LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
de Garabandal, Inc.
June, 2008
Dear Friends of Our Lady, In 1968, Joey Lomangino and several early promoters decided to organize the promotion of the Message of Our Lady of Mount Carmel de Garabandal given in Spain in 1961 and 1965. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of the Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel de Garabandal in America.
At the time of the apparitions, Our Lady said to Conchita, “The House of Charity that Joey will establish in New York will give great glory to God.” No one knew exactly what that would entail nor could they imagine the span of time required for the work to be accomplished and for things to come to fruition in the fullness of time.
The work of the New York Center has always been the worldwide promotion of the Message in the various opportunities and methods available each decade.Yet under the surface, it has been the workers who have benefited most from the grace and privilege of working for Our Lady.
All who have been associated with the Workers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Lindenhurst can attest to countless good works, conversions, vocations of all kinds as well as miracles and healings, great and small, over the past forty years. For many years, the Center also indirectly promoted the cause of Padre Pio and we are confident that having seen the Holy Capuchin made a saint in our time, we will endure by Our Lady’s assistance to the fulfillment of the Warning and Miracle.
Garabandal is for a world in crisis. But it is exactly for this reason that it is a message of hope. Standing behind the wonderful and terrible predictions are the enduring support and concern of the supernatural order for the Church and Humanity. Our Lord and Our Lady are extremely solicitous for us and will pursue a fallen world to the brink of chaos and renew it if we will only cooperate. “I love you very much and do not want your condemnation,” are the pleading words of a pierced and tender heart, the heart of a mother.
Garabandal promises such impressive events not as an empty display of spectacle but to reinforce belief and inspire faith in the existence of the Divine to a world that has reached lukewarm ambivalence. As Marian Christians and believers in the apparitions we should never lose sight of the wonderful hope Our Lady has given us at Garabandal.
It is fitting at such anniversaries to remember all those whose contributions increased the spread of the Message around the world for forty years and to express gratitude to God for the great graces we have received and the wonderful things we have witnessed in service to Our Blessed Mother.
Due to repeated requests, we have compiled a list of the most recurring questions sent to us by letter and email.We encourage all to spend time reading and learning the basic facts of the apparitions from the original sources found on our website. Thank you, our friends and benefactors, for your continued prayerful support of this apostolate. Great days are coming!
10 Questions from Our Website:
1. How is Joey?
Joey Lomangino suffered a serious heart attack in 1999 that ended his public life. Since that time, his age and his health have kept him from actively participating in the day to day work of the apostolate. He no longer speaks publicly on Garabandal and Padre Pio. He maintains an intense and active prayer life and looks forward to the Miracle as the culmination of his work on behalf of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Your emails are read to him and your intentions are remembered in his daily rosaries.
2. When is the Warning?
Hopefully, soon. The Message of Garabandal is for a world in crisis. As the events approach their 50th Anniversary, it is clear that the Message of Garabandal has passed the test of time. The most controversial elements of the Message which were considered scandalous in the 1960s have been made plain, especially Our Lady’s warning of the turmoil and confusion arising from inside the Church. With the passing of Pope John Paul II we have entered a new era that will witness the renewal of the Church resulting from the occurrence of the Warning and Miracle. Great days are coming!
3. Where are the Visionaries?
The “girls” of Garabandal are all alive, approaching their late fifties and some are grandmothers. The apparitions ended in 1965 and the visionaries have received no further public messages since that time. They all promote Our Lady’s Message in their own way. We respect their privacy and the privacy of their families. We ask all who promote Garabandal to do the same.
4. Has the Church’s Position Changed?
There has been no official change in the Church’s position. Garabandal may be promoted as long as it is clearly stated that the events remain under investigation. Pilgrims may visit and priests administer sacraments in the village. There has been a recent and favorable change towards the apparitions in the private opinion of members of the Church Hierarchy. Ultimately, the occurrence of the prophesied events is required to definitively resolve the official position.
5. What’s going on at the Center?
This year the Workers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel de Garabandal-Lindenhurst NY, USA will celebrate their 40th year of incorporation. The “House of Charity” remains open and supplying gratis material to promoters around the world. Print materials on the apparitions are effectively distributed via our website www.garabandal.us and will not be reprinted once the current supply is depleted due to ever increasing shipping costs.
6. What is the state of the promotion of the Message?
Although there are now many organizations, periodicals, and individuals totally or partially devoted to promoting the Garabandal events, the most recent significant advance in the promotion of the Message has come from the internet. Via the internet the Message reaches directly into families and prayer groups where it swiftly spreads. We are happy to report on the success of the global promotion of the Message. Our recent audit indicates correspondence via email with promoters in over 40 countries. Although he died before the advent of the new technology, Fr. Turner believed that the Message must be “broadcast globally” in the time before the Great Events. We believe the internet has finally made this possible.
7. Will I receive notice by email of the Eight Day Announcement?
Yes. God willing, it is our intent to relay the Eight Day Announcement via email. You must register your email address at our website, www.garabandal.us, to receive email from us.
8. Do you arrange pilgrimages- Are you planning a “Miracle Flight”?
We do not offer any travel arrangements to the village or endorse specific tours. Many religious travel companies now visit the village as part of a Marian pilgrimage. We have no plans to establish a “Miracle Flight” and strongly encourage everyone interested in going to Spain for the Miracle to research and plan their own travel route and accommodations.
9. What is the status of “Prophecy of the Three Popes”?
You are watching it unfold. The prophecy called for an “end of the era” after the death of John Paul II. Already noticeable changes have occurred in our country, the world, and the Church since April 2005. We believe these changes will continue and mark the Papacy of Benedict XVI as a turning point in the history of the Church which distinguishes it from the era of Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II. There is a danger in speculating on prophecy. Some had tried to stretch the text of prophecy to include the Miracle before the “end of the era” and were mistaken. As a result the promotion of the Message suffered. We ask all promoters of Garabandal to temper their speculation and focus their efforts on promoting the Message in the time that remains to us.
10. What can I do?
First, pray and live the Message. Offer to God your daily penances and be faithful to the state of life to which you have been called. Pray for priests. Incorporate the devotions which Our Lady emphasized at Garabandal in your daily life: The Morning Offering, Daily Mass and Communion and Eucharistic Adoration, the Rosary and Scapular and Devotion to St. Michael. Second, promote the Message among your family and associates. We are happy to send materials to anyone who will distribute them gratis. Please remember every penny of your donation is spent on the promotion of the Message.