“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony (Rev. 22:16).”
On June 18, 1961, St. Michael the Archangel appeared to four girls, Conchita Gonzalez (12), Mari Cruz Gonzalez (11), Jacinta Gonzalez (12), and Mari Loli Mazon (12), at Garabandal which is a small village in Spain consisting of 300 habitants.
As in previous Marian apparitions, St. Michael came to prepare the children and the world for Our Lady’s messages.
The girls were at the “calleja,” (a small rocky road where most of the apparitions took place) and as at Fatima and other places where St. Michael has appeared, they heard thunder and saw a bright light when, as Conchita later wrote,
“Suddenly a very beautiful figure appeared to me, shining brilliantly without hurting my eyes. The other girls…shouted together: ‘Oh, an Angel!’” (Conchita’s diary)
This was the first of many apparitions of St. Michael the Archangel to the girls over a period of four years. The vision lasted for half an hour, and he was very young as at Fatima and Rue du Bac. St. Michael did not speak or deliver a message. The girls described the Archangel as…
“He appeared in a blue tunic, with wings that seemed to be made of fire, he was a beautiful person, surrounded by a very strong light that did not bother our eyes, it seemed to be nine years old, but it seemed to be very strong. To be a young boy, but before him we felt great respect for him.” (Conchita’s Interview)
From June 21st to June 23rd, St. Michael appeared after the girls had finished praying the rosary at the cajella, and as usual they ended the evening by making a visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament. The local priest Fr. Valentin Marichalar saw the girls in ecstasy on the 22nd and he interviewed the girls separately. He later stated,
“Up to the present moment, everything seems to indicate that it comes from God.” (June 23, 1961)
On June 24, 1961 the children came to the calleja and St. Michael appeared. They noticed that he brought a written sign. They learned later that this was the same message Our Lady would bring. The children asked him what it meant, and he smiled. The children could only make out a few of the letters,
“In the first line it said, there is…and in the last line XVIII—MCMLXI, and this is all we understood.” (Conchita’s diary)
On June 25, 1961, the apparitions of St. Michael continued and the people from the village built a fence to protect the girls from the large crowds. The family, doctors, and psychiatrists were allowed inside the fence, and they shone flashlights, pricked the girls with pins, scratched, and pinched them many times while they were in ecstasy, and they felt nothing. In later apparitions the girls levitated during the ecstasies.
From June 28th to June 30th, St. Michael the Archangel appeared around 8:30 P.M. at the cajella after the girls prayed the rosary, and Conchita related,
“He appeared to us and came smiling more than ever. We asked him, why have you come? He smiled and did not answer us.” (Conchita’s diary)
On July 1, 1961 St. Michael appeared for two hours and for the first time spoke with the children about his coming to prepare the way. Conchita writes,
“the Angel appeared to us, smiling, and said: ─ “I come to announce to you a visit by the Virgin under the title of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, who will appear to you tomorrow, Sunday.” We were very happy and we said to him: ─ Let her come right away! He smiled, and then we said to him: ─ What does this sign you brought mean? ─ The Virgin will tell you about it. This day, he spoke to us about many things.” (Conchita’s diary)
On July 2, 1961 the children saw Our Lady of Mount Carmel with a brown scapular and the Child Jesus along with St. Michael and St. Gabriel. Our Lady unveiled the heavenly message on July 4, 1961 which was to be made public on October 18, 1961,
“It is necessary to make many sacrifices and do much penance, we have to visit the Blessed Sacrament very much, but before we have to be very good. If we do not do this, a chastisement will come. The cup is being filled, and if we don’t change a chastisement will come.” (Conchita’s diary)
The apparitions continued, and St. Michael brought Holy Communion to the girls around 40 times from the tabernacles on earth, when there was no daily mass at the village. (Similarly, he, also, brought Holy Communion and catechized the Fatima children plus other saints like St. Gerard Majella.) Conchita wrote,
“─ I [St. Michael] am going to give you Communion…Say the ‘I Confess…’ We prayed it, and afterwards he gave us Communion. And after receiving Communion, he told us to make our thanksgiving to God… And after we made our thanksgiving, he told us to pray the ‘Soul of Christ’ with him. We prayed it. He said to us: ─ I will give you Communion tomorrow too. Then he left.” (Conchita’s diary)
On June 18, 1962 the anniversary of the first apparition of St. Michael, he showed the girls a chastisement where fire comes down from heaven if the world does not turn from evil. (The approved apparitions of Akita and Fatima have similar prophecies of fire.) The apparitions of St. Michael continued from June 19-20, 1962, and Conchita wrote,
“It is worse than if we were wrapped in fire; worse than if we had fire on top and fire underneath. I don’t know the time that will pass before God sends it after the miracle has occurred.” (Conchita’s writings)
On June 22, 1962 St. Michael the Archangel announced to Conchita that there would be a “little miracle.”
