that Our Lady taught the girls how to say other vocal prayers in the same deliberate manner. Her first lesson in private prayer was given on August 8, 1961, to Maria Cruz, who at the time was in ecstasy in the village church. Here is how Conchita describes this in her Diary: "…She started to say the Credo very slowly with the Blessed Virgin. Maria Cruz said that the Blessed Virgin took the lead and recited the prayer first, in order to teach her how to pray slowly. After the Credo, she said the Hail Holy Queen and then she made the Sign of the Cross very slowly, very properly." Tape Recordings Informative Tape recordings of the children saying the rosary and other prayers in ecstasy reveal two features of these "very slow" prayers. Each word is pronounced very, very slowly and there are distinct pauses between each grouping of two or three words, for example, H-a-i-l M-a-r-y..... F-u-l-l o-f G-r-a-c-e..... t-h-e L-o-r-d-….. i-s w-i-t-h T-h-e-e ..... Image by garabandal archives via Flickr Renewal of Rosary and Private Prayer Our Lady was teaching us the renewal of the rosary and of all private or vocal prayer. She was telling us that all these prayers must be slowed up enough to allow us to think and love as we pray. When we have put our mind into our prayer, our heart will follow. This slow, meaningful and affective praying of the rosary and other vocal prayers adds a whole new and rewarding dimension to them. Informal Message These specific instructions for the renewal of private prayer, and many other things which the Blessed Virgin told the children during the numerous apparitions and locutions (interior voices or messages communicated interiorly and without any accompanying vision), comprise what could be called the informal, but truly authentic message of Garabandal. Private Messages Many of the messages delivered by Our Lady were of a purely private nature. Some were words of enlightenment or comfort directed to people who came to the village with personal problems. Others were statements that revealed the hidden thoughts or actions of visitors, some of whom were doubting priests. The Blessed Virgin told Conchita that the great American apostle of Garabandal, Joey Lomangino, would recover his sight on the day of the great miracle. She also told Conchita and her three friends other things of this kind. Divine Commands in Times of Spiritual Crisis The messages given on the occasion of apparitions do not involve new doctrine. The content of our faith can know no increase. Divine revelation came to a close with the death of the last apostle. The messages of apparitions are divine commands telling us what to do in times of spiritual crisis. In this regard it is interesting to note that the message of Garabandal warned us in advance of the things that we should hold to and that were soon to be the object of direct or indirect attack in the Church: Mary, the rosary, the Eucharist, sin, penance and repentance, meditation on the passion (which gives us our insight into sin and the role of penance and reparation). Her request for prayers for priests and members of the hierarchy who are on the road to perdition is particularly prophetic and significant. Image by garabandal archives via Flickr Great Miracle Yet to Come The Garabandal event is not yet over. Its climax will be a great miracle that shall convince everyone of the authenticity of Our Lady's visits to this remote Spanish mountain town. Conchita tells us about this in her Diary in the following words: The Blessed Virgin advised me of a great miracle, saying that God, Our Lord, would perform it through her intercession. Just as the chastisement will be very, very great, in keeping with our deserts, so too, the miracle will be extremely great, in keeping with the needs of the world. The Blessed Virgin has told me the date of the miracle and what it will consist of. I am supposed to announce it eight days in advance, so that people will come. The Pope will see it from wherever he is, and Padre Pio also. The sick who are present at the miracle will be cured and the sinners will be converted. There will be no doubt in the mind of anyone who sees this great miracle which God, Our Lord, will perform through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. And now as we await this great day of the miracle, let us see if the world changes and the chastisement is averted. Padre Pio is reliably reported to have seen the miracle before he died. This should not astonish us, as we know that another person, Father Luis Andreu, S.J., also saw the miracle, as well as Our Lady, on August 8, 1961, six hours before he died. And Pope Pius XII saw the miracle of Fatima, the dancing sun, four times in the Vatican gardens thirty years after the original event took place in Portugal. Conchita's manner of describing the greatness of the miracle is interesting. It "will be extremely great, in keeping with the needs of the world." Many feel that the world is in need of some great heavenly event to shake it up and bring it back to God. It should be noted that the chastisement is conditional. It can be averted "if the world changes." Additional information concerning the miracle is given by Conchita in her report of a locution which she had with Our Lord on July 20, 1963. "Why is the miracle going to take place? To convert many people?," she asked Our Lord. "To convert the whole world," He answered. "Will Russia be converted?," she enquired. "Yes, she will be converted, and thus everyone—todos—will love Our Hearts." He replied. Conchita is the only one with whom the Blessed Virgin discussed the miracle. It will coincide with an event in the Church and with the feast of a saint who is a martyr of the Eucharist and it will take place at eight-thirty on a Thursday evening. It will be visible not only to all those who are in the village but also to those in the surrounding mountains. It will be the greatest miracle that Jesus has performed for the world. There won't be the slightest doubt that it comes from God and that it is for the good of mankind. A sign of the miracle—un señal del milagro—which it will be possible to film or televise but not touch, will remain forever at the pines. The Divine Warning Conchita was advised by Our Lady at the pines on January 1, 1965, of a divine warning that would precede the great miracle. It will be seen and experienced by all men all over the world and will be a direct work of God. It will be very awesome. However, if men die from it, it will be only from the emotional shock of seeing it. It will take place before the miracle at a date unknown to Conchita and its purpose will be to give people a chance to amend their lives before the great heavenly sign. Miracle of the Visible Host A miracle to confirm the apparitions was requested by the girls early in the apparitions. One was given to them, one that Conchita called a "little miracle," un milagruco, using a diminutive proper to the Santander region. A visible host appeared suddenly and mysteriously on Conchita's tongue at 1:40 in the morning on July 19, 1962. This precise miracle was announced fifteen days in advance by Conchita at the bidding of the archangel Saint Michael, who gave her the Communion. Many people were on hand for the event and one man, who was standing inches from Conchita, took some pictures of it. Sufficient Proof Already Given Other unusual things, for which there is no human explanation, also took place along with the apparitions or visions. These, particularly taken all together, constitute a powerful argument in favor of the authenticity of the event. The three calls or llamadas which preceded and announced Our Lady's coming, the ecstatic marches, oscillations and falls, the children's excessive weight to others and exceptional lightness to each other in ecstasy, their humanly unexplainable knowledge of what people totally unknown to them had done or were thinking, and the kissing of objects by Our Lady and the amazing way they were distributed to people during the apparitions, these are some of the exceptional and humanly unexplainable phenomena encountered at Garabandal.

