OUR LADY OF CARMEL

Garabandal is a small village in northern Spain.

On the evening of June 18, 1961, four girls, all from poor families, were playing on the outskirts of the town - Conchita Gonzalez (12), Maria Dolores (Mari-loli) Mazon (12), Jacinta Gonzalez (12) and Maria Cruz Gonzalez (11).

Suddenly they heard a loud noise, like thunder, it was the Archangel Michael. On the following days he appeared to them again and announced that on July 2 they would see Our Lady.
The news quickly spread through the region. July 2 was a Sunday and the town was crowded. At six in the evening the girls went to the place where the Angel had appeared, and to the surprise of the crowd they entered into ecstasy. Our Lady appeared to them accompanied by two angels, one being St. Michael. The girls described the vision as follows:
"She is dressed in a white robe with a blue mantle and a crown of golden stars. Her hands are slender. There is a brown scapular on her right arm, except when she carried the Child Jesus in her arms. Her hair, deep nut-brown, is parted in the center. Her face is long, with a fine nose. Her mouth is very pretty with lips a bit thin. She looks like a girl of eighteen. She is rather tall. There is no voice like hers. No woman is just like her, either in the voice or the face or anything else. "  Our Lady Manifested herself as Our Lady of Carmel.

After this first apparition there were many more. During 1961 and 1962 Our Lady appeared several times each week. She appeared many times at night and even early in the morning, in an attitude of sacrifice and penance, at the same hours when Our Lord is most offended by the sins of men.

Many visitors and villagers started to participate and gave the girls various objects, such as bibles, rosaries, scapulars, medals, crucifixes, wedding rings, etc. for Our Lady to kiss. In ecstasy, the girls raised them up to Her and She kissed them. Things "kissed" by Our Lady of Carmel have been the instruments of very special favours. Occasionally, these have emitted a mysterious fragrance like that of roses.

The Miracle of the Host

Above the village is a steep hill on which stands a cluster of 9 pine trees. On May 2, 1962, an angel, who appeared to them before, told Conchita that God would perform a miracle so that all people would believe: they would see the Sacred Host on her tongue at the moment of Communion and that she should make this known fifteen days in advance. On July 18, 1962, the town was crowded with visitors. At midnight Conchita entered into ecstasy and went out into the street. Near her house she fell down on her knees in the midst of the crowd. Lanterns were focused on her. She put out her tongue upon which nothing was resting, as everyone could see. In a few moments, a white host appeared on her tongue and remained there for a few minutes.

A Greater Miracle

Conchita has clearly said that Our Lady has promised a greater miracle in Garabandal so that all may believe the Marian apparitions and be obedient to the message. 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 one quarter of an hour. The sick who come to Garabandal on that day will be cured, unbelievers will be converted. There will remain a permanent sign at "The Pines" as a proof of Our Lady's tremendous love for all her children.
"The sign that will remain," says Conchita, "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 has been granted permission by Our Lady to announce the date of the miracle eight days in advance. Before The Miracle takes place Our Lady has said that all mankind will receive a warning from heaven.

The Warning

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 Mari-Loli does know the year; and she said that The Miracle will happen within one year after The Warning.

The Punishment

If we do not pay attention to the message, the punishment announced by Our Lady will be visited on the whole world after 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. The punishment, if it comes, will come after the miracle". sadness.

A New Message

On January 1, 1965, Conchita had an apparition of Our Lady who told her that on June 18, the fourth anniversary of the apparitions, she would be given another message.
On June 18 more than two thousand people gathered in Garabandal. Leaving her house at 11:30 p.m. Conchita walked to the road leading to the Pines to the place called the Cuadro. There she was rapt in ecstasy which lasted sixteen minutes. St. Michael appeared to her and delivered a message from Our Lady, which was made public the next morning. It was a message for the world warning that “…many Cardinals, many Bishops and many Priests are on the road to perdition and with them they are bringing many souls. The Holy Eucharist is being given less importance (honor). We must avoid God's anger with us by our efforts at amendment.”
Our Blessed mother has told us this is her last message. Because of this she wants all her children to listen to her plea before The Warning and The Miracle.

The Last Apparition

On Saturday, November 13, 1965 Conchita had her last apparition of Our Lady in Garabandal. She left details of this meeting at the pines in a letter.
Conchita ends the letter with this: "The Blessed Virgin Mary told me before that Jesus does not want to send the punishment in order to distress us but in order to help us and reproach us because we pay no attention to Him. And the warning will be sent in order to purify us for the miracle in which he will show us His great love, and in order that we may fulfill the message."

With this apparition of Our Lady, the cycle of apparitions in Garabandal closed. It will be definitely confirmed on a Thursday at 8:30 p.m. when The Miracle takes place. This will mark the beginning of a new era in the history of the salvation of mankind.