“I [St. Michael] am going to perform a miracle. Not I: God, through my intercession and yours. And I asked him: ─ And what is it going to be? And he told me: ─ When I give you Holy Communion, the Sacred Host will be seen on your tongue. I thought it over and asked: ─ Surely when I receive Communion from you, the Host is seen on my tongue! And he told me that it wasn’t so, that the people around me didn’t see It; but that on the day when he would perform the miracle, It would be seen. And I said to him: ─ But that’s very small! And he smiled. After telling me this, he left.” (Conchita’s diary)
On July 19, 1962 with crowds of 2,000-3,000 people and a dozen priests, many witnesses saw the Sacred Host that Conchita received from St Michael. The host became bright and was filmed and photographed. Conchita wrote,
“And he [St. Michael] told me, as on other days: ─ Pray the ‘I Confess’ and think of Whom you are going to receive. I did this. And afterwards he gave me Communion. And after giving me Communion, he told me to say the ‘Soul of Christ,’ and to make my thanksgiving, and told me to hold out my tongue with the Sacred Host until he left and the Virgin came. And I did this. When the Virgin came she told me: ─ They all still do not believe.” (Conchita’s diary)
On January 15, 1963, St. Michael announced to Conchita the date of the “Great Miracle” which the whole world will see but not be able to touch. It is a sign of mercy for the conversion of sinners. (Similarly, Jesus reveals such a “sign in the heavens [83]” to St. Faustina, and the Medjugorje messages also speak of such a sign.)
On January 1st, 1965 Our Lady appeared to Conchita to say that St. Michael would appear on June 18, 1965 and give a message in her name to the whole world. She spoke about a special worldwide “warning.”
“This experience will involve every person in the world…It will be like an interior realization of our sins. Believers, as well as unbelievers, wherever they are at the time, will see and feel it.” (Conchita’s Interview)
On June 18, 1965 St. Michael the Archangel appeared. He was given the task of communicating the message from Our Lady to Conchita saying,
“Since my message of October 18 has not been heeded and made known to the world, I tell you that this is the last one. Before, the cup was filling up. Now, it is brimming over. Many cardinals, many bishops, and many priests are following the way to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Ever less importance is being given to the Holy Eucharist. You must turn the wrath of God away from you by your efforts. If you ask His forgiveness with a sincere heart, He will pardon you. I, your Mother, through St. Michael the Archangel, wish to tell you to amend your lives. You are now in the last warnings! I love you very much, and I do not want your condemnation. Ask Us sincerely, and We will grant your plea. You must make more sacrifices. Reflect on the Passion of Jesus.” (Conchita’s diary)
November 13, 1965 was the last apparition of Our Lady of Carmel, and she pleaded for all of humanity,
“I come for all my children, with the desire to bring them closer to Our Hearts….I hold all of them beneath my mantle…Conchita, why don’t you go often to visit my Son in the Most Blessed Sacrament?…visit Him Who is waiting for you day and night…” (Conchita’s diary)
The apparitions are at the “Non-constat de supernaturalitate” stage (Read links https://www.ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/GARABAND.HTM & http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2010/06/garabandal-apparitions-and-great.html) which means that one day they could be declared authentic or not authentic since “It is not established supernatural.” This means the church is not certain concerning the events at Garabandal. A closed case of not authentic would be “Constat de non supernaturalitate” which means “It is established not supernatural,” while authentic means “Constat de supernaturalitate” meaning “It is established supernatural.”