[To be Continued . . .]

The Church’s Position on Garabandal

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Written by Colin B. Donovan, S.T.L.  

The following articulation of the Church’s position regarding Garabandal is taken from the Frequently Asked Questions section of EWTN’s questions and answers forum. – Ed.

The history of all approved apparitions shows that the Church requires unequivocal evidence of supernaturality. This can be cures, as at Lourdes and Beauraing, or a supernatural prodigy, as at Fatima. The reason from the Church's mystical theology is that most mysticism (as both St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John of the Cross teach) is mediated by the angels (who have a created angelic nature). What the good angels can do the bad angels can imitate, so that many so-called "supernatural" phenomena are merely preternatural (above human nature, but not above the angelic nature). At Garabandal this would include the ecstasies, the ecstatic walks, the returning of rosaries and medals to the proper owners and so on. None of these things, much less the miraculous photos, rosaries turning gold etc. of more recent alleged apparitions, proves anything to the Church about the divine origin of a phenomena. In the absence of some clear supernatural proof neither the local bishop or Rome is likely to approve an apparition.

While two commissions convened by bishops of Santander, Spain, have stated that there were no phenomena which would authentic the events as certainly supernatural they did not condemn the message. In this regard, the first commission stated, "we have not found anything deserving of ecclesiastical censure or condemnation either in the doctrine or in the spiritual recommendations that have been published as having been addressed to the faithful." The bishop who called the second commission, Bishop del Val, upon retiring from office stated in an interview that the message of Garabandal was "important" and "theologically correct." Indeed, some of the prophetic elements of the message can be found in private revelations which have been approved since the initial decision on Garabandal in the 1960s. For example, the concept of a worldwide warning can be found in the Diary of Saint Faustina (Diary n.83), and both the message of Divine Mercy given to her (Diary n.1588), and that of Akita (approved by the local bishop), speak of chastisement if mankind does not ultimately repent. Similar prophetic content can be found in the writings of Elizabeth Canori-Mora and Mary of Jesus Crucified, both of whom were beatified by Pope John Paul II, as well as in prophecies given by God to Blessed Anna Maria Taigi and St. Caspar del Bufalo. Finally, the principal promoter of Garabandal, Joey Lomangino, testifies that it was Saint Padre Pio who told him the Blessed Virgin was appearing at Garabandal and he should go.

Image by seminarianvoitus via Flickr

It seems, therefore, that notwithstanding the decisions of two commissions accepted by the bishops of Santander, that there are reasonable grounds for individual Catholics to find Garabandal credible. The children themselves predicted that the message of Garabandal would be approved with difficulty, but in sufficient time to spread it. Perhaps this means that the "warning" (a clearly supernatural event) must occur first for approval to be given. Given the seriousness of the times we do well to heed the message of conversion, whether proposed by Fatima or some other source such as Garabandal, Medjugorje or another, without fear, that is, with complete confidence in God's providence for us and the world. The future will take care of itself if we remain spiritually prepared for anything. This has always been the advice of the saints, anyway.

