I have had this book in my library and finally decided to read it this week. (Our Lady Comes to Garabandal by Joseph A Pelletier, AA, 1st printing, 1971, 4th printing 1979) Propitious? Timely? It suggests a knowledge of the behavior of priests and prelates that have come to light recently through the Vigano letter and subsequent revelations. (p. 177 message of St Michael to Conchita: “Many cardinals, bishops and priests are on the road to perdition. . . “) Perhaps, this is the reason why the bishops have not yet approved these apparitions that happened in the 1960’s (although they have not condemned them either). Similarly, the bishops have not yet approved the apparitions at Medjugorje, where Our Lady constantly asks for prayers for priests.
The book is based upon multiple interviews with all four girls in addition to excerpts from Conchita’s diary. The facts, as given in this book, are not the same as those of the Garabandal detractors (as seen below) who cite no references.
“By their fruits you shall know them.” A major part of the discernment as to whether apparitions are from God or from Satan, are the outcomes. In both venues, the results have been increased confessions, conversions, Mass attendance and healings. Yet neither have been approved by the local bishops.
Briefly, Garabandal is a small village on the top of a mountain in Spain. Four girls began seeing Saint Michael, the Archangel, then they received visits from the Virgin Mary, sometimes accompanied by her infant son, Jesus. The apparitions occurred in several places: in church, at home, in the streets, or on top of a hill with pine trees. The girls were given three warnings of an impending visit. In the early days of the apparitions, there were several in the same day. The girls would hear the warnings wherever they were and would come together at the 2nd warning. They ran, in a state of ecstasy, on the third warning, to the meeting. (These ecstatic runs have been filmed.) Visits lasted for minutes or hours. A common practice was for people to give articles to the girls for Mary to kiss, then, directed by Mary, the girls would return the articles to the correct person. On one occasion, when St Michael gave the girls Eucharist, the host was visible on Conchita’s tongue for two minutes and was captured on film.
Over time, Mary stopped appearing to all the girls, one by one, and the visits stopped happening daily. A common theme was to do penance and pray. Frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament were stressed along with frequent reception of the Eucharist. Mary taught the children to pray the Rosary slowly and with attention.
Chapter 9: As with Fatima and Medjugorje, the girls were entrusted with ‘secrets,’ or prophesies foretelling future events.
- “The Warning: (Also mentioned in the Diary of Sister Faustina) It will be visible all over the world. The warning will reveal to each of us our personal sins regardless of faith or non-belief. The warning will be accepted as a sign from God. [Jesus] will send the warning to purify us so that we may better appreciate the miracle by which he clearly proves his love for us . . . it is like a chastisement. We shall see the consequences of the sins we have committed. . .The warning is something supernatural and will not be explained by science. It will be seen and felt. . . . The warning will be a correction of the conscience of the world.” The warning will take place in an even year.
- “The Miracle: It will be announced eight days before it will occur. The miracle will coincide with an event in the church, with the feast of a saint, martyr of the Eucharist, on a Thursday at 8:30 pm and be visible to those in the village and surrounding mountains. All will be cured and believe. It can be filmed and will remain forever at the pines above the village. It will last 15 minutes. The miracle at Garabandal will be different from the miracle at Fatima. It will take place on or between the 8th and 16th of March, April or May. (Recent sources say the miracle will happen in April.) The miracle will be given 2 advance notices – the warning and an 8-day notice. It will be the greatest miracle Jesus has performed for the world.”
- The chastisement: (Mentioned in Sister Faustina’s Diary as well as at Akita.) The chastisement is conditional depending upon whether or not the world heeds the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the miracle. How much time will elapse between the miracle and the chastisement is not known but the girls describe it as awful – worse than having a fire above you and beneath you.
- The last prophecy said that there would be only two more popes after Paul VI. This statement was made in 1971. (Other recent sources say 3 popes, still others say 4)
The basic messages of Our Lady at Garabandal are the same as those given at other Marian apparitions: repent and pray. Here, however, Our Lady places great emphasis on the quality of prayer (think about what you are saying and don’t rush through it). She desires the rosary to be prayed daily, to make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and to wear the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. The children are told to be good.
“One of St Michael’s roles in the Garabandal event is to remind us that the spiritual crises in the church . . . is attributable in great part to the feverish present-day activity of the devil. . . the devil has concentrated much of his efforts against those in key positions in the church, namely the priesthood and sisterhoods and the brotherhoods. Then he [the devil] attacked central points of doctrine, the teaching authority of the church, the Eucharist, prayer, penance and Mary.” P. 176, 177 (emphasis mine)
The messages from Garabandal are timely even if given in the 1960’s. The ongoing messages at Medjugorje are similar. In fact, most Marian apparitions have given the same warnings repeatedly. When will we listen and change our ways?
Brief overview of Garabandal https://www.sign.org/articles/garabandal-part-i
St Michael’s Garabandal Center http://www.garabandal.org/warning.shtml
Garabandal prophesies https://www.garabandal.us/prophecies
An unbeliever speaks his mind http://www.catholic-saints.net/garabandal/
Will The Warning occur in 2022 with the explosion of two stars? https://mysticpost.com/2018/04/scientists-report-two-stars-colliding-in-2022is-this-the-garabandal-prophecy-about-the-warning/
Message at Akita: ’” “The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres… churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.” https://www.catholicmessagesusa.com/5-POWERFUL-PROPHECIES.html
Messages from Medjugorje, Akita, La Salette, Garabandal, Therese Neumann https://www.catholicmessagesusa.com/5-POWERFUL-PROPHECIES.htm
Maria Simma makes comments that seem to reflect the prophecies at Garabandal. https://www.garabandal.it/en/documentation/interviews-and-testimonies/maria-simma-the-souls-in-purgatory-and-garabandal
The seer at Bayside supports and repeats the prophecies of Garabandal. http://www.apparitionsofthevirginmary.com/bayside_prophecies.htm