GARABANDAL

It happened in the small village of San Sebastian of Garabandal, in the Santander province of northern Spain, near the Picos de Europa mountains, when the Archangel Michael appeared to Conchita Gonzalez, Maria Delores Mazon, Jacinta Gonzales and Maria Cruz Gonzales. He told them that on July 2^nd, 1961, they would see Our Lady.

"Our Lady manifested herself as Our Lady of Carmel," appearing to the girls many times in 1961 and 1962, sometimes several times a week. Not all of the girls received a message, even if present, resulting in slightly differing versions of the messages. Ultimately, the girls were told of four extraordinary events, each a specific event occurring at different times in a distinct sequence: The Warning, The Miracle, a Permanent Sign, and a Terrible Chastisement.

THE WARNING

Conchita wrote: "The warning comes directly from God and will be visible to the whole world and from any place where anyone may happen to be. It will be like the revelation of our sins and it will be seen and felt by everyone, believer and unbeliever alike, irrespective of whatever religion he may belong to. It will be seen and felt in all parts of the world by every person."

"It will happen in the sky; no one can prevent it from happening. We will even prefer to be dead rather than to pass through this Warning. It will not kill us. It will be a ‘correction’ of our conscience. It will cause great fear and will make us reflect within ourselves on the consequences of our own personal sins. It will be like a warning of the punishment to come. In this way the world will be offered a means of purification to prepare itself for the extraordinary grace of the Great Miracle."

Jacinta was told by Our Blessed Mother "that the warning would come when conditions were at their worst." The date was not revealed to the visionaries, however Maria Delores does know the year, and she said that The Miracle will happen within one year after The Warning.

Conchita has also stated, "The Warning, like the Chastisement, is a fearful thing for the good as well as the wicked. It will draw the good closer to God and warn the wicked that the end of times are coming." "It would be like fire. It will not burn our flesh but we will feel it bodily and interiorly." It seems to be associated with an astronomical phenomena, "like two stars...that crash and make a lot of noise, and a lot of light...but they don’t fall. It’s not going to hurt us but we’re going to see it and, in that moment, we’re going to see our consciences."

In describing The Warning, Jacinta has said, "The Warning is something that is seen in the air, everywhere in the world and is immediately transmitted into the interior of our souls. It will last a very little time, but it will seem a very long time because of its effect within us."

Conchita has stated she has been given the date of The Miracle by the Blessed Virgin and will announce the date eight days before it is to occur. Remember, though, that The Miracle follows The Warning by up to a year.

The quotations above are the only original source material for "The Warning," and any attempt to extrapolate or expand upon them is fraught with danger. I have highlighted in bold type the most prominent aspects of The Warning.

THE MIRACLE and THE SIGN

A great miracle will occur in the late winter or early spring within one year after The Warning.

Conchita has clearly said that Our Lady has promised a great miracle in Garabandal so that all may believe the apparitions and be obedient to the message. "As the punishment which we deserve for the sins of the world is great, the miracle must also be a great one, for the world needs it." It will occur on a Thursday on the feast day of a saint devoted to the Eucharist, at 8:30 in the evening, and will last for about a quarter of an hour. It will also coincide with a great event in the Church. The sick who come to Garabandal on that day will be cured, unbelievers will be converted. There will remain a permanent sign in "The Pines" where the apparitions occurred as proof of Our Lady’s tremendous love for all her children.

Conchita said, "The sign that will remain will be able to be seen, photographed and televised, but it will not be able to be touched. It will appear clearly that it is something not of this world, but of god."

Conchita wrote some time ago, "The Blessed Virgin will not allow me to reveal the nature of The Miracle, although I already know it. Neither can I reveal the date of it, which I know, until eight days before it is to happen."

THE CHASTISEMENT

The Chastisement is conditioned upon the response of humanity to the warning and the miracle.

Conchita has written: "I cannot reveal what kind of punishment it is except that it will be a result of the direct intervention of god, which makes it more terrible and fearful than anything we can imagine. It will be less painful for innocent babies to die a natural death than for those babies to die because of the punishment. All Catholics should go to confession before the punishment and the others should repent of their sins. When I saw it (the punishment), I felt a great fear even though at the same time I was seeing Our Blessed Mother. The punishment, if it comes, will come after the miracle."

The Bishop of Santander issued a letter in October, 1996, indicating that the events at Garabandal were NOT of supernatural origin, and thus they remain without imprimatur of the Church. It should be noted, however, that on August 8, 1961, Father Luis Marie Andreu, a 38 year old Spanish Jesuit Priest, was among the spectators at The Pines when he was heard to say, "Miracle, Miracle!" He was shown the coming Great Miracle, and the children heard Our lady say to him, "You will soon be with me."

Later that night, Fr. Andreu said: "Oh! What a sweet and lovely mother we have in heaven...how happy I am...what a favor The Blessed Virgin has bestowed on me. How fortunate that 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." He then bowed his head and died.