San Sebastian de Garabandal is a small hamlet of some 80 humbledwellings located in the Cantabrian Mountains of northwest Spain. On June 18,1961, four girls, Mari Loli Mazon (12), Jacinta Gonzalez (12), Mari CruzGonzalez (11), and Conchita Gonzalez (12) were playing on the outskirts of thevillage when they heard a sound like thunder. Suddenly, there stood before thema dazzling angel. He said nothing and quickly disappeared. Pale and visiblyshaken, the four girls ran to the village church and the apparition soon becameknown. Over the next twelve days, the angel appeared to them several more timesand then on July 1, he spoke for the first time, announcing that on thefollowing day, the Blessed Virgin would appear to them as Our Lady of MountCarmel.

News spread quickly. On July 2, many priests were among the numerousvisitors who joined the villagers to witness the great event. At about 6:00 o'clock p.m.,the children were headed for the spot where they had been seeing the angel whenthe Blessed Virgin Mary appeared with an angel on each side. They recognizedone of the angels as the one who had been appearing to them (later identifiedas St. Michael the Archangel) and the other looked identical. Above the Virginwas a large eye that the children thought to be the eye of God. They spokeopenly and familiarly with their Heavenly Mother and said the rosary in herpresence. Over the next year and a half she would appear hundreds of timesfrequently.

Thegirls' visions were preceded by three interior calls (llamadas) each becomingstronger than the last. After the third call they would run to the sunken landwhere the visions first began and crashing to their knees on the jagged rocks,enter into heavenly rapture. Their heads were thrown back, the pupils of theireyes dilated and their face imbued with an angelic countenance. They wereinsensitive to pricks, burns, physical contact or bright spotlights shonedirectly into their eyes. Their weight factor changed so much that two grownmen had great difficulty in lifting one 12-year-old girl and yet they couldlift each other with the greatest of ease to offer a kiss to the Virgin.

As the apparitions continued, new phenomena began to occur. With their heads thrown backand unable to see where they were going, the girls in ecstasy would march inarm, without the slightest difficulty either frontwards or backwards over veryhazardous terrain and sometimes at a pace so rapid that onlookers running atfull speed were unable to keep up with them. During these ecstatic "flights"they were able to stop instantly defying the laws of physics as the followingcrowd, like a speeding car trying to come to a screeching halt, would go rightpast them. Afterwards, the visionaries were neither out of breath norperspiring and their pulse rates were normal.

The girls also began to make spectacular falls in ecstasy either collectivelyor individually. Sometimes they would fall straight backwards, stiff as aboard, without bending any part of the body or using the hands to cushion thefall. The loud thud made when they hit the ground frightened onlookers but thevisionaries were never hurt. From this prone position, they would rise withoutpushing themselves up in any way. In collective falls they were described bywitnesses as "beautiful sculptures" and their clothing was never immodestlyruffled or indecorous.

Oneof the many priests to witness the events of Garabandal was Fr. Luis MariaAndreu, a young theology professor from Ona, Spain. On the night ofAugust 8, 1961, while observing the

visionariesin ecstasy, Fr. Luis cried out four times, "Miracle!" On the drive home withfriends later that night and into the next morning he exclaimed, "What awonderful present the Virgin has given me! How lucky to have a mother like thatin heaven...Today is the happiest day of my life!" Shortly after pronouncingthese words he lowered his head and passed from this life to the next. In asubsequent vision, the Virgin told the seers that Fr. Luis had seen her and apreview of the great Miracle and that he died of joy.

When witnesses heard that Our Lady wanted to kiss religious objects,many rosaries, medals, crucifixes and wedding rings were given to the seers topresent to the Virgin .

Often,the objects were given to the visionaries in such a way that they couldn'tpossibly know to whom each belonged, the articles having either been placed ona table set aside for this purpose when the seers were not present or beinghanded to them by persons other than the rightful owners. Yet, in ecstasy,guided by Our Lady, they never made a mistake in returning wedding rings andother articles to the right person. On the Virgin's last visit to Garabandalshe told Conchita, "through the kiss I have bestowed on these objects my Sonwill perform prodigies..." This promise has been fulfilled in numerous reportedcures from around the world.

To confirm thesupernatural character of the events, St. Michael told Conchita that on

acertain date, the invisible Communion he had been giving her would becomevisible on her tongue. So, in the early morning hours of July 19, 1962, sheleft her house in ecstasy, turned a corner, and fell to her knees in anadjacent street. As the crowd pressed around her, she put out her tongue andthose just inches away affirmed that it was bare and the mouth empty. Then,faster than the eye could see, a brilliant white Host appeared on her tongue.An amateur with a movie camera a few feet away and only flashlight illuminationwas able to film the last few moments of the miracle.

Thevisionaries in ecstasy were carefully studied by eminent doctors andpsychiatrists. One child specialist certified that the girls were alwayscompletely normal and that the ecstasies did not fall under any knownphysiological phenomena. Dr. Ricardo Puncernau, leading Spanishneuropsychiatrist stated, "From a strictly scientific point of view, one cannotdeny the possibility of a supernatural cause in all these phenomena." Dr.Garcia Ruiz and Dr. Ortiz Gonzales said, "To keep silent would be truescientific cowardice...we do not find any convincing explanation for suchphenomena."

Three of the four visionaries have married Americans and live in theUnited States. They lead exemplary Christian lives totally dedicated to theirvocations as wives and mothers. Conchita has four children, Mari Loli, three,and Jacinta, one. Mari Cruz is also married, living in Spain and has fourchildren.

We must make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit theBlessed Sacrament frequently. But first, we must lead good lives. If we do not,a chastisement will befall us. The cup is already filling up, and if we do notchange, a very great chastisement will come upon us.

As my message of October 18 has not been complied with and has not beenmade known to the world, I am advising you that this is the last one. Before,the cup was filling up. Now it is flowing over. Many cardinals, many bishopsand many priests are on the road to perdition and are taking many souls withthem. Less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist. You should turnthe wrath of God away from yourselves by your efforts. If you ask for hisforgiveness with sincere hearts, He will pardon you. I, your mother, throughthe intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel, ask you to amend your lives.You are now receiving the last warnings. I love you very much and do not wantyour condemnation. Pray to us with sincerity and we will grant your requests.

Three great supernatural events were prophesied at Garabandal. The firstis a worldwide Warning from God to be seen and then felt interiorly by everyoneon earth. At that moment, we will see the wrong we've done and the good wefailed to do. The Warning will be sent to correct the conscience of the worldand prepare it for the great Miracle.

The Miracle will take place at the grove of pine trees on a bluffoverlooking the village of Garabandal. It will occur on a Thursday evening at8:30 on or between the eighth and the sixteenth of March, April or May.(Visionary Conchita Gonzalez-Keena knows the date and will announce it eightdays in advance.) It will be on the feastday of a martyr of the Eucharist andcoincide with an event in the Church. All those either in the village orsurrounding mountains will see it. The sick who are present will be cured,sinners converted and the incredulous will believe. As a result of the Miracle,Russia will be converted.