The Garabandal apparitions are reported appearances of the Virgin Mary and Saint Michael the Archangel that allegedly occurred between 1961 and 1965 in the village of San Sebastián de Garabandal in Cantabria, northern Spain. The visions were reported by four schoolgirls: Conchita González, Mari Cruz González, Jacinta González, and Mari Loli Mazón, who were about 11 or 12 years old at the time. According to the visionaries, they experienced many apparitions during this period, and large numbers of visitors traveled to the village to witness the events.

The first reported event occurred on 18 June 1961, when the girls said they saw Saint Michael the Archangel. The angel was said to appear several times before the first apparition of the Virgin Mary, which reportedly took place on 2 July 1961. The Virgin Mary was described as appearing under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

During the apparitions the girls often entered states of ecstasy while speaking with the Virgin Mary. Witnesses reported that the girls walked through the village during these states and claimed to converse with the Virgin and the archangel. According to the visionaries, the archangel also gave them Holy Communion on some occasions. One widely discussed event occurred on 19 July 1962, when a communion wafer reportedly appeared in Conchita González’s mouth.

After January 1963, only Conchita González continued to report apparitions regularly. The final apparition was said to have taken place on 13 November 1965.

According to the visionaries, the Virgin Mary delivered two main messages. The first message, announced on 18 October 1961, called for prayer, penance, sacrifice, and devotion to the Eucharist, and warned that humanity could face punishment if it did not change its behavior. The second message, given on 18 June 1965, stated that the first message had not been followed and warned about declining faith and devotion, urging people to repent and return to God.

The visionaries also described several future events connected with the apparitions. These included a global “Warning” in which people would see the state of their own souls, followed by a “Great Miracle” that would occur in Garabandal and leave a permanent sign. They also warned of a possible “Chastisement” if humanity did not change.

The Catholic Church has not officially recognized the Garabandal apparitions as supernatural. Investigations by the bishops of Santander concluded that there was no evidence of supernatural origin for the events. However, the Church has stated that the messages themselves do not contain doctrinal errors, since they encourage prayer, penance, and devotion to the Eucharist.

The apparitions have remained controversial. Some of the visionaries later expressed doubts about the events, and certain predicted signs or events have not occurred. Despite this, Garabandal continues to attract pilgrims and supporters who believe the apparitions were authentic.