Some Little Known Information Regarding Garabandal

Dear Friends,
I received this report from Thomas Fahy, President of The John Paul Institute of Christian Spirituality. This organization has a Retreat House in Garabandal, known as the House of Sanctification, as well as property near the Pines. Mr. Fahy has allowed me to post this report here for your viewing. He is going to Garabandal this week for a retreat. I've asked for his prayers!
Deacon John



Significant Points of the Great Drama of Garabandal

Dear Friends and Lovers of God,
Thank you for your responses to my offer to share some important points concerning the events at Garabandal, Spain, and the predictions that Our Heavenly Mother made there. Some of those predictions are not generally known.
I would like to begin by mentioning that my involvement with Garabandal began in August of 1970. The stories of Fatima and Garabandal came together for me at the same time, with the result of a total redirection of the course of my life. I became an active “apostle” of Garabandal for several years and an occasional apostle after that, but avid student always.
Due to Grace and a keen study of the events in Garabandal over many years, Our Lord and Our Lady seem to have given me clarity about a mission to incorporate the mysteries and drama of Garabandal into the advancement of the fulfillment of the Lord’s Prayer.
We are presently at the junction of a major and very dramatic turning point in human history, comparable to that of the Great Flood in Noah’s time and the coming of Jesus into the world 2000 years ago. I believe that Jesus and Mary have given many, authentic signs that They want us to be aware of this serious reality. Their purpose is to lead us along the path of spiritual and even corporal safety into a glorious new era for humanity in which mankind returns to its original, perfect state, which is none other than the fulfillment of the “Our Father”—the coming of the Father’s Kingdom in our souls to reign there as in Heaven as it was in the very beginning of the human race, in the Garden of Eden.
On June 18, 1961, St. Michael the Archangel appeared to 4 young girls, ages 11 and 12, in the tiny, mountain village of St. Sebastian de Garabandal, which is located in northern Spain about 42 miles southwest of the coastal city of Santander. He appeared on several evenings before announcing that Our Lady would appear to the children on July 2 (1961), which was then the Feast of the Visitation. Our Lady came dressed as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and appeared there about 2000 times until November 13, 1965.
Mary gave the children two formal messages and also several instructions, divine secrets and predictions. The first formal message was made known publicly on October 18, 1961. The second was made known to one of the girls, Conchita, on June 18, 1965, by St. Michael the Archangel. Our Lady could not bear to give that message Herself, so She asked St. Michael to give it on her behalf.
The first formal message: “We must make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. But first, we must lead good lives. If we do not, a chastisement will befall us. The cup is already filling up, and if we do not change, a very great chastisement will come upon us.”
The second formal message: As my message of October 18 [1961] has not been complied with and has not been made known to the world, I am advising you that this is the last one. Before, the cup was filling up. Now it is overflowing. Many cardinals, many bishops and many priests are on the road to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist. You should turn the wrath of God away from yourselves by your efforts. If you ask his forgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. I, your mother, through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel, ask you to amend your lives. You are now receiving the last warnings. I love you very much and do not want your condemnation. Pray to us with sincerity, and we will grant your requests. You should make more sacrifices. Think about the passion of Jesus.
There are many books and other literature that describe in detail the incredible events that took place in Garabandal between June 18, 1961, and November 13, 1965. Whatever Our Lady told the girls would happen always happened, but there are very significant events yet to come that Our Lady made known to the children—particularly to Conchita and Mari Loli.
The well-known events that occurred during the time of the apparitions are: The appearances of St. Michael the Archangel; the 2000 apparitions of Our Lady; the two formal messages; the incredible experience of Fr. Luis Andreu, S.J. (age 37) on the night of August 8-9, 1961, when Our Lady showed him the Great Miracle to come, and he died so joyfully a few hours later [Our Lady predicted that his body would be disinterred the day after the Great Miracle and would be found incorrupt]; the two “Nights of the Screams” on June 19 and 20, 1962, and the “Miracle of the Host” early in the morning of July 19, 1962.
