The Witnesses

David Toribio

An eye witness

David was 26 years old when, on June 18, 1961, Saint Michael the Archangel began to appear to the four girls Conchita, Jacinta, Mari Loli and Mari Cruz preparing them for the Virgin Mary’s visit. The next day, he was sitting with some other young men along the road into the town when Conchita happened to pass by. One of the young men asked the oldest of the girls with a sarcastic air, "So, what was the angel like? Was he carrying a bag? Did he have a walking stick? What did he look like?" Conchita went away, embarrassed at the boys' teasing as they continued to mock the girls, but only until they saw the first ecstasy. At that moment, their initial skepticism was cut short.

Conchita's mother

"My daughter is a very good young girl. I brought her to Church with me. After the rosary, we would do the Way of the Cross and pray together. On June 18, 1961, Conchita came home with tears in her eyes and said to me, “Mom! Today I saw the Angel.”  “The Angel? Besides coming home late, you´re telling me this nonsense? Don´t talk to me about such things!”  I thought that she was tricking me so that I wouldn´t scold her. She stayed where she was, leaning against the wall. I didn´t say anything to her, but I felt chills within me. I asked to myself, What could this mean?"

Conchita's older brother

"I wasn't here when the aparitions began. I found out about it when I arrived at the train station in Torrelavega. I ran into someone I had met when I was doing military service, and he asked me:

-- "Serafin, what is happening there in your home village?"

-- "How can I know? I haven't been there for two months.

Conchita's brother

"Since an early age I worked during the day in the fields. Each day at noon, when the church bell rang, we would all stop working, including those taking care of the live stock, and pray the Angelus. In the afternoon everyone, men, women and children, would return home and then later head off to the Church where we would all pray the Rosary together."

Jacinta's father

"After the first aparition of the Angel, Jacinta came home in the evening and told us that she had seen an Angel, I didn't believe her. We didn't speak with anyone about the matter until the news came out.

By the way in which she explained it I thought to myself that something must have happened. The first day that people went to be there, I didn't go. But when they came back and they told me the things that had happened i said to myself "I wish that I had gone".

Jacinta's mother

At the beginning it was very difficult for me to believe and I would say to Jacinta: “Oh, Jacinta, even before you were born you caused me trouble, and my God, what trouble you’re giving me now!”
We were in the kitchen, and Jacinta said to me:
“Mama, we were picking apples and we were already in the Calleja when Conchita screamed. After she screamed, we saw that she was staring upwards. We also looked up and saw a great light and we remained in the same state as Conchita.”

Jacinta's brother

Miguel, Jacinta's brother, is one year older than her. He was just 13 years old when the apparitions began.

"I heard about the apparitions the same day that they said they had seen an Angel, the 18th of June, 1961. When there were a lot of people I too would go to see the girls in exstasy."

Neighbour

"I know the girls well. In the village we all know eachother.

To begin with, when they began saying that they had seen an Angel, we didn't really believe them. We thought that it was a child's game. I didn't believe them."

Brigadier of the Civil Guard

During the Apparitions, Mr. Juan Alvarez Seco was a brigadier of the Civil Guard, the head of the region of Puentenansa, the district upon which San Sebastián de Garabandal depends.

"When I was close to being promoted to Brigadier, I said to myself: “I don’t want to be stationed up North.”