Our Lady of Garabandal

Also Known As: Our Lady of Mount Carmel of Garabandal

Feast Day: NA

Further Reading: OL of La Salette, OL of Lourdes, OL of Fatima, OL of Akita, OL of Medjugorje

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Our Lady of Garabandal is an apparition of Our Lady to four girls from a rural village named San Sebastián de Garabandal in Spain. This apparition began in the year 1961 and lasted until 1965, with Our Lady taking on the appearance of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This apparition has not been officially approved by the Church. This apparition shares many similarities with the apparitions of La Salette, Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje, namely involving Our Lady sharing secrets with the children she appears to. Additionally, much like those other apparitions, the purpose of this visitation was to call for a conversion of heart.

In this particular apparition, two messages were shared with the children: one from St. Michael, and the other from Our Lady. The first message was given in 1961 by Saint Michael on behalf of Our Lady and called for sacrifice, penance, and frequent Communion to avoid an impending chastisement. The second message, given in 1965 by Our Lady personally, said that the previous message was not complied with, that the cup that was once filling was now spilling out. This message warned that many clergy are following the road to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Additionally, less and less importance was being given to the Holy Eucharist. Even so, the message said that it isn’t yet too late to ask for God’s forgiveness.

In addition to these two messages, the visionaries foretell of a warning, a miracle, and a chastisement if people do not correct their ways. The warning is described as a worldwide stopping of time where people would see their souls as God sees them – a mini-judgement. Many people call this foretold phenomenon the Illumination of Conscience. A year after the warning, a miracle will leave a permanent sign in Garabandal which can be seen and photographed, but not touched. The description of this miracle is astonishingly similar to the sign foretold by the Medjugorje visionaries in their own village. The final chastisement has been described as a great fire descending from heaven. According to the visionaries, however, the punishment can be avoided depending on how people react to the warning and the miracle.

It is interesting to note, after the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963, Our Lady spoke to one of the visionaries, Cochita, and told her that there are only three popes left until the end of times. The same year, in 1963, Our Lady mentioned that there will be a pope who will govern the church for a very short time who is not counted as one of the three Popes. Counting the popes since Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI would have been the first pope mentioned. Pope John Paul I, who reigned for 33 days, would have been the pope that is not counted. Pope John Paul II would have been the second pope, and Pope Benedict XVI, who died in 2022, would have been the third. Therefore, According to Cochita’s vision, the end of times will begin during Pope Francis’s reign. It is important to note that the “end of times” doesn't mean the “end of the world”, nor will the papacy cease to exist, but rather we will enter into a new period in the Church’s history.