Colin Donovan is Vice President for Theology at EWTN. A layman, he has the Licentiate in Sacred Theology, with a specialization in moral theology, from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.

Garabandal Forum

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Question: 
I was wondering what is the position of Benedict XVI, if Our Lady said that there would be two more popes after Paul VI? 

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Answer:
On the death of Pope John 23rd in June 1963, Conchita told her mother, Anicita, that "there will be three more popes till the end of time." On the death of John Paul II, we have entered the end times. 
Benedict XVI, as Cardinal Ratzinger SJ. received copies of all Fr. Benac's files on Garabandal. Fr. Benac SJ. was a renowned world expert on the Garabandal apparitions. We can confidently assume that Benedict XVI is well acquainted with the Garabandal story.
From Garabandal International Magazine 

Catholic Prophecy

"The times are grievous. The whole world is in turmoil because it has become worse than at the time of the deluge! Everything is in suspense, like a thread; when this thread breaks, the justice of God will (strike) like a thunderbolt and will complete its terrible course of purification."
(Prophetic Vision of Sr. Elena Aiello, Foundress of The Sister Minims, December 8th, 1958 A.D.)




The Three Days of Darkness


Excerpts from Yves Dupont (1922-1979 A.D.)


THE ACT OF GOD


The most spectacular aspect of the Act of God will be the three days of darkness over the whole earth. The Three Days have been announced by many mystics, viz., Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi, Padre Pio, Elizabeth Canori-Mora, Rosa-Colomba Asdente, Palma d'Oria, in Italy; Father Nectou, in Belgium; St. Hildegard, in Germany; Pere Lamy, Marie Baourdi, Marie Martel, Marie-Julie Jahenny, in France. (This list is not exhaustive; many more mystics have announced the Three Days.)

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Padre Pio and other Catholics eminent for sanctity, have for centuries prophesied the dreadful coming chastisement of the
Three Days of Darkness; where at least half to three quarters of the world's population will be killed by God's Just Wrath.


The Church does not oblige us to believe in any particular prophecy as a matter of faith [de fide], but we are indeed obliged to believe that prophecies may be made even in our own times, for this is in the Gospel [Evangelium]: the Holy Ghost will speak to many in the Latter Days.


Moreover, when an identical prophecy has been made by widely separated people in time and space, when this particular prophecy was accompanied by other predictions which have already come to pass, and when the holiness of the mystics in question has been recognized by the Church, we would be foolish indeed not to believe that the prophecy must come to pass.


Such is the case concerning the Three Days of Darkness. How else could we explain that an illiterate peasant woman of Brittany is describing the very thing that another mystic in, say, Germany or Italy is also describing?

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi Image by Stephen, O.Cist. via Flickr

Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi (19th Century) After the Three Days of Darkness St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and... Designate a new Pope A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope Russia, England, and China will come into the Church
"After the three days of darkness, St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope. Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world. He is the Holy Pontiff, chosen by God to withstand the storm. At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth. Whole nations will come back to the Church and the face of the earth will be renewed. Russia, England, and China will come into the Church."
(Prophecy of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837 A.D.) who was Beatified by Pope Bendedict XV in 1920.)
THE PROXIMATE SIGNS


Here are the proximate signs in their probable order of occurrence. This, to be sure, is only my own opinion, and I may be wrong for I am no prophet myself; but, after studying a large number of prophecies, this order appears to me to be the most likely:


Flouting of church laws, irreverence and immodesty in church, fall in attendance at church.
Lack of charity towards others, heartlessness, indifference, divisions, contentions, godlessness, pride in human knowledge.
Breakdown of family life: immorality, adultery, perversion of youth via the media (e.g. homosexuals giving lectures in schools), immodest fashions (e.g. mini-skirts, bikinis, see-throughs), people concerned only with eating, drinking, dancing and other pleasures.
Civil commotions, contempt for authority, downfall of governments, confusion in high places, corruption, coups d'etat, civil war, revolution. (The first four proximate signs have already come to pass, at least partly; for we are yet to see civil war and revolution in the West. But the sequence of events is not strictly chronological; there is room for some overlapping. Thus, the 5th proximate sign seems to have begun also.)
Floods and droughts, crop failures, unusual weather, tornadoes, earthquakes, tidal waves, famines, epidemics, unknown diseases (e.g. new strains of viruses).
THE WARNING


This will take place between the proximate and the immediate signs. It will be a supernatural occurrence.


During the Warning, everyone will be made aware of his/her own sinfulness, and many will wish to die, but the Warning itself will be completely harmless.


The Warning must be viewed as the last act of mercy from God, a final appeal to mankind to do penance before the three days of darkness and the destruction of three-quarters of the human race. At a time when the murder of unborn babies and the sin of Sodom and Lesbos have become respectable and sometimes legal, we should not wonder why God is going to punish mankind.


