NIGHT OF SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, TO MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1961:

"AH, ST. JOSEPH IS THE GREATEST
SAINT IN HEAVEN!"

In response to Don Valentin Marichalar's questions, the visionaries learned from the Blessed Virgin that St. Joseph is "the greatest of all the Saints." He gave signs of his "presence," at San
Sebastian de Garabandal, a presence always discreet and sensitive.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 100]

Thinking of St. Joseph always makes me happy. I've been devoted to him for many years. He has helped me and my family in many ways, temporal and spiritual. I invoke him every day when I pray my Rosary and I also pray the famous "St. Joseph Prayer":

Prayer to St. Joseph over 1900 years old

O St. Joseph whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my Thanksgiving and Homage to the most Loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and
kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen

Say for nine consecutive mornings for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.

This prayer was found in the 50th year of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In 1500's it was sent by the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle.

Whoever reads this prayer or hears it or carries it, will never die a sudden death, nor be drowned, nor will poison take effect on them. They will not fall into the hands of the enemy nor be burned in any fire, nor will they be defeated in battle.

Make this prayer known everywhere.

Imprimatur
Most Rev. George W. Ahr
Bishop of Trenton

May St. Joseph be there at your passing from this life to the next, and fly your soul into the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary!
Roman Deacon

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1961

Padre Lucio Rodrigo

PADRE RODRIGO IS "CONSULTED"

Padre Lucio Rodrigo was consulted by the members of the "Special Commission" (except Dr. Morales), most certainly in the second half of the month of August 1961. Following this encounter with the renowned Spanish theologian, Don Juan Antonio del Val, the future bishop of Santander . . ., resigned from the "Commission."
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 100]

Father Rodrigo was a Jesuit and a very holy priest! He firmly believed in the apparitions at Garabandal. He learned the nature of the great Miracle from Conchita, but not when it will happen. He died on March 30, 1973 at the age of 90 from injuries he received from a car accident. Shortly before he died, he received a special grace from God that he had asked for to confirm his belief in the divine origin of the Garabandal events. He is quoted as saying: "If there exists in the
world a window through which one can contemplate Heaven, it is Garabandal!"
May he rest in Peace! Amen.
Roman Deacon

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1961:

Father Ramon Andreu questions Loli

FIRST THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION
ON GARABANDAL

At the beginning of September, Ramon Maria Andreu pursued his observations. He was then on the point of completing his Memorandum, still a limited study but nonetheless a serious one, about the "events," that he had made with Msgr. Doroteo Fernandez' full consent.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 100]

Little by little the 'events' were recorded for history which will prove extremely important when the apparitions are finally approved by the Church in the near future! Father Ramon was and still is an important eye witness to the 'events.' I believe he is living in California and is close to one of the visionaries (Jacinta, who married an American) and lives there too.

Roman Deacon

MONDAY, AUGUST 28 - TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1961

Muriel, Fr. Ramon Andreu and Mr. Foerschler

THE "SYMBOLIC" BAPTISM OF
MURIEL CATHERINE

Muriel Catherine, a nineteen-year old woman from Paris, of a Jewish father and a Protestant mother, was practicing no religion when she met Ascension de Luis from Burgos. The latter taught her a few rudimentary notions of the Catholic faith. The two friends went up to Garabandal on Monday, August 28, Feast of St. Augustine, the most famous convert in the Church history, except St. Paul.

At about 12:30 a.m., on August 29, they attended an ecstasy of Mari-Loli and Jacinta, who spoke about Muriel to their Vision. The visionaries then exclaimed: "She is not baptized!. . . Come, let's help her . . . Ah, because of her parents! . . ." Loli suddenly stretched out her arm, and grasped a bottle of holy water that a priest had given her to throw towards the apparition as a "test." The girl opened the bottle and threw the contents upwards, in front of her. But instead of
following its normal course, the water mysteriously bent its path, and in its inexplicable trajectory, fell as a little shower on Muriel.

Muriel already had faith. But to be baptized, she had to wait until she came of age, the parents being opposed to her initiative. She was baptized in the cathedral of Burgos, at twenty-one years of age, on October 20, 1963, under the name of Maria del Carmen Catherine. She can be considered as a figure of the Synagogue called to be "baptized," or of the Church arising from the Synagogue.

Muriel represents the first of three cases of a typical "conversion" linked directly to Garabandal. The two other cases are those of Maximo Foerscher, an Evangelist, and of Barbara Painter, an Anglican Protestant.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 98.]

