35th Anniversary of The Workers
Dear Friend of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,
In 1963, when I returned to New York from my first visit to Garabandal, I had a little holy card in my pocket from the visionary, Conchita Gonzales. On the back was Our Lady’s Message of October 18, 1961. Leaving Garabandal, Conchita had said to me, “Will you do it sir, and ask others to do it.” In five years, on February 29th 1968, The Workers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel de Garabandal Inc. was officially established and incorporated. Word of our organization spread connecting our friends and benefactors through a little newsletter called Needles. Throughout the last thirty five years many people have come and made their contribution to the growth of the Center and the spread of the Message. I am grateful to them and to Our Lady. They have made the “House of Charity” a blessed place.
We have completed the transition from GARABANDAL Magazine to the internet. Garabandal.usis reaching a new generation in homes, offices and classrooms around the world and in all time zones. Every day, hundreds are viewing the Message of Garabandal video in many languages, reading the classic books of Fathers Laffineur, Turner, Pelletier, and Ramon Perez, printing their own copy gratis. The facts in these books will always remain the authority and hard copies are now available for a donation through the New York Center Materials Catalogue. I am excited to know the number of people watching the Message of Garabandal streaming video in Spanish and English on the website. Recently, the Korean and Romanian language versions have also had a sizeable audience.
The Message of Garabandal came to a world in crisis. Not just a crisis of nations or a crisis of cultures but a deeper crisis-a crisis of individual faith. We get lost without prayer. We cannot fulfill the obligations of our state in life. The crisis in the priesthood comes from a lack of prayer-priests are not praying, people are not praying for their priests. We know Satan’s plan: No priests-no Eucharist. We ask ourselves; how many holy hours, masses and rosaries for priests have been said since Our Lady warned us of the evil attack under way to destroy the priesthood? Prayer, starting with the Morning Offering of Reparation has to be worked into our daily routine in order to know God’s Will and do His work.
“Make many sacrifices, perform much penance, and visit the Blessed Sacrament frequently. But first we must lead good lives” is the beginning of the First Message. What was the reaction of those who traveled to the remote mountain village of Garabandal to hear the Message on October 18, 1961? Disappointment. What is the reaction today? Disappointment. The current state of the world, the winds of war and the slowing global economy have created a new interest among those searching for answers and a spiritual life. This Message will be a life changing experience for many who find it. Garabandal is about conversion.
Garabandal is open and the Message can be promoted. The apparitions ended in 1965 and there is nothing new to report. The next event will be the world-wide Warning and everyone will know it is from God. Read about it, as Conchita would say, “It’s all in the books”.
Each day, in Union of Prayer with you, I say my rosaries for those who have worked with me and those I have met on my travels. Many have already gone to God. Almost forty years later, at age 72, I can testify to the good fruits produced by the Workers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the grace and peace I receive from doing Our Lady’s work.
In Union of Prayer,
Joey Lomangino