By that time, war and revolution will have already caused a high deathtoll, and Communism will be victorious, but all this will be as nothing compared with the deathtoll caused by the Three Days.






The Three Days of Darkness
THE IMMEDIATE SIGN


It will be a bitterly cold winter night in the Northern hemisphere. (Presumably, a very cold summer night in Australia or, by contrast, a torrid night.) The wind will howl and roar. Lightning and thunderbolts of an unprecedented magnitude will strike the earth. The whole earth will shake, heavenly bodies will be disturbed – (this will be the beginning of the Three Days). Every Demon, every evil spirit will be released from hell and allowed to roam the earth. Terrifying apparitions will take place. Many will die from sheer fright. Fire will rain forth from the sky, all large cities will be destroyed, poisonous gases will fill the air, cries and lamentations everywhere. The unbelievers will burn in the open like withered grass. The entire earth will be afflicted; it will look like a huge graveyard.


As soon as you notice that bitterly cold night, go indoors, lock all doors and windows, pull down the blinds, stick adhesive paper on vents and around windows and doors. Do not answer calls from outside, do not look at the windows, or you will die on the spot: keep your eyes down to make sure you do not see the windows; the Wrath of God is mighty and no one should attempt to behold it. Light blessed wax candles; nothing else will burn, but the candles will not be extinguished once lit. Nothing will put them out in the houses of the faithful, but they will not burn in the houses of the godless. Sprinkle holy water about the house and especially in the vicinity of doors and windows: the devils fear holy water. Bless yourself with it and anoint your five senses with it: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet, and forehead. Keep on hand a sufficient supply of drinking water and, if possible, food also (but you can live without food for three days.) Kneel down and pray incessantly with outstretched arms, or prostrate on the floor. Make acts of contrition, faith, hope, and charity. Above all say the Rosary and meditate on the Sorrowful mysteries.


Some people, especially children, will be taken up to Heaven beforehand to spare them the horror of these days. People caught outdoors will die instantly. Three-quarters of the human race will be exterminated, – more men than women. No one will escape the terror of these days.


Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi stated in regards to this terrible Three Days of Darkness Chastisement
:
"God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils; it shall originate on earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy."
"All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms."


But, when all seems lost and hopeless, then, in the twinkling of an eye, the ordeal will be over: the sun will rise and shine again as in springtime over a purified earth.


Some nations will disappear entirely, and the face of the earth will be changed. There will be no more "Big Business" and huge factories which sap men's souls. Craftsmanship will revive, and assembly lines will give way to the working bench.


People will return to the land, but food will be scarce for about three years. Married women will bear many children, for it will be regarded as a disgrace not to have children, – no more "career women" addicted to the "pill". Unmarried females, – there will be many, will enter the religious orders and form large congregations of Nuns within the reborn Church. Disease will decrease dramatically, and mental illnesses will be rare, for man will have retrieved his natural environment. It will be an age of faith, true brotherhood between neighbors, civil harmony, peace, and prosperity. The land will yield crops as never before. Police will have little work to do: crime will disappear almost entirely. Mutual trust and honesty will be universal. There will be little work for lawyers, either. All the manpower which is currently taken up by the wickedness of the modern world will be released and available for the production of useful commodities. Thus, prosperity will be very great. This wonderful period will probably last 30 years approximately.


As soon as you see the sun rise again at the end of the Three Days, drop to your knees and give thanks to God.


Be warned, SPREAD THE MESSAGE, but do not fear: it would be an offense to God to show lack of confidence in His protection. Those who spread the message will be protected, but the scoffers, the skeptics, and those who dismiss the message because they are frightened, will not escape the chastisement.


WHAT TO DO NOW


SPREAD THE MESSAGE; Remain in the state of grace. Go to Mass (Note: this is not possible for the majority of true Catholics during this prophesied (by Our Lady of La Salette) "Eclipse of the Church". See imperative information on how to fulfill your Mass obligation and about valid Confessions here. -ED) Say your rosary every day. Obtain some bees wax candles and have these blessed by a True (approbated) priest connected to Pope Gregory XVII and his Successors. Do not buy ordinary white candles; they are not made of wax. Pray for the liberty and exultation of the True Church. Say the prayer to St. Michael which His Holiness Pope Leo XIII composed after witnessing a terrifying vision of Satan's power. Wear the Brown Scapular and the miraculous medal. Deny yourself some legitimate pleasures and entertainment; many of the holy individuals who have predicted this chastisement, insist on this. Eat sparingly, frugally, to sustain life properly - think of food as you would medicine. When the proximate signs are over, i.e., war and revolution culminating in the victory of communism, when you behold the Warning, then store up food, drinking water, blankets and other necessities.




