This day in Garabandal history, APRIL 13, 1962 A sacramental communion given by St. Michael to Conchita in ecstasy at the Pines, on the feat day of St. Hermenegild, a martyr of the Eucharist honored as the “Clovis” of Spain. From the book : “GARABANDAL” J. Serre. p.130 Now before you jump to any conclusions about him as the “Miracle Martyr” remember there are several possible problems with St. Hermenegild, who by some accounts was Spanish, and Conchita said the martyr saint was not Spanish. We have no idea how old he was, though he was a grown, married man, leading a revolt, so it would not have been clear to her that this was "a young martyr of the Eucharist" and also he does not fit the description Conchita gave after she consulted the calendar in her home. So I feel confident this is not that “Miracle Martyr”.
WHAT DOES PADRE PIO SAY? On January 1, 1962, on the occasion of a visit to Padre Pio, a group of Spanish pilgrims asked him whether the apparitions at Garabandal were true. He responded with his usual gruff tone: “Are you still asking this question? How many times must you ask whether the Mother of God is appearing to you when she has already been appearing for eight months?” Document of the Marian Center in Paris 1967 Reprinted with kind permission from Garabandal Journal /March-April 2019
MORE ABOUT PADRE PIO’S BELIEF. On the occasion of a trip to Rome in 1966, Conchita went to San Giovanni Rotondo where she was affectionately received by Padre Pio, as has been confirmed by her escort. A tour guide who led a group of pilgrims to Garabandal wrote: “Without the approval of Padre Pio, I would have never made the decision to rent a tour bus to go down there. I can tell you that the venerable Padre Pio approved and blessed our trip to Garabandal.” A member of the Holy Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Monsignor Philippi, wrote: “The fact that Padre Pio, who is well known for his virtue, his knowledge and fidelity to the Holy See, said that these apparitions are good and encouraged the four little seers to make the Blessed Virgin’s messages known, is a big proof as to the truthfulness of these messages.” Document of the Marian Center in Paris 1967 Reprinted with kind permission from Garabandal Journal /March-April 2019
APRIL 16, 1962 A message from Heaven ! "HOLY WEEK" AT GARABANDAL Mercedes Salisachs, a Catalonian mother of five children, and also a woman of Letters well known in Spain, became an outstanding protagonist of the Garabandal event. She went to the famous little village four times, her first and overwhelming stay occurring during the Holy Week of April 1962. And quite understandably, since she was then to learn, at the end of the paschal vigil, through Mari-Loli but on behalf of the Blessed Virgin, that one of her sons, Miguel, a young talented artist-painter, killed in a car accident at the age of twenty-one, "was in heaven and that he was 'accompanying' her every day!" From the 'Garabandal' Book, J. Serre. page 130
Garabandal and the Holy Shroud Only after Father Eusebio Garcia de Pesquera had written his comprehensive book on Garabandal, SHE WENT IN HASTE TO THE MOUNTAIN, did it come to light that the Shroud was mentioned at Garabandal. It was during one of Conchita's ecstasies when the Blessed Virgin spoke to the visionary about the Sabana Santa (Spanish for Holy Shroud). Among the spectators at that ecstasy was the Marquesa de Santa Maria, an excellent witness, and it was from her that Prof. Jacques Serre learned what the Virgin said about the Shroud. The Marquesa heard Conchita repeat the words of Our Lady: "It is the divine imprint of my Son."
