On June 18, 1961, in the little village of St. Sebastian of Garabandal, four girls, Conchita, Mari Loli, Mari Cruz, and Jacinta, received an unexpected visit from an angel. It was the beginning of a series of events that would dramatically change their lives and impact the lives of thousands of people.
Francisco García Bañuelos is the grandson of Mr. Vitoriano, who was the school teacher in San Sebastián de Garabandal sometime before the apparitions took place. In the year 1961, Francisco lived in Santander and was 17 years old.
He received the first news about what was happening in his parents’ town in the Hospital of Valdecilla, where he was hospitalized during the whole summer due to an accident.
The young men talked among themselves without understanding the causes of the storm unleashed by what was happening in their town. David remembers that they said to each other, "Why are the newspapers publishing all this? The people who say they know what’s going on don’t understand anything!" One day, one of the young men asked, "What’s more important? What we see with our own eyes or what these people say and write?" The others replied, "No, come on! What we see is much more important!" The first responded with all the logic of the world, "Ah, so they say one thing, and we see another."
David Toribio was one of the young men that guarded the girls in the famous “cuadro” (square) of the “Calleja” and impeded the avalanche of people from surrounding them. He was a witness to the unforgettable ecstasies, which he remembers with great detail, thanks to his extraordinary memory.
One day, not long ago, David ran into Sarín, a neighbor from Cosío. Shortly after greeting one another, Sarín asked him, “Oh, “Davizuco! Do you remember what happened in the village in ’61?” David answered, “Of course I remember.” Sarín continued, “And do you still believe it? Are you convinced of it?” David affirmed with certitude, “Completely, Sarín. More and more every day.”