"The apostasy of the city of Rome from the vicar of Christ and its destruction by Antichrist may be thoughts so new to many Catholics, that I think it well to recite the text of theologians of greatest repute. First Malvenda, who writes expressly on the subject, states as the opinion of Ribera, Gaspar Melus, Biegas, Suarrez, Bellarmine and Bosius that Rome shall apostatise from the faith, drive away the Vicar of Christ and return to its ancient paganism. ...Then the Church shall be scattered, driven into the wilderness, and shall be for a time, as it was in the beginning, invisible hidden in catacombs, in dens, in mountains, in lurking places; for a time it shall be swept, as it were from the face of the earth. Such is the universal testimony of the Fathers of the early Church."-Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, The Present Crisis of the Holy See, 1861, London: Burns and Lambert, pp. 88-90 (Click to view this tragic reality)






Ven. Elizabeth Canori-Mora (d. 1825)
"St. Peter then chose the new pope. The Church was again organized..."


"... the sky was covered with clouds so dense and dismal that it was impossible to look at them without dismay... the avenging arm of God will strike the wicked, and in his mighty power he will punish their pride and presumption. God will employ the powers of hell for the extermination of these impious and heretical persons who desire to overthrow the Church and destroy it's foundation. .... Innumerable legions of demons shall overrun the earth and shall execute the orders of Divine Justice... Nothing on the earth shall be spared. After this frightful punishment I saw the heavens opening, and St. Peter coming down again upon earth; he was vested in his pontifical robes, and surrounded by a great number of angels, who were chanting hymns in his honor, and they proclaimed him as sovereign of the earth. I saw also St. Paul descending upon the earth. By God's command, he traversed the earth and chained the demons, whom he brought before St. Peter, who commanded them to return into hell, whence they had come.
"Then a great light appeared upon the earth which was the sign of the reconciliation of God with man. The angels conducted before the throne of the prince of the Apostles the small flock that had remained faithful to Jesus Christ. These good and zealous Christians testified to him the most profound respect, praising God and thanking the Apostles for having delivered them from the common destruction, and for having protected the Church of Jesus Christ by not permitting her to be infected with the false maxims of the world. St. Peter then chose the new pope. The Church was again organized..."
(Prophecy of Ven. Elizabeth Canori-Mora (d. 1825) as recorded in Fr. Culleton's book The Prophets and Our Times 1941 A.D. Imprimatur)

PROPHECIES OF GARABANDAL X

A MATTER OF EMPHASIS
by Connie Hoebich

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Are we focusing on prophecy or on sanctification? Prophecy has a mysterious power with men. Some shrink from it, others thrive on it. All, it seems, are roused by it. Perhaps the reason is deep in our nature for, in truth, the human schematic is rooted in prophecy. Regarding a certain tree, Adam was told: “On the day you eat of it … you shall surely die.” After the fall, even as the prophetic words of condemnation were being pronounced, Adam heard also that the privileges he had abused woud one day be restored; and for centuries. God’s Chosen People were nourishe
d in hope by this prophecy of the messiah to come. Throughout scripture and secular history, From Abraham to John the Baptist, Nostradamus to Jeanne Dixon, men have rallied ‘round the soothsayers. Or they have stoned them. Indifference to a prophet is rare. Prophecy provokes.

Case in point: the Garabandalists—you and I. How often have we heard, “Tell me more about the miracle,” or “The warning-what will it be like?” or “The punishment, will it come in my lifetime?” Sometimes I fret that men have absorbed nothing else about Garabandal except Warning, Miracle, and Chastisement—and this without perspective. Prophecy has intrigued them. They will toss the Garabandal prophecies around for a while, then tuck them away in some cerebral recess with yesterday’s horoscope. If, after I’ve presented Garabandal, men walk away thinking only Warning, Miracle, Chastisement, then I have failed in some way.

Fr. J.M. Laffineur, who, for nine years before his death in 1970, championed the cause of Garabandal in writings and lectures around the world, often said in his holy zeal: “We must announce the warning of Garabandal everywhere, incessantly, assiduously.” This is, of course, our mission—but only part of our mission. We must just as assiduously make clear the correct sequence of emphasis’ Our Lady comes with a message from God: the warning, the miracle God provides so that men may believe the message. Spectacular as they will surely be, the warning and the miracle are subordinately cast in the drama of Garabandal. It is the message—

Image by garabandal archives via Flickr

and the active fulfillment of it—that must permeate the world.

