1-8a) Skeptic at the Start

Reprinted with kind permission from St. Joseph Publications

from the book She Went in Haste to the Mountain (Book 1)

NOTE: All excerpts from Conchita's Diary will be in extra-bold type

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If I were to use the strong language of Christian tradition, I would say the first martyr. If I were to adapt my language to the 20th century political movements, I would speak of the first victim. Taking a medium position between these expressions, I am going to write without pretention about the first death at Garabandal.

He was a martyr because he was an exceptional witness for the cause, even to giving up his life.

He was a victim because he sacrificed his life as a consequence of his total devotion in the service of a cause.

We have already mentioned these lines from Conchita: In those days while I was at Santander, there were in the village two Jesuit priests . . .

Now let us go back a little in our story, returning to the 29th of July, the date on which the presence of these priests began to be noticed in Garabandal. The two Andreu brothers, Ramon Maria and Luis Maria, had come like so many other people, led on more by curiosity than the expectation of finding anything really important. They went simply to see what was going on because people were talking so much about what was happening there.

    They came like many others, with-out believing.
    Then one day Loli and Jacinta had an apparition at the Pines.
    And the priests were there, and seeing them in ecstasy, believed.
    But they believed not only because of that.

Conchita mentions only a small part of what occurred on July 29th. Now we can complete her description with some detailed accounts of the first visit of the Andreu brothers to Garabandal.

Upon arriving, they were extremely amazed on hearing Chief of Police Juan A, Seco tell the actual story of what had happened on the preceding two days: how the children (in their ecstasy at the Pines on July 27th at nine o'clock on Thursday evening) had learned from the lips of the Virgin all that was happening to their companion Conchita at the same time in Santander, first on Alta Street and then later in the rectory of Our Lady of Consolation parish. And how Mr. Seco had immediately checked the accuracy of what the children had said by making an official telephone call to the police chief in Santander. After hearing this, the two brothers were astounded with a feeling they could not describe.

— What is this? What's going on? exclaimed Father Ramon.
— Regardless of what it is, it is going to be something really worthwhile, answered Father Luis.

They asked if something else was going to happen that night. Definitely, someone answered. There should be an ecstasy at seven o 'clock because yesterday the Virgin told the girls while leaving that she would return today.

Then one of the Fontanedas, who had come with the Andreu brothers from Aguilar de Campoo, could not hide the inner shaking that the waiting was causing him and said to Father Ramón Maria, This is terrible, Father! Watching the clock while waiting for a supernatural event like this in cold blood!

About three or four hundred visitors were in the village on that last Saturday in July. As the hour drew near, Fr. Ramón meandered around the town with the others who were showing the excitement of expecting something, without knowing what it was or where it was coming from. Some started going toward the calleja.

Slightly later a young child appeared who told the group that were waiting, There has already been one call.

The news spread immediately and Father Ramón asked with astonishment, What's that?

Someone explained, First the children receive three calls and then, after that, she comes.

That added another surprise to the many the priest had already received. Certainly this was an intriguing mystery to be carefully examined.[Several days after what we are relating here, the famous bullfighter Alvaro Domecq, who was fighting in a nearby village, came to Garabandal with his father and retinue. He was amazed at what they told him about the events. He followed the visionaries around saying in typical Castellian manner, Did you see the Virgin, Sweetheart? Did you see the Virgin, my Angel?
These men from the bull ring were amazed and amused by the calls that the girls were receiving in their ecstasies. On arriving and having heard someone saying, Be ready, they haw already received two "calls", the father of Mr. Domencq joked with his son, Be careful, Alvarito. not to have one tomorrow! (In bullfighter's jargon, a call is a warning that the head of the bullring gives to bullfighters who are not performing well.)]

He was in this situation when he felt someone behind him grab his arms. He turned and saw a giant — or at least at the time that is what he appeared to be — who lifted him up and began to force a way through the crowded circle of enthralled people around the children, while saying forcefully to one after the other, Make way for the authority of the Church.

Thanks to this providential help, Father Ramón found himself unexpectedly in the best spot for observation, right up against the visionaries, and next to his brother whom he discovered there conscientiously making entries in his notebook, calmly caught up in what was going on.

The first thing that attracted his attention was a man at his side who was bending over, very interested in taking the pulse of the girls. Every now and then he would raise his head toward the people and say, Normal. . . Normal . . .

    The captain of the guard began hearing Normal . . , and asked him, Hey, are you a doctor?
    — No sir, I'm a journalist.
    — Well then, please get out of here at once.
    — Gladly. Pardon me.

These rather ridiculous details, and those that receded them, caused Father Ramón to think to himself, This thing has neither head nor tail.

Soon both the children came to themselves at the same time, perfectly simultaneously, and looked innocently around them. Everyone was at a loss for words. The Father Valentin who already had experience in these matters — over a month of association with them — came near and asked them with his typical stammering, What? What? What did the Virgin say?

