A beautiful and thoughtful story of lights, shadows and hopes that have marked 60 years of history in a small town in Cantabria, San Sebastian de Garabandal (Rionansa, Cantabria, Spain) and since he has illuminated corners of various parts of the world.

LIGHTS: A light that is illuminating 60 years old, amid the darkness that sometimes covers history. On July two, nineteen hundred and sixty-one the heavenly STAR (Mary, Our mother) illuminates the mountains of San Sebastián de Garabandal and from here so many corners of Cantabria, Spain and the world. The virgin, the Mother of Christ and our Mother, came "in a hurry" to these places to bring us to Christ (Lc 1, 39-46). He reached out to strengthen our faith, consolidate our hope and strengthen thezos of love. It was four long years with almost three thousand appearances, where shocking ecstasies were shared, static gears, breathtaking falls, objects kissed by the Virgin, and endless events that claimed the divine hand, as well as the visible communion of the Archangel San Miguel to Conchita.

These events aroused and still arouse in the pilgrims, the amazement and expression that such events came from God and heaven. This place, with its facts and events, has marked the minds and hearts of the Bastians and so many pilgrims, especially the first twenty years. Four girls marked this march in the mystery of the human and the divine, their names are: Mari Cruz, Jacinta, Mari Loli and Conchita. . I think that in the solitude and the darkness of the night the figures of the girls emerge, those rosaries, those objects delivered to kiss the Virgin, those ecstasies, Those movements and falls were the "rush" of a Mother who comes to bring us her Son with a message of love and conversion. Everything that is said about Garabandal must be done from silence, from the prayer and from the maternal gaze of the Virgin. It is time to make a “stop” after these sixty years to make an analysis of various perspectives: 1) Witness of the witnesses of the place and of so many places that approached and are approaching.2) Vision respectful and profound of the events that occurred, from the religious reality and from the respect and obedience to the Church. How many pilgrims have felt "something special" as they say. 3) Recognize with objectivity and respect the ecclesiastical studies on the subject. 4) The study distended from doctors, "study" people, of recognized prestige. From these diverse aspects steps can be taken from the officiality of the Church, and so, mute both seers, prophet and "opportunistic" preachers who manifest themselves as "catholic" and who alter the place and communion with the Church and, whose options and ways of life, They are not compatible or listed on the stock exchange of faith or on the proceeds of the Virgin's maternal love. The Holy Trinity invites us to a communal holiness and a shared mission. The simple and deep faith of our people calls this moment to communion (Ef 1,22) (1ª Color 12,4-11). We are called to be witnesses in this 21st century. We know that this is not easy due to the complexity of our time, But it is not a small thing to count on the certainty that the Spirit accompanies us and will continue to accompany us until the end of time.. Before these appearances, the important thing is to fulfill the messages: Conversion and the Eucharist.

SHADES: There are also shadows that, even if someone wants to forget or be mute, it would be a disservice to these events of such caliber. The shadows have no strength to hide the lights, but to increase its light. We can list them to reflect more accurately:

• Disoriented pilgrims whose appearances feed them a lack of religiosity, disembodied of authentic faith and, despite this, sometimes, causes a ray of light in their lives.
• Priests, religious who take refuge in these places to justify themselves and mobilize people around the aforementioned place without combining the depth of the place, wanting to form dissident groups of the Church , altering the truth of the gospel.
• People who in light of this phenomenon, they set up their own businesses, forgetting that God and money cannot be served, thus losing their saving opportunity.
• Pilgrims who dedicate themselves to "evangelize" mistaking people of good will and often destroying the ecclesial communion so desired by Our Lady, Indoctrinating and mixing it all.
• Saturation of books to be more of the same, without forgetting that the book "He went in a hurry to the mountain" is an essential reference.
• Proliferation of groups that sometimes violate the charisms of the Church and that seek their personal protagonism.
• Confrontation of the different groups and movements that affect ecclesial unity and proclamation of the Gospel.
• The eagerness and kicking for the Church to approve such events, as if our conversion depended on it. Faced with this fact we wonder: What is behind all this?.
• The number of opinions on the subject that sometimes baffle and break the strength of ecclesial communion, that threaten the unity and objectivity of the facts, since they monopolize groups to evangelize them behind the back of the doctrine of the Church.
• Internet sale of the site before the coveted miracle. Manipulation of foreign groups for "doubtful" reasons with the figure of the Virgin.
• The most worrying thing is the excessive “birth” of recalcitrant traditionalisms and integrity that edarkens the Eucharist table, the figure of the Virgin. What she wants is the ecclesial communion of her children, overcoming all differences and focusing on the LOVE of Christ, and that being united we do not enter into criticism or disqualification, without forgetting the words
• s of the Lord (Lucas 6, 36-39): “Do not judge and you will not be judged….). There is a risk that each group will form their God in their own way, his Virgin at his whim, his gospel adulterated by his tastes, and a Church of the good and successful. This is the most worrying shadow for the official Church and for the local Church.

HOPES: The full assurance that one day, maybe not far, God will be God and the Virgin will be the Virgin, without needing our interested kicks and without disturbing them with our doubtful minds and our unfortunate words. Quiet work, silent, Prayer and believer of so many people who do not make noise, do not alter, they have no pocket: only heart and faith. People who go "free" without having to set up groups, movements, etc…., who live in depth the messages of the Virgin. All those people (pilgrims) who come with simplicity and faith to find an answer to their faith, consolation to their crosses and worries, and they are filled with the love of the Virgin, they live a personal miracle. The full hope is that one day, not too far, the warning and miracle announced by the Virgin to Conchita come true. The second message, To be honest, has been fulfilled and is being fulfilled causing a serious scar to the Church, and only the words of Christ give us strength: "I am with you", He “calms” us the storms that devastate the world and the Church. We must implement the first message of the Virgin: CONVERSION, EUCHARIST, BUT BEFORE BE VERY GOOD. We fully hope that this place will be a Pentecost Cenacle where they are toasting: the fraternity, prayer together with Mary, for the Holy Spirit to illuminate this place and our path, strengthen our hearts to face with freedom, courage, poise and daring the joys and hopes, the pains and trials of this valley of tears. We can and must call her from this place: Virgin of Carmen de Garabandal our hope! We wish that we, pilgrims of faith and hope, let's approach this place as a space for prayer, fraternity, Of conversation, of the Eucharist under the impulse of the Holy Spirit. This place has no property, it's open doors, and only San Sebastián de Garabandal offers us through history and time a shared Mother. We hope that the thorough and serious study of the official Church will continue, as always, with a firm and prudent disposition of some facts, avoiding that any bishop uses it to favor his personal prestige.