Brief history

San Sebastián de Garabandal is a mountain town located in the northwest of Spain, 78 km from the city of Santander and 30 km from the coast. It is located at the top of a mountain, 697 meters above sea level, and at the foot of a mountain range called Peña Sagra. The only road access to get there is through a road with a steep climb, which connects the town of Cosío with Garabandal, 5 km away.

 San Sebastián, the name with which locals from nearby towns refer to Garabandal, currently has 102 inhabitants. Stone houses, some of them emblazoned from the 16th and 17th centuries, laundry, narrow cobblestone streets and surrounded by mountains, give San Sebastián that “rustic and homely appearance” of a small mountain town, with great landscape and architectural beauty.

To the time to which we go back, 1961, the only access that linked Garabandal with Cosío, was an unpaved road, difficult for vehicle traffic, which was usually traveled by car, on the back of a donkey or on foot. About 300 inhabitants lived in San Sebastián in about 60 farmhouses, who were mainly dedicated to agriculture and livestock. Women, men and children shared the work in the fields. About 80 children were served in the school “now the Pilgrim Center.”

While we were busy eating them, we heard a loud noise like thunder. And we exclaim at the same time: It seems to be thundering! That happened at eight thirty at night. Once the apples are finished I say, "That's so fat!" Now that we took the apples that were not ours, the devil will be happy and the poor Guardian Angel will be sad. Then we started picking up stones and throwing them with all our strength at the left side. We said there was the devil. Once we were tired of throwing stones and were more satisfied, we started playing marbles with stones. Suddenly a very beautiful figure appeared to me with many lights that did not hurt my eyes at all. The other girls Jacinta, Loli, and Mari Cruz, upon seeing me in this state, thought I was having an attack, because I said with my hands together: “Oh! . . . Oh! . . .» When they were about to call my mother, they stayed in the same state as me and we exclaimed at the same time: "Oh, the Angel!" Then there was a certain silence between the four of them... and suddenly it disappeared. When we returned to normal and very scared, we ran towards the Church, passing by the dance performance that was taking place in the town on the way. Then a girl from the town, named Pili González, told us: — How white and scared you are! Where do you come from? We, very ashamed to confess the truth, told him: —To pick apples! And she said: - Is that why you come like this? We all answered together: — WE HAVE SEEN THE ANGEL! (Conchita's Diary)

The next day, Sunday, July 2, 1961, as the news had spread throughout the surrounding area, many people came to town eager to see what they “said” was going to happen there. Among the people were priests and doctors. It was 6 in the afternoon. We went to the Calleja to pray the Rosary, without getting there the Virgin appeared to us with an Angel on each side. Two Angels came with Her, one was Saint Michael and we don't know the other. He came dressed just like Saint Michael, they looked like twins. Next to the Angel on the right, at the height of the Virgin, we saw a very large eye. It looked like the eye of God. That day we talked a lot with the Virgin and She with us. We told him everything: that we went to the meadow every day, that we were black, that our grass was in morujos, etc. . . . She laughed as we told her so many things! . . . We prayed the Rosary seeing Her and She prayed with us to teach us how to pray it well, and when we finished the Rosary She said She was leaving. So we told him to stay a little bit longer, that he had been there very little. She laughed and told us that she would be back on Monday. When he left, we were very sad (Diario de Conchita)

 And he returned not only the next day, but in hundreds of meetings.

Sometimes throughout the day and night. The girls knew perfectly well when they were going to appear, thanks to what they themselves called “the three calls.”

There are three calls: the first is a smaller joy, the second is something bigger, but by the third we get very nervous and very happy. Then it comes and we went to the second call because if we went to the first one we had to wait there until very late; because from the first to the second, it takes a long time. (Diario de Conchita):

On July 4, 1961, Our Lady gave the girls her first message. Message that was not made public until October 18.
The Virgin, always smiling, the first thing she said to us was: — Do you know what the sign that the Angel had underneath means? —No, we don't know. —She says: —It means a Message that I am going to explain to you so that on October 18 you can tell it to the public. Then he told us, and it is the following: (Conchita's Diary)

«We have to make many sacrifices, a lot of penance, visit the Blessed Sacrament, but first we have to be very good. And if we don't do it, punishment will come to us. The cup is already filling up and if we don't change, a very big punishment will come to us."

This is what that sign of the Angel and the Message that we said on October 18 meant. After telling us he left. It started at twenty-five minutes past six and left at seven. She told us all this the first day but I didn't understand anything. The next day she told us that Ella would explain it to us later. Then he explained to us what the Message meant and how we had to say it. He told us that we had to say it at the Church portal and that on October 18 we would communicate it to Don Valentín, so that he could say it, in Los Pinos, at ten thirty at night.

In the month of August 1961, the ecstatic marches began. The girls walked in ecstasy back and forth through the cobbled and steep streets of the village, with a crucifix in their hands and their eyes fixed all the time looking up.

On August 8, 1961, the day the four of us had a vision, Loli, Jacinta, Mari Cruz and I, there were many people and among them Father Luis María Andreu and a seminarian, Andrés Pardo, and Father Royo Marín, Dominican. It was night when the Virgin appeared to us that day. At the end of the rosary, the four of us became ecstatic and began to walk towards the pines. Arriving there, Father Luis María said: Miracle, Miracle! and stood looking up. We saw him well, because in our ecstasies we do not see anyone, only the Holy Virgin. The next day, the four of us went to sweep the Church and while we were sweeping, Jacinta's mother came, very scared, and told us: —Father Luis Ma. Andreu has died! We didn't believe him because we had seen him the day before. So, we left the Church half swept and went to find out with the other people. They told us that when he was about to die his last words were: —Today is the happiest day of my life! What a good Mother we have in Heaven! Then he died. (Conchita's Diary).