What God asks of men in the message of Garabandal will sanctify them. What He does through the warning and the miracle is to put His signature on this call to sanctification. That signature, written also in the phenomena of the ecstasies and the graces and cures already manifest, ratifies the message. It says: “See, I show you that the words of the little girls in Spain are My words spoken through My Mother. I have appealed to you. Heed My words.” For us, who have been called by Our Lady to announce these words, the dramatic wonders God works are a reward for our persevering work—and an inspiration, that we may ever more tirelessly proclaim the message. Indeed, when the memories of the warning and the miracle have been etched in our hearts, and with the glory of God’s permanent sign resplendent before our eyes, our work will have only just begun.
Eagerly as we look forward to the miracle, these days of waiting are something of a luxury for us. We don’t as yet feel the pressure of time. The chastisement looms—but way off. We must have the miracle first. Ah, but after the miracle … It will be you and I – racing the clock. And whether or not God’s arm is restrained will depend on just how well we have done our work in these years. If Garabandal has held people by prophecy alone, where will the people be when two thirds of the prophecy is complete? To them, the show—all they wanted to see of it—will be over. But if we have preached reform of heart and spiritual growth, God will have worked many miracles of grace in men’s souls, and we shall have armies of recruits to do the work that must follow th

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e great miracle.

This is what Conchita means when she says repeatedly: “Fulfill the message!” She has even said people don’t have to believe in the apparitions—“but they must fulfill the message!” Think of it. She has seen the Mother of God some 2,000 times, but this is not what she would impress you with. Rather: fulfill the message! “My food is to do the will of the One Who sent Me and to complete His work.”

Are we, the believers, putting the emphasis where it must be? Are we focusing on prophecy or on sanctification? Are we fulfilling the message? “First, we must lead good lives,” Our Lady said. OK, chalk that up for us. But what about the rest—which the Virgin, in fact, listed first:
“We must make many sacrifices,
perform much penance,
visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently.”
And her closing words:
“Think about the passion of Jesus.”
This is Garabandal. Not alone prophecy and the spectacle of phenomena. Prophecy does not sanctify, but the quiet, moment-to-moment activity of prayer, penance and Christ crucified in our hearts does. This is God’s appeal at Garabandal, and it must bear fruit in individuals first and eventually, through them, the world.
Is the message of Garabandal fulfilled in us as individuals? Good! Then we are worthy promoters. And our Heavenly Mother is blessing our work.

PROPHECIES OF GARABANDAL IX

Of course this was written long before Benedict XVI was elected but there is some good points made here by Fr. Turner. 

Deacon John

Image via Wikipedia

JOHN PAUL II – IS HE THE LAST POPE?

By Fr. Francois Turner, Blois, France

“After His Holiness Paul VI, there will be only two more popes before the end of the present period (el fin de los tiempos) which is not the end of the world. The Blessed Virgin told me so, but I do not know what that means.” Such are the words of Garabandal’s principal seer, Conchita, as reported by Fr. Laffineur in Star On The Mountain.

There are three questions that many readers may have already been asking the historians of Garabandal:

1. What is the meaning of el fin de los tiempos?

2. Will there be other popes after John Paul II?

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3. What will happen afterwards?

With due modesty I shall try to give my answer to the first two questions, but I do not feel I can answer the third with any degree of certainty. This should not surprise the reader. As a rule, prophecies are not clearly understood before their fulfillment. Besides, the Blessed Virgin did not tell us. Surmises can be made but they are hazardous and I feel not wise to put them into print.

I shall answer the first question this way: We must be very exact in translating correctly into English the phrase, el fin de los tiempos. Tiempos means epoch. I have established it by carefully reading a bilingual Franco-Spanish periodical published in Paris by professors of Spanish. Moreover, as three professors have told me that language avoids using the possessive adjective wherever it is not necessary. For instance, one does not say “my father told me,” but “the father told me.” So the Blessed Virgin would not be expected to say “nuestros (or vuestros) tiempos,” but “lost tiempos.” In English, we should use the word “our.” The translation would then be, “the end of our epoch.” “The end of the present period” is also satisfactory.

The coming of a new epoch should not be surprising. There have been many in the history of the Church. The most striking change of epoch occurred in 66-70 at the time of the Jewish war that culminated and nearly ended with the fall of Jerusalem. Prior to this war, all indications were that the Church of Jerusalem was the Mother Church, The Christians of Jerusalem worshipped in the Temple, but they prayed elsewhere – that is, in the Synagogue. Collections were made throughout the Church of Jerusalem and there existed a Judeo-Christian theology. But after the year 70, Christians were officially banned from the Synagogue and a deep chasm opened between the Synagogue and the Church.

This was the first and most fundamental schism between what some have called, “the Old Israel” and “the New Israel.” The Roman Church then became the Mother Church. Why? Because it was there that Peter and Paul were martyred and where successive bishops have been rightly considered, both in the East and in the West, as the successors of St. Peter – the rock on which Jesus built His Church.