What a beautiful story of Our Lady's desire that all people's enter the holy Catholic Faith! It also reminds me of the Scripture written by St. Paul regarding the conversion of the Jews:

"For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery (lest you should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in. And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And this is to them my covenant: when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief: So these also now have not believed, for your mercy, that they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all."
(Romans 11:25-32)

As a matter of fact, as we shall read later on, the Great Miracle at Garabandal will bring everyone in the world into the Catholic Church, yes even the Moslems too! Praise God! Wow, will we be busy then teaching our neighbors about Jesus & Mary and all the Truths of our blessed Faith. Hey, you better get brushed up on your catechism so you can be a good teacher and pass on our beloved Faith!!!
Roman Deacon

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1961:

Their small crucifix in their hands,
the visionaries in ecstasy before the closed door of the church.

UNPARALLELED AND LIVING PRESENCE
OF THE "CRUCIFIX" IN GARABANDAL

Within the limits allowed by the Note from Msgr. Doroteo Fernandez and never in opposition to them, the church of Garabandal remains a major pole of the apparitions. In each one of them, or almost, the visionaries returned there to pray before the closed door. There, on several occasions, the Angel even gave them Communion.

On the day following the interdiction we know, the girls, in ecstasy before the closed door and on the advice of their Vision, suddenly decided to get a crucifix from their homes . . . except Mari-Cruz (for personal family reasons). It is interesting to note that this invitation and inspiration of "wearing a crucifix" happened on the very day of the Feast, then celebrated on August 23 in the universal Church, of St. Philip Benizi who was one of the seven founders of the
"Servites of Mary." At the moment of his death he had cried out: "Give me my book!" (that is, "my crucifix!"). Henceforth, the visionaries in ecstasy would systematically be equipped with one. This gesture, in its clear reference to the Passion, takes all its meaning in Garabandal, most especially with the second and ultimate Massage (June 18, 1965) of which, as we shall see, it will be precisely the final word.

During the apparitions, the visionaries would present their crucifix to be kissed, sometimes kiss it themselves, or make the sign of the cross with it over those present, notably over those who, very often in secret prayer, "were asking for proofs" . . . The children also made the sign of the cross with it over persons lying down and asleep, on the forehead of the sick, on the heads of beds (twice if two persons slept in them), over the vehicles of visitors, etc.

The kiss of the crucifix played an immense role at San Sebastian de Garabandal, giving rise in those benefited from this, to profound emotions, healings and even to remarkable conversions.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 95.]

Again we see the obedience of Our Lady in regards to the Bishop and the Church! In obeying, She led the children up to the door of the local parish but had their apparition out in the open air. Our Lady had said "Obedience to the Church gives great glory to God". It's a good lesson for us, to obey the Laws of the Church before our own pride filled ideas! The 'First Sin' was through disobedience and pride (Satan's fall from heaven) and Adam and Eve followed up with their disobedience and pride giving us Original Sin. But "Happy Fault", it caused Our Savior Jesus Christ to come down from heaven, to suffer, die and rise for our salvation. And that's why the crucifix is so important. We gaze upon the image of the Crucified One and it reminds us of all He did for us. It calls us to repentance and reparation for our personal sins. It gives us the grace to thank Jesus over and over for His Sacred Passion.

Our Mother Mary has taught us, through these young girls, to wear and venerate a Blessed crucifix (not a plain cross), to touch others with It, asking Almighty God to bless everyone (remember, only a priest and deacon can officially bless with the blessings of the Church) and all things!

I wear a large St. Benedict crucifix and Medal, which has been touched to a particle of the True Cross, a Garabandal relic kissed by Our Lady and many other relics. There are many indulgences attached to this crucifix and a promise of a happy death to those who wear it. It also protects us from the evil one. We need all the help we can get from heaven because there is a raging battle out there for our souls! It's a good idea to wear some religious item around our necks, medals, crucifixes, scapulars, just make sure they are blessed by a priest or deacon . . .
God love you
Roman Deacon

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1961:

Padre Don Jose Ramon Garcia de la Riva

A REMARKABLE "SPANISH
COUNTRY PASTOR" ENTERS
THE LIVING STORY OF
GARABANDAL

Don Jose Ramon Garcia de la Riva went up to Garabandal for the first time on this day. He was then pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows at Barro, a small village some 38 miles away. The name of this priest of the Asturias was to remain profoundly linked to Garabandal.

A good photographer and an amateur movie maker, he took some beautiful films and some remarkable photos of the visionaries and sites. He published his 'Memoirs of a Spanish country parish Priest', in memory of his numerous trips to San Sebastian de Garabandal, from 1961 to
1968.