— The Virgin said that we should go to the Pines — we, our families, the guards, the priests and the nuns — and that the others should remain below.

Father Valentin turned toward Father Andreu and said nervously, But what nuns? What nuns? There are no nuns here! What nuns? This isn't the Virgin.

Father Andreu remained quiet. What did he know? This was the first time he was here and he was rather confused.

    They all went up to the Pines and there the children unaffectedly pointed out the places where the various groups should situate themselves.[«Midway toward the Pines, Loli turned around and pointed with her finger, No one should pass beyond here, indicating a path that crossed over from the side.
    It wasn't easy to make all that crowd of 500 persons obey immediately. It could be imagined that some hadn't heard what the visionary had said. Three or four of the Civil Guards took charge of implementing these orders. I passed at the side of one of the guards as he was trying to block the passage of some people who wanted to go ahead of him. One of the people said, And who are you to stop me from seeing a miracle?. The guard answered, God commands and He should be obeyed.» (From a conference of Father Andreu at Palma de Mallorca.)
    It is not easy to allocate each scene and episode precisely to the corresponding ecstasy that took place at the Pines on the afternoon of July 29th,]

It appeared that the Virgin had told the children that the people could see, but should not hear.[From information that I was able to gather with difficulty, it appears that only the two small witnesses whom we have first mentioned were able to circulate around Jacinta and Loli in ecstasy. Those of the privileged group — their parents, the guards, etc. — had to stay a little farther away, in such a position that they could see, but could not hear; while the crowd — down below to one side, without even seeing anything — remained waiting. At a second stage, those from the privileged group were able to draw closer and encircle the girls. Finally the whole crowd went up to the Pines.] Only two little children of six years of age, Mari Carmen and Sari (sisters of Jacinta and Loli), could be near the visionaries as witnesses.

LEFT PHOTO: Loli with sister Sari RIGHT PHOTO: Jacinta on right; her sister Mari Carmen at left

The ecstasy and the apparition began. The nearest spectators were able to notice that the faces of the visionaries took on an expression of profound sorrow. One of the girls' mothers could not contain herself. They are crying.

Since he could not manage to hear the conversation, the parish priest called to Mari Carmen, the child witness, in order to question her. The little girl approached unhurriedly, and when she heard the questions of the priest, answered in a bored and indifferent manner: They are telling the Virgin that she shouldn 't say bad things.[Distressing things that were terrifying and painful.]

Everyone knew that this apparition was different from the others, that the Virgin was explaining and showing very grave things, surely in relation to some great chastisement that would come upon the world if men did not return to the ways of God by doing penance.

From statements made later on by the children, it was learned that on this day the Virgin had confided a secret and had completed the message which would be made public on the night of October 18th.[Concerning this July 29th, so outstanding in the events of Garabandal, Police Chief Juan Alvarez Seco testifies:

«I remember that Maria Dolores said to me, Chief, you and my father can come up a little closer, about 100 meters to the right of the Pines, The Pastor and the nuns may come to about 100 meters too, but on the left side; the rest of the people below and far away.

We all did this. And I was able to observe that during the ecstasy the visionaries cried a lot, frightening the little girls . . . Later I learned that the reason for the visionaries being alone and isolated like this was so that the people wouldn't be too stricken on seeing up close what they were suffering, since the Virgin had to be speaking of the message, showing them something of the chastisement and how the cup was being filled with sins. This was what they had to make public later on October 18th.

On this day, the people from the village made a little altar with fruit cases, and they placed it at the foot of the Pines; it was well made and they decorated it with flowers from the fields.»]

«They raised up their hands as if holding up something. One pulled in her arms. Kisses were heard . . . They extended their arms . . . They smiled . .. They listened to something . . . And they cried ...

When they returned to normal we surrounded them and saw that one of them still had tears. Why are you crying? We received no answer.»

While some of the people were speaking with the girls, the third ecstasy of the day occurred there in the same location of the Pines. This time the children could be heard with notable clearness.

— The Apparition had come with the Child, since they asked how old He was. They requested her to give them His crown, and they said that it was little.

— The Virgin told the girls that she was pleased with the way the people had acted, since they had docilely obeyed the things she had said about their positions during the ecstasy.

— She advised them to say the rosary one more time, and to do it at the Pines.

As soon as they returned to normal, Jacinta and Loli began right there to say the rosary. On reaching the fifth Ave Maria of the third mystery, the two children stopped at The Lord is with . . . without pronouncing the next word.

«Why do you come? If the people hadn't obeyed, would you have come? ... So that they believe . . . (They offer something. They give a kiss,) How beautiful you are! You're very kind . . . Tomorrow we will come while fasting, without eating anything, not anything ... I am kissing your scapular . . . Today some Carmelite fathers came ... I remember a Dominican . . . Show us your dress once more . . . It's white with white flowers ... A guard brought a little girl who couldn't speak or walk ... I promised him . . . Cure her! Cure someone, so that all the people can see it.»