The beginning of the new epoch to come may not necessarily coincide exactly with the end of the present pontificate. Allowances should be made for certain flexibility-it could come several years before or after the pontificate. The change may be gradual as often happens in great historical events, but this change of epoch will have a religious character-even a theological character. It will be “one of the days of the Son of Man.” (Lk. 17, 22)

As to the second question, according to Star On The Mountain, this prophecy does not tell us whether or not there will be popes after John Paul II. It is possible that the role of the papacy will change in some of its modalities – some might be tempted to say that this is likely. But to say that the papacy will disappear does not seem to be in keeping with Paul VI who stated that the papacy is a permanent institution of the Church – a tenet that is traditional in the Catholic Church.

In summary, Conchita’s startling pronouncement made at Garabandal could signify the coming of a great epochal even around the end of John Paul II’s reign which could coincide with the close of an era.

PROPHECIES OF GARABANDAL VIII

FATHER LUIS ANDREU




Conchita, in a letter dated August 2, 1964, wrote this to Father Ramon Andreu: “On July 18 (1964), I had a locution in which I was told that on the day after the miracle your brother (Fr. Luis Andreu) would be removed from his grave and his body would be intact.” (On September 14, 1965, Conchita said: “That is what the Blessed Virgin told me, in a locution, that Fr. Luis would be incorrupt, exactly as he was buried.”






THE FIFTH VISIONARY OF GARABANDAL
by Teresa Tseu
There were not only four visionaries at Garabandal but also five and significantly enough, this fifth one was a priest, Jesuit Father Luis Maria Andreu Rodamilans. And he not only saw Our Lady, but also something that not even the four girls were privileged to see, a preview of the great Miracle prophesied to take place at Garabandal.
On August 8, 1961, Father Luis Andreu went up to Garabandal with a group of friends. It was his second visit to the village. That evening the visionaries went off on an ecstatic march, the first of many such marches during the course of the apparitions. It was a rather long march that ended at the pines and Father Luis was in the crowd that followed the girls. Later, Conchita recorded the event in her Diary:


It was dark when the Blessed Virgin appeared to us. At the end of the rosary, the four of us went into ecstasy and we began to walk toward the pines. When we arrived at the pines, Father Luis Maria, who had followed us said, “Miracle, miracle” and he kept staring upward. We could see him. Now, in our ecstasies we never see anyone (except the Blessed Virgin). But we saw Father Luis, and the Blessed Virgin told us that he was seeing her and the Miracle, too.


In the ecstasy, the children saw him on his knees. Conchita further state that the Virgin, who was looking at Father Luis, seemed to say to him, “You will soon be with me.”


Father Luis left Garabandal by car that same night with his friends. Stopping at Cosio, he met the parish priest, Father Velentin Marichalar and said to him, “Don Valentin, what the children are saying is true, but I ask you not to repeat what I have just told you for the Church can never be prudent enough in this kind of affair.” The pastor jotted down these memorable words in a notebook that very night.


Continuing his journey with Rafael Fontaneda and his family. Father Luis showed overwhelming joy the entire trip, repeating, “I am so happy. What a favor the Blessed Virgin has bestowed on me. How fortunate we are to have a mother like her in heaven! There is no reason to fear the supernatural life. The girls have given us an example of how we must act with the Blessed Virgin. There is no doubt in my mind that the things involving the girls are true. Why should the Blessed Virgin have chosen us? This is the happiest day of my life.”


As the car passed through Reinosa, Father Luis, who was sitting in the front on the passenger side, repeated these words once again. Then he raised his head slightly and fell silent. His friend Fontaneda sitting in the back seat asked him, “Are you all right?” “Yes, I am just sleepy,” came the reply. Then he lowered his head to his chest, made a slight coughing sound—and died. He experienced no pain, no death agony, but passed from this life to the next with a smile on his lips.


Needless to say, Father Luis’ death was a devastating blow to his family and caused quite a stir among those associated with Garabandal, but one would have thought that his death would have ended his involvement in the events. This was not to be the case. In the days that followed, the girls actually spoke with him. Conchita relates in her Diary entry for August 16, 1961:


… at eight or nine o’clock in the evening, the Blessed Virgin said to the four of us, ‘Father Luis will now come and speak with you.’ A moment later he came and called us one by one. We didn’t see him at all but only heard his voice. It was exactly like the one he had on earth. When he had spoken for a while, giving us advice, he told us certain things for his brother, father Ramon Maria Andreu. He taught us some words in French, German and English, and also taught us to pray in Greek.


Father Luis did one other thing. His sudden death had come as a great shock to his mother for he had been in excellent health. On the day he died, she was packed and waiting for his return from Garabandal because together they were going to Germany. But instead of seeing her son with his big smile, she received a death notice. Therefore, to console her, Father Luis sent, through the girls, this beautiful message: “Be happy and content, for I am in Heaven and see you every day.”