The well-known predictions of future events are: The Warning, the Great Miracle, and the very probable Great Chastisement. There were also the predictions that Padre Pio would see the Great Miracle (which he did see not long before he died) and that the Pope [whoever he might be] will see the Great Miracle that will happen above the Pine Trees in Garabandal, from wherever he might be. Concerning the papacy there is the mysterious prediction there would be three more Popes after Pope John XXIII and then would come the “end of the times” but not the end of the world. (more on this below)
Here are some of the lesser-known predictions, and some that are hardly known at all:
1. “Few will see God”: This prediction is found in the statement signed by Mari Loli and Jacinta Gonzales in June 1962 at the time of the two “Nights of the Screams” in which the children were shown the Great Chastisement and the Great Tribulation of Communism. In the girl’s statement, they said that the Virgin told them that the world continues the same, that it has not changed at all and few will see God—so few that it is causing the Virgin great sorrow… These grave concerns of Our Lady in 1962 about the world not changing should be considered in the context of her formal message of October 18,1961. (Note: It goes without saying that the moral condition of humanity in 1962 was far, far less evil than today!)
2. The Great Tribulation of Communism: During the first of the “nights of the screams” the young girls (then ages 12 and 13) were shown the “sudden and unexpected” Tribulation of Communism led by Russia that will have an effect on the whole world, and which will happen before the Divine Warning to the entire human race. No one expects this because the world has been lulled into the false belief that Communism has died with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
It seems that the greatest trauma of this Tribulation will be felt in Europe. St. Padre Pio is reported to have said that the great Miracle to occur at Garabandal will be paid for by the blood of the Europeans—oceans of blood. Our Lady told Conchita that Communism will “come back” and that it will also come to Spain, but Spain would not suffer as intensely as the rest of Europe apparently because it had suffered Communism in the 1930’s. Conchita’s Aunt Antonia testified that she heard the girls say, while in ecstacy, that “if we don’t amend our ways, Russia will take possession of the whole world. Our Lady told the girls that during the time of this Tribulation the Church would seem to disappear, the Sacraments would be difficult to receive and the Priests would have to go into hiding. [Apparently many Priests will be killed.] When things are so bad that all hope seems lost, then God will send the Warning to all mankind. The Great Miracle will follow within 12 months, and there will be conversions of many nations, including Russia.
In an interview with a certain, very well-informed party last August, I and those with me were told that the Communists would go into Garabandal during the Tribulation, and that some persons in the village would be killed for their faith. We were also told that the Communist would be in Garabandal only a few days—a week at the most it seems. The well-informed party lives in Europe. He told us that just prior to the “revolution” he was told by Conchita that he should go to Southern Spain or to Portugal, because he would not be able to get to Garabandal (later) from the north. —How will he know when the “revolution” is imminent? It has to do with the Pope going to Moscow and his return to Rome. Issue #5 of the “Garabandal Journal” contains a statement from the German Book, “Garabandal—The Finger of God,” which says: “The pope will go to Russia, to Moscow. As soon as he returns to the Vatican, hostilities will break out in different parts of Europe.”
3. The four Popes after Pope John XXIII rather than three… This is rather startling news to those who had read only about “three more Popes…” Actually this was reported in a book in the German Language published in the early 1990’s, but it seems that most followers of the Garabandal drama were not aware of this and apparently are still unaware of this. Conchita said at the time of the death of Pope John XXIII that Our Lady had told her that there would be three more Popes and then would come the end of the times.
Mr. Albrecht Weber, the author of the book in German mentioned above, had become involved in Garabandal in 1963 and became friendly with Conchita. On November 14, 1965, the day after the last apparition of Our Lady in Garabandal, Mr. Weber interviewed Conchita at her home in the presence of her mother. There was also present with Mr. Weber an interpreter. During that interview, it came out that when Conchita had spoken on the very day that Pope John XXIII died of “Three more Popes and then would come the end of the times,” her mother had asked her several questions.