This happened on the road that goes to Reinosa to Camino de Aguilar de Campoo. There was a caravan of about four cars and among them was Father Luis María. There were three other people in that car. Father Luis María slept for a while and when he woke up he said: —What a pleasant dream I had. I'm not even tired anymore. They arrived in Reinosa around four in the morning. There all the cars stopped at the entrance to the town at a fountain. They got out of the cars to drink water while Father Luis remained in his car, with the door open, surrounded by other people who asked him questions about what they had seen. When leaving, the car in which Father Luis María was traveling was in last place. Still inside Reinosa, Father Luis said: “I am full of joy. What a gift the Virgin has given me. How lucky to have a mother like that in heaven. There is no need to be afraid of supernatural life. The girls have taught us how to treat the Virgin. For me there can no longer be a doubt. Why would the Virgin have chosen us? "Today is the happiest day of my life." Saying this he raised his head. When he stopped talking, they asked him: —Father, is something wrong with you? —and he answered: No, nothing, dream. And saying this he lowered his head. The mechanic turned around and when he saw him he said: —Oh, the Father is very bad. His eyes are turned away. There was a clinic right there. Nothing could be done other than to verify the authenticity of his death. No illness was known in him. He died, we could say, without agony. He had a slight smile of happiness on his face. The story of this father and Garabandal does not end with his death. The girls have spoken frequently with him, as Conchita will tell us in her diary. The most surprising thing is that the Virgin has informed Conchita that the day after the miracle, this father will be exhumed and his body will appear incorrupt, just like the same day he was buried.

A week later she heard a voice that told her that July 18 was going to be the Miracle or Milagrucu, as the girl said. Since July 2, information regarding this Milagrucu began to be publicly known. In the early morning of July 19, 1962, Conchita entered her house in ecstasy, and the angel, as in other communions, told her to pray the “I am a sinner” and to think about Who she was going to receive. The girl left the room and went down the stairs with her hands clasped in front of her chest, her head thrown back and her mouth slightly open. In front of her friend Olguita's house, the visionary fell on her knees and communion took place. – Pepe Díez, present at the moment of the miracle. He said that suddenly, without the girl having moved her mouth or tongue, a round white thing inexplicably sprouted and seemed to grow. Another witness claims that the Shape was a white body of the same size and shape as the Shapes normally used, perhaps thicker, somewhat spongy and attached to the tongue. He estimates that the phenomenon lasted between 45 and 50 seconds.

On June 18, 1965, Archangel Saint Michael, in the name of the Virgin Mary, said this:
The Angel has said: Since my Message of October 18 has not been fulfilled and has not been made known to the world, I will tell you that this is the last. Before the cup was filling, now it is overflowing. Priests, Bishops and Cardinals many go down the path of perdition and with them they take many more souls. The Eucharist is given less and less importance. We must avoid the wrath of God upon us, with our efforts. If you ask Him for forgiveness with your sincere souls He will forgive you. I, Your Mother, through the intercession of the Angel Saint Michael, want to tell you to amend yourselves. You are already in the last notices. I love you very much and I do not want your condemnation. Ask Us sincerely, and We will give it to you. You must sacrifice more. Think about the Passion of Jesus. (Conchita's Diary)

Thousands of Pilgrims, from various places around the world, come to Garabandal every year; as a place of prayer, retreat or spiritual search.

The Church, for the moment, has not ruled on the supernaturality of the apparitions of San Sebastián de Garabandal. But in these cases of “the apparitions”, the Church must be very cautious. But, it is very significant that: Saint Padre Pio, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Paul VI, Saint Maravillas de Jesús, Martha Robin and many more holy people, always supported the supernaturality of Garabandal.

Garabandal is not a thing of the past. Conchita says like this: The Blessed Virgin has announced to me a miracle that God Our Lord will perform through her intercession. As the punishment is very, very great, as we deserve it, the miracle is also immensely great as the world needs it. The Virgin has told me the date of the miracle and what it will consist of. I have to tell people eight days before to come. The Pope will see it from wherever he is, as will Padre Pio. The sick who attend it will be healed and the sinners will be converted. Those who see this great miracle, which God Our Lord will perform through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, will not doubt. And now everyone is waiting for that great day of the miracle, to see if the world changes and the punishment does not come. (Diario de Conchita)
«Before the miracle, the Virgin told me on January 1, there will be a warning so that the world can mend itself. And that warning is like a punishment. He is very fearful, for good and bad. For the good to bring them closer to God. And for the bad guys to warn them that the end of times is coming. And these are the latest warnings. It's very long, you can't say it in a letter. This no longer prevents anyone from coming. It's safe. "I don't know the day or anything about the date." It will be felt throughout the world. It will come before the Miracle although she does not know when. It will be seen that it comes from God. The girl does not know its duration. Conchita also adds that in the Warning we will see everything that we have offended God with our sins and what we have done with them in the Passion of the Lord. (fragment of a letter from Conchita dated June 2, 1965)