A short time afterwards this good mother realized her long-time ambition and entered a Visitation Convent in the city of San Sebastian.


But there is still more concerning Father Luis and Garbandal. Three years after his burial in the Jesuit cemetery at Oña, Spain, the Blessed Virgin told Conchita during a locution (a voice without any accompanying vision) on July 14, 1964, that on the day after the great Miracle, the body of Father Luis will be removed from the grave and found incorrupt, just as it was on the day he was buried.
A Good Tree Bears Good Fruit
Father Luis Andreu was born of a religious family on July 3, 1923, at Bilbao, Spain. Of his five brothers, three became Jesuit missionaries: Alejandro in South America, Ramon in California, and Marcelino in China (he is currently in Taiwan). On July 16, 1965, during a mass celebrated at Garabandal by Father Marcelino, Conchita had a locution in which the Virgin said that the Father Marcelino Andreu of China and Father Alejandro of South America will both see the great Miracle.


Like his brothers, Father Luis had volunteered for the missions and was headed for China with Marcelino. A Jesuit friend seeing that the mother was about to be separated from all four of her priest sons, spoke to the Jesuit Superior. It was therefore provided that Father Luis would remain in continental Europe so as not to deprive this good woman the consolation of having at least one of them within a reasonable distance. One cannot help but see the hand of Divine Providence at work here arranging for Father Luis to remain in Spain to ultimately become an integral part of the Garabandal event.


A Saintly Priest
Father Marcelino recalls a memorable incident that took place on the day of Father Luis’ first vows in 1944. He and Luis were walking with their mother on the grounds around the house of Loyola when they came to a small window behind the Chapel of the Conversation of St. Ignatius. From this window they could see the alter and the Blessed Sacrament. The mother took this opportunity to tell them once more of her love and her heart’s desire for them. She told them that they should promise very sincerely to Our Lord before the Blessed Sacrament to dedicate their lives to becoming real saints. Father Luis put his hand over his heart and closed his eyes for a moment as in deep prayer. Father Marcelino, while watching him, was sure he was again making the promise his mother had asked: the dedication of his entire life toward perfect holiness and sanctity. Father Luis’ seventeen years of devoted service in the Society of Jesus is a testimony to the fulfillment of the promise he made on that day.


When Father Marcelino made his first vows in 1946 and was going to the Junioret for studies, Father Luis asked permission to stay with him for a few days at Altuna so he could personally invite his younger brother into a life of perfect dedication. There are two things Father Marcelino vividly remembers that Father Luis stressed in a very special way at that time. One was that although high achievement in studies was very important, to be excellent in the practice of virtue and striving for sanctity was more important. The other thing stressed by Father Luis was how to say the rosary and how to say it well. He explained all fifteen mysteries with special emphasis on the Visitation which Father Luis said was Our Lady’s perfect example of charity and that we should live our lives for others as she did.


His Last Letter
From the contents of Father Luis’ last letter to Father Marcelino we can get some insight into his personality and the preparation, through suffering, that God was making for his departure from this earth. Father Marcelino recounts: “In it [the letter] he speaks of his suffering of the past year and said he had never suffered so much. Everything seemed to go just the opposite of what he would have hoped. Yet, those who were close to him during his last year on earth did not detect any of his inner sufferings for outwardly, Father Luis was always happy, pleasant to deal with, always ready to help and always joking. He even joked on his way to Garabandal the first time. He said to those who were with him, ‘Let’s eat good and plenty for St. Ignatius said if our mind and body are weak, we will be easily deceived by the devil’. But once he got up to Garabandal and saw the girls in ecstasy, he realized this was not just ‘child’s play’ as some were saying, but something very serious and deserving of much attention.


He Is in Heaven
Father Luis was exceptionally intelligent and was sent to study in Innsbruck, Rome, Geneva, and Paris. In addition to his native Spanish he spoke German, French, Italian, Latin Greek and English.


On July 30, 1955, at Oña, Spain, he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Federico Melendro of Anking, China. He celebrated his first mass on the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola at the Chapel of Loyola. One can imagine the joy that filled his angelic heart!


A little later, after he received his Doctorate in theology, Father Luis joined the Jesuit faculty in Oña and became professor of theology. This is the position he held when he heard about the apparitions that were taking place at Garabandal. Because of his great love for the Blessed Virgin, he decided to go to the village and investigate. He went to Garabandal for the first time on July 29, 1961, and observed the raptures of the four girls, taking notes of everything he saw and heard. He was deeply impressed.


A week later he wished to go again to Garabandal to study more. He did so on that memorable August 8, never realizing that he himself would become the object of much study due to the special favors Our Lady had prepared for him on that fateful day.