In response to one of her mother’s questions, Conchita responded that Our Lady had actually said that there would be four more Popes but that She was not counting one of them. When Conchita’s mother heard that she strictly forbade Conchita to repeat that again as her mother feared there would be erroneous interpretations and much gossip. People might wrongly believe that one of the Popes might be false or bad, etc. During that conversation with her mother, Conchita also said that Our Lady had told her that one of the Popes would have a very short reign.
Understandably, there is some confusion and speculation about this prediction. The most reasonable explanation is that we are now in the time after the “Three more Popes…” and Pope Benedict was not counted because he is now in the beginning of the “end of the times” period that would come after the three Popes following Pope John XXIII. Whatever is the answer to that mystery it seems that the clearest sign that the “end of the times” will have begun will be the “sudden and unexpected Communist Tribulation.” [Our Lady at Garabandal apparently never spoke about the radical followers of Islam, but she certainly did speak about Communism!—even allowing them to see what would happen during that terrible, coming tribulation, which caused the young girls to scream horribly for a long time. Those screams were so frightening that everyone present, with one exception, went to confession and with great humility and sorrow the following day.]
There is another prediction that has been known for a long time but seems to be forgotten by most followers of Garabandal. It is the prediction that shortly before the Great Miracle, something will happen that will make most people who had believed in Garabandal stop believing. I have no idea what that will be. I exhort you to remain steadfast when it happens. It could even be a negative statement from some official in the Vatican. I really don’t know. Our Lady’s predictions at Garabandal always came true, and those predictions that have not yet happened will also come true!
Then, there is the Permanent Sign form Heaven that will be placed above the Pine Trees at Garabandal, right after the Great Miracle, which will certainly draw untold millions of people from all parts of the world day and night. Surely, many, many of them will be well disposed for learning about the Reign of the Divine Will.
Dear readers, I am sharing this information with you because it now seems appropriate to do so. But please do not call or write to me about these things. I do not have the time for that.
I recommend that you get the magazine “Garabandal Journal” and ask for 4 special editions that cover these things in great detail: Issues #5, #6, #7 and #8. They are known as the Communist Tribulation, The Warning, the Miracle, and the Chastisement Issues. They cost $3 each from: Garabandal Journal - P.O. Box 1796 - St. Cloud, MN 56302-1796. Also ask for the FREE ISSUE. It is excellent.
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At this point it seems good to speak about a few of the notable persons who have affirmed their belief in Garabandal.
1. St. Padre Pio saw the Great Miracle in advance, possibly in August of 1998. Joachim Bouflet, PH. D.
(Univ.of Paris, 1972) tells a story about going to Confession to St. Padre Pio in July of 1968. Padre Pio
told him: “Consecrate yourself to the Virgin of Carmel who appeared at Garabandal.” When Mr. Bouflet
responded, “So its true?” P. Pio replied, “Certo e vero!” (Certainly it is true!)
2. St. Maria Maravillas. She warned Bishop Puchol Montis in advance about a sudden death, which
did happen as a result of an automobile accident on May 8, 1967.
3. Bishop Venancio of Leira, Portugal. He is the Bishop who turned over the famous Secret of Fatima
to the papal legate in 1960. Bishop Venancio said with good reason that Garabandal was the continuation of Fatima. When our Lady appeared for the last time at Fatima, She came with St. Joseph and the Baby Jesus, and She was dressed as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. As She was giving her farewell to the three children of Fatima, Our Lady said, “Good-bye until San Sebastian, Spain.”
When Our Lady appeared for the first time at San Sebastian de Garabandal, Spain on July 2, 1962, She was dressed as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and held the Baby Jesus in her arms. [That account of the last apparition of Fatima was published in a book by the Carmelites in 1937, but is no longer in print. I heard about it from a Priest in 1974 and again, from another source, in 2006.]
