<http://bp0.blogger.com/_0bZ1KPLegkk/SIfa8BtfCVI/AAAAAAAAHpI/mqDkVPB2Q...>“One
is a Jesuit, and he said mass very well.”
Spectacular Day!
August 8th of the year 1961 was to be a day especially marked in the
unfolding of this history.
At 5:45 a.m. on that day, in the freshness of the early morning air and
under a clear sky that was beginning to lighten up, a caravan of automobiles
including
a jeep left Aguilar de Campoo in the province of Palentia. Pulling away from
the towering castle, which from afar appears to give the city a crown
of crumbling
stone walls, the cars got on the highway that would bring them to Cossío by
way of Cervera, Piedras Luengas, Polaciones and Tudanca.
When the convoy arrived at Cossío, it was well into the morning. Father Luis
María Andreu was among those traveling in a car with members of the
Fontaneda family. In Cossío, they parked the cars and the jeep made three
trips back and forth to bring all the passengers up to Garabandal.
Fr. Valentín Marichalar, the parish priest, very happy to see that Father
Luis María had come, spoke to him, You've come at the right time, since I
have to go to Torrelavega today. I'll give you the keys to the church, and
also entrust you with
the care of the parish during my absence.
Father Luis was pleased to accept and joked with Rafael Fontaneda.(12) Let's
go, friend, since today I'm the pastor of Garabandal.
Obviously this was an honor and privilege for him. Mr. Fontaneda was sure
that Father Luis was extremely interested in everything about Garabandal since
his first visit, although he had not revealed his opinion. Father had talked
about visions in general, of their forms and types, of the importance of
psychological studies for a suitable judgment on these phenomena. It was
seen that he had
a passionate interest in the subject.
Acting as pastor, Father Luis had the tower bells rung for Mass. And though
it was a work day, many people came, both strangers and people from the
village. «Some twenty people, among them Conchita, Jacinta and Mary Loli
received Holy
Communion.»(13)
«The Mass that Father celebrated»—Rafael Fontaneda assures us—«was
exceptionally said. All those present were impressed.»
__________
Of this there can be no doubt, since there were so many witnesses. To what
was this due?
«At first, some attributed it to the presence of the visionaries. Later, it
was related to the fact that this was going to be Father's last Mass, and that
somehow he had an unusual premonition.
Also a minor incident may have contributed to it: when going to pour the
cruets, they were found empty. The server ran to a neighboring house to find
wine, and soon came back with it; but there was a suspicion that it might
have been spoiled. Father Luis collected himself a few moments in prayer — his
eyes closed, his hands in front of his breast — then he made a sign to serve
the wine and the Mass
proceeded with complete serenity and devotion. All this, united to the
excitement of the apparitions of the evening before and the waiting for
those that were expected that day, could have had a decisive influence upon
the collective devotion and fervor in the celebration of the Mass. It is
certain that the people, on leaving the church, commented on the silence,
the piety, and the spirit of faith with which the celebrant and congregation
were united in intimate communion before the altar.»(14)
__________
There was nothing else new on that morning; but everyone was waiting, since
the girls had announced an apparition for slightly after lunch, at 2:00 in
the
afternoon. At that time, all four girls, accompanied by a large crowd, went
into the church.
«At 2:11 they went into ecstasy. They smiled, especially Jacinta. Mari Cruz
gestured timidly.»
__________
These are the first words that Father Luis wrote down in his notebook. Then
he began putting down what he was able to hear of the conversations.
«The Father» — writes Raphael Fontaneda — «was next to the girls, and as he
had done on previous occasions, was carefully writing down all that they did
and said. But he seemed extremely absorbed in the ecstasy, and those closest
to him saw silent tears run down his cheeks.(15) Obviously he felt the
presence of something extraordinary.»
__________
Father Luis was not the only one taking notes; there were two other
spectators who also were taking down notes so that the main points would not
be forgotten; a seminarian from Aguilar named Andrés Pardo, and the renowned
Dominican priest, Antonio Royo Marín.
From the notes of one or the other, we know that among other things Conchita
said to the vision:
«You know what I'm telling you? That you must give a sign; that . . . only
one sign . . . at Lourdes and Fatima you gave a sign . . . Do you want me to
show you all that I brought you? (She presents the rosaries and medals.) You
have to kiss them . . . How do I look with the short hair? Are you coming
this evening? Oh, how nice! . . . How old are you? . . . Oh . . . Three more
than I? Six? Oh, yes! I am twelve . . . six more . . . eighteen. Seven more
than Mari Cruz.»
__________
Conchita was not the only one talking. Loli asked the reason why the Angel
hadn't come. She insisted then in the same request for a sign:
«Give one right now! You always say that you'll give it, that you'll give .
. .»
__________
Jacinta took part in the conversation too, asking among other things whether
on that night they should be in pairs again as at other times, each pair in
a different house . . . (16)
Naturally they talked about the priests that were there that day:
«Two priests came today; one is a Jesuit, and he said Mass very well . . .
What is his name? Something like Andrés . . . The Dominican . . . In
Santander we saw many Dominicans . . . Father Juan(17) told priests
not to come.
Why did he do that?»
Father Luis was writing down the incidents of the ecstasy minute by minute:
«2:19: Loli makes a brusque gesture to fall forward. 2:24: Conchita cries.
(Was it because of what had happened in Santander? She had just mentioned
it). A few seconds later Loli falls and Mari Cruz supports her, holding her
up by her back. 2:35: The four fall—we tried to hold them up. They remain
with their gaze upward, without blinking. 2:40: They get up and kneel down.
2:43: They go backwards toward the altar of the Virgin of the Rosary;
falling down backwards
in front of it with their backs on the ground, they begin to pray the rosary
. . . 2:47:
They get up and continue the rosary on their knees. A hand is waved in front
of their eyes, and they don't blink; they blink sometimes by their own
efforts, but very seldom. A certain rigidity is noted in their jaws . . .
When beginning the litany there is almost an appearance of losing
equilibrium again . . . They finish the
prayer with an Our Father to their Guardian Angel, a Salve to the Virgin of
Mount Caramel and an Apostles Creed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The
ecstasy ends about 3:00.»
__________
However, during this ecstasy something was predicted for the evening. And
the thing would not be insignificant, since they were heard to say, «How long
is it going to be? Two hours? . . . Where are we going to be kneeling?»
12. Son and Nephew of Rafael y don Antiano Fontaneda Ibañez, owners of a
well-known business.
13. From the notebook of material taken down by Father Luis María himself on
that day in Garabandal, and which his brother Ramón now possesses.
14. Sánchez-Ventura, page 115. (Spanish edition)
15. On the following day at Reinosa when Father Ramón María Andreu was
informed of these details, he could not hide his amazement, since he stated,
He had never seen his brother cry.
16. The one who took down the words of Jacinta and Mari Cruz was a
seminarian named Andrés Pardo. He has now been a priest for several years
and served on the National Commission on the Liturgy.
17. This seems to refer to the pastor of Carmona, Father Juan González
Gómez, a native of Garabandal, who soon adopted a hostile or negative
attitude toward the events, and was opposed to priests going up to the
village. All those in the
village called him Father Juan or simply Juanito.
"May the Lord grant all your prayers!" (Psalm 20)
Deacon John
http://www.google.com/profiles/deaconjohn1987
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