A picture of the Virgin of Garabandal travels to the Moon. ( On Apollo 11 ) “The Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in San Sebastián de Garabandal” : Chapter 158 Neil Armstrong fulfilling the wishes of his wife, (very devoted to the Virgin of Carmen de Garabandal) , and those of Father Ramón and those of another Carmelite religious, deposited a picture of the Virgin of Garabandal on the Moon. Father Ramón María Andréu, a Jesuit, (brother of Fr. Luis Andreau) an exceptional witness to numerous ecstasy of the girls in Garabandal, has a great friendship with Neil Armstrong. Armstrong was thus able to deposit the image of the Blessed Virgin of Garabandal and then undertake the assigned tasks of collecting dust and stones, measuring seismic activity, installing a laser beam reflector and the stars and stripes flag. His wife had given him the image of the Virgin of Carmel de Garabandal, not only to deposit it there, but also to accompany him, since she could not do it. This was the first news we received, which filled us with joy, thinking that on the floor of the moon there is also something that represents our beloved Mother of Garabandal. This information appeared on the site: https://www.virgendegarabandal.net/mita158.htm
Mari-Loli's 3-day journal written on April 19-20-21, 1967. Several years ago Julia Mazon, the mother of Mari-Loli, one of the four Garabandal visionaries, found some packed-away things long forgotten from the days of the apparitions and beyond. Among these precious objects was a journal Mari-Loli kept while making her retreat in Balmori, Spain, in April 1967. She was not quite 18 years old. Loli's writings are so deeply profound... never before read or published by anyone but what shines through is her simplicity and sincerity in such a way they cannot but help to increase the spiritual life of one's soul. Her intense desire to be so completely united with the Lord through the Holy Virgin Mary, is so overwhelming that she manages to capture her most intimate thoughts as she takes pen in hand to record them. Never did it cross her mind that one day her writings would shine out with tremendous hope not only to those who profess and try to do the will of God and yet fall so many times but to all humanity particularly the youth in the world. Therefore, I feel compelled to share them with you during this point in time: 1st Day - Spiritual Exercises - April 19, 1967 I am going to start my exercises in which our Lord and the most Holy Virgin will speak to me by means of Rev. Father Gustavo Morelos. I propose to listen with great love and confidence so that our Lord by these means will illuminate my life so I can walk down a righteous path. I desire that in these days of intense union with our Lord and the Blessed Virgin my spiritual ideas will become clear. Virgin Mary, grant that I through these exercises I may learn to love you as you deserve and wish to be loved. Please don't forsake me not even for an instant. I am so weak that I immediately stumble and fall. Do not permit Oh Lord, that at the final judgment you will ask me to give an account and find my hands empty.
Mari-Loli's 3-day journal written on April 19-20-21, 1967. 2nd Day - First Talk - Summary of the Talk Regarding Meditations - April 20, 1967 In order to meditate well, it is necessary to keep your mind centered on the theme about which you are meditating because otherwise your imagination will wander to other things that have happened or you might want to do. Oh Virgin Mary! Help me to be holy and carry the small crosses that you send me with joy and resignation, so that all that I do I will do for the love of your Holy Son and you. Second Talk - "From Whom Do I Come?" To think that I am here because of an act of God's love towards me. This alone is enough for me to be good. So many beings in your imagination to whom you have not given life. Oh Lord! Thank you so much for having chosen me. Help me Lord, so that I can do everything well, and in that way you will be pleased in having selected me. Why Am I Here? Oh Lord! I know you have created me to be a saint. Help me to attain this title and try day by day to be more so, that my life may be a continuous act of love towards you. Lord, when I do not feel You near me, don't permit me to be dejected as I am now. Help me, otherwise I cannot have peace and interior joy. Where Am I Going? I know Lord that I have to go toward You. Help me so that this idea becomes engraved in my soul. I know this because it has been made know to me through the Holy Church.
Mari-Loli's 3-day journal written on April 19-20-21, 1967. 3rd Day - Horror of Sin! - April 21, 1967 Lord do not permit me to lose the enormous grace you have given me due to an act of sin. May your grace increase in me each day more and more and may it never be taken away from my soul. It is so grand Lord, to think that you have a place for me in Heaven. Oh Lord! Help me to acquire it. I know that with my efforts alone I would be unable to do it, but with Your great love which You have for me You aide me so that one day I shall be able to sit in Your celestial glory. Resolutions At home do not get upset when nobody helps me with my homework, when I think it is not done properly. On the street, show myself agreeable with those who do me harm. This means humble myself so as not to belittle them. When I pray with God our Lord, the principal thing which is the fountain of all the other good acts must not be done routinely particularly when receiving Holy Communion during Holy Mass.