4. Fr. Luis Andreu, S.J., who saw the Great Miracle in advance at 8:30 PM on August 8, 1961. He said that this was the happiest day of his life, that we should never fear the supernatural, that we should imitate the attitude of the little girls of Garabandal towards their Heavenly Mother, and then died in a state of quiet joy a little later, in the early hours of August 9, 1961.
5. Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta. She became a close friend of Conchita. I don’t remember more now.
6. The Servant of God Mother Esperanza, nun, stigmatist founder of the Order of Merciful Love.
7. Pope Paul VI. Conchita was invited to the Vatican in 1966 by Cardinal Ottaviani. Conchita was to
have an appointment with Pope Paul VI after she got to Rome, but some Official kept interfering. But the Pope at an indoor General Audience, made a point of stopping when he passed Conchita and blessed her, saying: “I bless you and with me the whole Church blesses you.” [Note: There are other versions of this encounter with Pope Paul VI, but it is certain that he blessed her and said what he said in his blessing just quoted.”]
8. There are several signs of Pope John Paul II’s belief in Garabandal, but one that is significant is that in the year 2000, after reading the German book on Garabandal mentioned above, the Holy Father, asked his secretary, Mons. Dziwisz (now Cardinal Dziwisz) to write to the author as follows:
"May God reward you for everything, especially for the deep love with which you are making the events connected with Garabandal more widely known. May the Message of the Mother of God find an entrance into hearts before it is too late. As an expression of joy and gratitude, the Holy Father gives you his apostolic blessing." Then, below Mons. Dziwisz’s signature, Pope John Paul II wrote a
personal note in his own handwriting and signed it. [The author showed me and others a copy of that letter.]
9. Pope Benedict XVI. I can only say that I spoke to a Priest who lives in the Vatican. He told me that this Pope believes in Garabandal.
A Few More Interesting Points
One day during the apparitions, Mary Loli asked Our Lady about how the human race was formed. Our Lady answered that we did not descend from a monkey, or by evolution, or by any animal but from a perfect man, Adam. Our Lady also said that man had been created on earth just as he is today. [Note: Our Lady obviously was referring here to our human nature and not to the state of our souls. In other words, we have not slowly evolved from so called “cave men.”]
Our Lady predicted the Confusion that would come after Vatican Council II, but She in no way blamed the Council. Remember the Second Formal Message at Garabandal–June 18, 1965.
The Great Miracle that God will perform at Garabandal at 8:30 PM on a Thursday in the Spring of some future year will be the greatest public miracle since the creation of the world. During the Miracle we will see the Glory of God but won’t die from seeing this due to a special preventative grace. The sick will be cured, and unbelievers will believe. There was a lady, now deceased, who worked with Fr. Laffineur investigating the events of Garabandal from the start. The two recorded thousands of testimonies and documentation, including a dialogue between Conchita and Our Lady, which was tape-recorded with Our Lady’s voice audible on the tape. This same lady told me and others that during the Great Miracle, people will have a sensible experience of the Indwelling Trinity. [Apparently one would have to be in the state of grace.] She also said that Priests who are there would not only have that experience but would also have a sensible experience of the active presence of Our Lord as during the Consecration at Mass.
At the time of the Great Miracle the Spanish Military will generously support the sick coming to Garabandal and nothing negative will happen to them.
There will be a very happy event in the Church on the very same day of the Miracle but not associated directly with it. In the future the various religions will unite. Divisions will cease, etc. She even said that one day, everyone will be Catholic!
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Please do not write or call me about the Garabandal events and predictions!
Read those issues of the Garabandal Journal mentioned above for more information.
Time is short; there is much to do, especially for the Reign of the Divine Will!
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May God truly bless you, and may the Eternal Kingdom of our Heavenly Father be established in the depths of your soul.
Thomas M. Fahy
February 25, 2007 / May 9, 2007