Garabandal
During a time when I was working in Spain I befriended a very devout little old lady called Blanca, who I had often seen deep in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. In the course of our conversations together, she told me the fascinating story of Garabandal, a tiny village in northern Spain, in the province of Santander, near the rugged and beautiful mountains called ‘Picos de Europa’. (The full name of the village is San Sebastian de Garabandal.) Blanca was an eyewitness to some of the most extraordinary events that took place there from 18th June 1961 to 13th November 1965.
As we draw near to the fiftieth anniversary of the first apparition, let us look at some of the facts of the story of Garabandal. (Please note that these are private revelations and no one is obliged to believe in them.)
The Seers
Four girls: Conchita, Mari Loli, Jacinta and Mari Cruz, aged between 11 and 12 years of age, had many ongoing visions, ecstasies and locutions with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The apparitions were so numerous and some of these were so disarmingly normal, natural and sweet, that it has set the apparition site of Garabandal apart from any other where the Blessed Virgin has previously appeared.
The Visions
Whilst the four girls were playing in an orchard on 18th June 1961 there was a sudden thunderclap and to their surprise they saw before them the bright figure of the Archangel Michael. He appeared to them again in the same place on the following days and announced that on 2nd July they would see Our Lady. This was the beginning of the Garabandal apparitions. The news spread quickly through the region. The 2nd July was a Sunday and the town was crowded with people from all social levels and very many from out of town, among them several physicians and priests. At 6pm the girls went to the place where the Angel had appeared, and immediately entered into ecstasy. Our Lady appeared to them accompanied by two angels, one being St. Michael. After this first apparition there were many more. They spoke openly and familiarly with their Heavenly Mother and said the rosary in her presence. During 1961 and 1962 Our Lady appeared several times each week. The four girls did not always receive the apparition together. Sometimes only one, other times two or three of them saw the vision. Nor was it always at the same hour of the day. Our Lady 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. Even so, the girls would arise the following morning, as early as usual, to work in the fields, carrying bundles of grass or wood, or tending the cattle and sheep, without showing signs of fatigue. Mari Cruz had her last vision in 1962, Mari Loli and Jacinta in 1963, and only Conchita continued to have visions until 1965, although these became less and less frequent.
When the vision appeared, the girls fell instantaneously on their knees, striking the sharp rocks with a loud noise that was frightening, yet they showed no signs of injury. The expression on their faces was suddenly transformed, becoming extraordinarily beautiful, sweet, one of profound mysticism. They were completely absorbed in their rapture, unaware of anyone or any material thing around them except for each other. In fact all attempts to distract them failed. They did not react to pricks, burns or blows, nor even to the powerful beams of strong light focused on them when their eyes would not so much as flicker or blink. Quite the contrary, their eyes remained wide open, expressing a look of intense joy. During these ecstasies, which lasted anything from a few minutes to several hours, time did not seem to count. On many occasions they remained immobile in off-balance, beautiful “sculptured-like” positions, heads tilted far back, eyes looking up, kneeling on the rocks or bare-legged in the snow. At the end of the ecstasy they showed no signs of excitation or nervousness, just deep, profound peace and joy.
Many visitors and villagers 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. Then, guided by Our Lady, the girls returned the items to their correct owners, even in cases where the person had first confided the object to someone else so the child did not know who the real owner was. Things “kissed” by Our Lady have been the instruments of very special favours.
There was other phenomena during the time of the visions, including ecstatic walks when the girls seemed to defy the laws of gravity as though endowed by some sort of spiritual agility. Guided solely by the vision, they ran or walked at great speed down the steep mountainside, even backwards, so that it was impossible for the astonished spectators to follow them.
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