Glenn, I love this story and when you post about it I always think about how the Lunar Module was made in Bethpage, NY which is not very far from you or very far from the Garabandal Center in Lindenhurst. Just a small coincidence, I suppose but an interesting one nonetheless. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-the-apollo-lunar-module Thank you for posting about this.
At 18 years old! Lord Jesus, let us above all hunger for holiness and a merciful, tender heart! O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
I was asked when was the last contact that the girls had with Mary ? Each one was different. There were two types, visions, and Locutions. Conchita's last Locution was July 20,1966. Mari Loli 's last Locution was February 7,1966, Jacinta's last vision was January 1963, and Mary Cruz's last vision was on September 1, 1962. * Only Conchita and Mari Loli had Locutions. For those who also don't know, an "interior Locution" was when Jesus or Mary spoke (without audible words ) to them. Conchita said : "I felt this voice interiorly, but as clear as if it were through my ears, even better than with words".
Many people ask, how much worse the situation in the Ukraine will get, and I am quick to remind them that things will be “ at their worst” before the Warning can come. Here are just two of many quotes that support my reasoning. Conchita mentioned that Padre Pio, during her visit with him, said to her "The great wonder of God [Miracle] must be paid for with much blood throughout Europe." ( Since this information is new to many English readers we contacted Mr. Albrecht Weber to confirm the source. He responded that Conchita mentioned it in the presence of his mother, Eloise Deguia and himself, and that his mother wrote it down word for word.) “GARABANDAL JOURNAL” Nov.-Dec. 2003 - Barry Hanratty With no human force able to stop the persecution, God will have to intervene. Jacinta told Frenchmen Ramon Perez and Jacques Serre in 1979: “These difficult events will take place before the Warning because the Warning itself will occur when the situation will be at its worst.” Both quotes from : https://ourlady.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Prophecy-about-Communism.pdf
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN DIVINE MERCY AND GARABANDAL Reprinted with kind permission from GARABANDAL JOURNAL July-August 2004 THE PASSION "Fix your gaze upon the Passion of my Son." --- Our Lady to Faustina (Diary, 449) "Think about the Passion of Jesus," --- Message of Our Lady, June 18, 1966 APPEARANCE OF OUR LADY "I saw the Mother of God in a white garment and blue mantle with her head uncovered." (August 15, 1935) (Diary, 468) "The Blessed Virgin appears with a white dress, blue mantle and a crown of small golden stars." [but no head covering] --- Conchita's Diary (On one occasion Our Lady appeared as above however without her crown.) HUMILITY AND SIMPLICITY "I keep company with you as a child to teach you humility and simplicity." --- Our Lord explaining to Faustina why He sometimes appeared to her as the Child Jesus (Diary, 184) "Love humility, simplicity." --- locution of Conchita with Our Lord, February 13, 1966 NOT FOR YOU ALONE "The graces I grant you are not for you alone, but for a great number of other souls as well." --- Our Lord to Faustina (Diary, 723) "I have not come for you; I have come for everybody." --- Our Lord to Conchita, July 20, 1963 ABORTION "I was seized with such violent pains that I had to go to bed at once ... Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part in His Agony in the Garden, and that He Himself allowed these sufferings in order to offer reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers." --- September 16, 1937 (Diary, 1276) "Can you imagine how somebody could kill children in the womb without thereby killing the mother? ... Well, the Blessed Mother spoke about this and she let me know that this will happen with the overflowing of the chalice [of iniquity]." --- Conchita to Albrecht Weber November 14, 1965. HUMBLE AND PROUD "He [God] is well pleased only with the humble; He always opposes the proud." --- Our Lady to Faustina (Diary, 1711) "What God loves most is humility; what most displeases Him is pride." --- Words of Our Lady at Garabandal as recounted by Conchita to Sister Maria Nieves in Burgos on April 19, 1967 COMMUNION FROM AN ANGEL "I saw at my bedside a Seraph who gave me Holy Communion ... This was repeated for thirteen days..." (Diary, 1676) “The angel appeared to us with a goblet that looked like gold ... and then he gave us Holy Communion. He gave us Holy Communion over a long period of time." --- Conchita's Diary .