Finally, great saints like Padre Pio and Mother Teresa of Calcutta who met Conchita firmly believed in the authenticity of the Garabandal apparitions. St. Michael the Archangel pray for us!
THE END
Recommended
Read the other parts of the series
Angels & Dragons III – St Michael Relic Stone
Angels & Dragons IV – St Michael’s Protection
Angels & Dragons V – Minor Exorcisms
Angels & Dragons VI –“Set the Oppressed Free!” (Luke 4:18)
Angels & Dragons VII – Transferences
Angels & Dragons VIII – St Gemma Galgani Relic
Angels & Dragons IX – 40 Days to Slay the Dragon
Angels & Dragons X –St. Faustina’s Battles
Angels & Dragons XI –“Michael the Archangel will Arise.” (Dn.12:1)
Angels & Dragons XII –Angels & Dragons XII: St. Michael’s Flaming Sword!
Angels & Dragons XIII –The Glorious Michaelmas!
Angels & Dragons XIV: Mont Saint Michel
Angels & Dragons XV: The St. Michael Statue
Angels & Dragons XVI: St. Michael & All Souls
Angels & Dragons XVII: The Power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
Angels & Dragons XVIII: St. Michael the Angel of Peace!
Thank you for this article. The message of Garabandal repeats the message of Fatima (and Akita). It is a message Christians desperately need to heed in these times, and at this late hour. We need to avail ourselves of Michael’s protection now more than ever. I always find your articles encouraging.
Dear Tony Cosentino,
Thank you for your kind words. Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads these articles or is interested in them so I am glad it made a difference to you. I thought of this story after I read your comment.
“There was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,
“It made a difference for that one.”
Great article Deacon:)
Thank you Betty Fyke! I forgot to mention that there was a 5th visionary on August 8, 1961. Fr. Luis Andreu got to see the apparition of Our Lady when she visited the children. He shouted in front of a huge crowd, “Milagro! Milagro! Milagro! Milagro! (meaning Miracle!)” Fr. Luis later died of joy and his final words were, “This is the happiest day of my life! What a wonderful mother we have in heaven!” Other holy souls who have died of holy joy are Blessed Imelda and Little Nellie.
Here is a video of him.
Hello Deacon,
Can you help me purchase a St Michael stone from the cave?
Dear Gilene Lorenzo, Someone should have emailed to provide assistance. Were you able to order the St. Michael relic stone? Blessings +
Dear Deacon,
I am happy to hear from you.
Yes, I first emailed Susan, and she passed me along to Colleen and we have been emailing since and today I will drop my order to the post office.
Thank you, Deacon. I love your articles about Angels. The only time I will see your stories or articles about you and the church is through SpiritDaily website that I visit daily. So, I am so glad through your story I am able to order St. Michael stone relic. I tried ordering last year directly to the priests in Italy but no success. Now, here I think I will receive my own soon.
I love St. Michael and other Angels and saints and their stories. I think St. Michael answered my prayer through your story, I prayed about this relic stone to him and here we are!
Thank you so much and God bless you.
Please pray for me to St. Michael, I think he knows what I am praying for myself, medical issues for the most part and also for my family.
Thank you, Deacon.
St. Michael, pray for us.
Gilene
Dear Gilene, I will pray for your health so that you can spread more devotion to St. Michael. His intercession is much needed in the world. On the timing of the relic, it is St. Michael who decides to open the door is my opinion. I had heard about the relic many, many years ago, but I was unable to get one until St. Michael opened the door in his time. I am glad it was at his time and not my time as only now I am ready to truly cherish such a powerful weapon against the enemy. Blessings +
By the way, Deacon,
Are the stone relics really came from cave of St. Michael?
Just wondering.
Gilene
Yes, a Catholic religious order dedicated to St. Michael ensures that the stones come from the cave.
Thank you, Deacon.
Have a wonderful and blessed weekend.
Gilene
I tried to email them at the information website but it was unsuccessful, that was last year. I will really appreciate it.
I signed up here just to get in touch with you, maybe you can help me. Let me know what you need from me. You can directly email me at
Gilenene@gmail.com
Your story of St Michael relic is again mentioned at spiritdaily this week.
Thank you and God bless you.
Gilene