The very day of his arrival in the village, the members of the "Special Commission," who were also there on this August 22, obtained that the church be closed to the visionaries in ecstasy. Four days later, Msgr. Doroteo Fernandez published his first Note in the Official Bulletin of
the diocese, forbidding priests henceforth from going to Garabandal. This was above all a pastoral act of prudence.

[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 95.]

Father Jose witnessed over 200 apparitions and compiled them in a book. I plan to publish that book here page by page after we finish with this present and new book about Garabandal. Stay tuned! Of course, the way the world is going, the Warning and Miracle might override my plans.

Our Lady said in one of her apparitions that she prayed for the coming of the Missiah before she found out that she was to be the Mother of God at the Annunciation. We can do the same, pray daily for the fulfillment of the Message of Garabandal, the Warning, the Miracle and Great Sign, and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

God Bless
Roman Deacon

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 1961:

Beginning of August 1961, Conchita in ecstasy presents her doll to her Vision.

"GAMES" OF THE VISIONARIES . . .
IN ECSTASY. "THREE SECRETS" TO
COME . . . FOR THREE MYSTERIOUS
YEARS RELATED TO THE LITURGICAL
FEAST OF THE DAY? TO THE THREE
(PAST) YEARS OF IMMEDIATE
PREPARATION TO THE GREAT JUBILEE 2000?

The Blessed Virgin played hide-and-go-seek several times with the children, something that amused them a great deal. At the time of the ecstasy on this Saturday evening, August 19, 1961, Feast of St. John Eudes, the four visionaries spoke of "three secrets for three years,"
of "three secret messages that they were to make public each year," but which they did not know at the time . . .

It does not seem advisable for us to interpret here those "secrets." However, the biblical theme of the "secret" being always linked to that of the "Heart" of God (and of Mary), it appears
necessary for us to connect this revelation made to the visionaries with the work of St. John Eudes. Living in the seventeenth century, he was later to be officially recognized as "the Father, the Apostle and the Doctor of the public cult given to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary."

Indwelt by a prayer of universal dimensions, Marie des Vallees was a source of major inspiration for St. John Eudes for fifteen years. This astonishing mystic enjoyed the benefits of admirable prophetic insights of an eschatological nature, of which some remain "secret" to this day. Marie des Vallees already proclaimed that, before the end of times, there would occur here, on Earth, a "general conversion," a "deluge of fire," work of the Holy Spirit, and that "everything in the
mission would be accomplished by the Blessed Virgin."

On the other hand, what the girls of Garabandal were told on that evening corroborates the Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima in August 1917, which occurred for well-known reasons, not on the 13th of the month, as usual, but on the 19th, precisely on the Feast of St. John Eudes. The prophetic (and eschatological) dimension of Fatima being not totally fulfilled yet, couldn't we consider this "delayed rendezvous" of the Blessed Virgin as the manifestation of the divine
plan and desire of setting up in the world, some day, a joint devotion and cult to the (Divine) Heart of Jesus and the (Immaculate) Heart of Mary?

[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 94.]

There's so much on this page, I don't know where to begin to comment!

Imagine playing games with Our Blessed Mother! And why not? Did not your own mother play games with you? If not, you missed out on a lot of growing up. Every mother plays with her children, even if it's just playing "this little piggy went to market . . ." to calm you down. So
Mother Mary, being our spiritual Mother, cares for us more than any earthly mother, so She would love to play games with us to calm us down . . . And of course Her divine Son Jesus taught us: Pointing to a little child, Jesus said 'You must be like this little child to enter the Kingdom of God!'

Secrets! I'm not sure what these secrets are, unless it refers to the Warning, the Miracle and the Great Sign prophesied at Garabandal.
We'll have to see as we go along, but we all know about the Secrets of Fatima. The last one was revealed by Pope John-Paul II on June 26, 2000. Here is the complete text:

"I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.

"After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: 'Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: 'something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White 'we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God."

(Committed to paper by Sr. Lucia on January 3, 1944.)

I looked up Marie des Vallees and most of the info about her is in French. It seems that she was a demonic and St. John Eudes exorcised her. After that she became one of his favorite spiritual advisers. She wrote four volumes of spiritual works too. It seems that St. Louis de Montfort also went to her for spiritual advise.

As I wrote before, Fatima & Garabandal are closely joined, as are all of Our Lady's apparitions . . . We're still waiting for the 'conversion of Russia' and the 'Era of Peace' prophecised at Fatima. I believe this will occur when the Garabandal "events" manifest themselves in the near future!!!
Roman Deacon