The person who took these notes was one of the two Jesuits who had come up to the village without believing anything. Let us listen to what he said as recorded in the French edition of Conchita's Diary.

«We discussed this subject with Father Ramón María Andreu. The following is part of the dialogue.

QUESTION: In speaking of Loli and Jacinta's ecstasy in her 'Diary', Conchita maintains that you considered Mari Loli's gesture as a sign. Is that true?

FATHER: Yes, that is certain, but the story is a little more involved than that simple allusion by Conchita in her diary would make one think.

QUESTION: Could you give us a more definite idea of your attitude and feelings on the day you first went up to Garabandal?

FATHER: As you might imagine, during that first visit to the village I didn't have the least belief in the world that events could take place there that were worthy of close attention. The first time they asked me to go. I answered, I don't have any time to waste. I'm usually very busy. Although I finally agreed to travel to Garabandal, it was only because of my friends' insistence and the great need I had for a rest after having preached several retreats on the Spiritual Exercises one after another.

FATHER: No, no more than I. At that time we didn't have any authentic proof. And like everyone else, we needed some minimum evidence to make an evaluation on events of this type.

QUESTION: Concerning the episode mentioned by Conchita, exactly how did it happen? Can you tell us?

FATHER: Gladly. It was, as I said, the first time that I had made the ascent to Garabandal. That day we had the opportunity of witnessing several of the childrens' actions and movements. At the end of the afternoon we were at the Pines. Loli and Jacinta were in ecstasy. There were only a few witnesses around the children. I myself was very close to them; I could hear them speaking to the Vision in the soft low-pitched voice that was typical of their ecstatic state. Now and then I could understand some of their words.

After eight or ten minutes, I thought that this had to be a case of hypnotism. I have to admit that this was no brilliant idea and lacked originality, but it was what I was actually thinking. I looked around to find the originator of this case of hypnosis. I saw Father Valentin, Ceferino, Julia, and the other spectators. They all had such an expression of admiration and astonishment that I considered them more disciples than masters. Obviously the hypnotist wasn't there!

I had already seen both the children go into the ecstatic state and come out of it at the same time. This gave me the impression that they had only one mind. What I thought then doesn't seem to make much sense, but I was thinking it -nevertheless, that one of the two children would return to consciousness while the other remained in ecstasy.[Father thought that if all had been caused by the external actions of a distant hypnotizer, those actions should have affected the two girls in the same way and at the same time.]

At that exact second, Loli, who was next to me, came to, turned slightly and looked at me with a smile. I then asked her:

— Don't you see the Virgin anymore?

— No, Father, She answered.

— Why is that? I asked.

— Because she is gone.

Jacinta was still in ecstasy. I said to Loli: Look at Jacinta. The child looked at her and smiled on seeing her in ecstasy — for it was the first time that she had seen one of her companions in this situation, being herself out of the apparition. I asked her another question. What did the Virgin tell you?

She was about to answer, when she fell into ecstasy again, throwing her head backwards. Then I heard this conversation between the two children and the Virgin:

Hearing this, I rejoined my brother Luis and said to him, Be careful about what you are thinking. The transmission of thought here is lightning fast!

Yes, I answered him. I'll tell you about it later.[«When the ecstasy ended; I began writing down what had just happened . . . While doing this, the girls entered into a trance again. Soon two nuns appeared walking from the other side of the hill. Seeing them, Father Valentin turned excitedly toward me:

— Yes, nuns, I answered, not understanding immediately.

— That's the Virgin! He shouted out very excited.

And then I understood; this was the explanation of what the girls had said in the Cuadro: that the nuns could also be near to them. Not a single nun had been seen in the village, and so Father Valentin was disturbed in the beginning. Now, after a long time, the secret guests were appearing!»

(The two nuns can be identified. They were two religious from a congregation little known in Spain: Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart which at the time had only one house in Cataluña. One of the religious, a native of San-tander, was staying temporarily with her family in Roiz, a village not far from the valley of the Nansa River; she was Sister Maria of Jesus, later Provincial Superior of her congregation in Spain.)

«The nuns arrived in time and were thrilled by the girls' ecstasy. When the girls came back to themselves, they said, The Virgin said that everyone can go up. No one took it upon themselves to give out the news, and they asked me to do so.

I went up to the edge of that little flat area by the Pines, and I saw the crowd who had been waiting so long. I made a sign to them and everyone hurried up in great confusion. The Lord obliged them with a new ecstasy by the girls, truly very beautiful.» (Father Ramón Andreu, at a conference in Palma de Mallorca.l

Following such a day, we can imagine with what sentiments the Andreu brothers left Garabandal after their first visit.]

FATHER: Without question all this attracted my attention and made me think that it wasn't a comedy, and that there must be material here for profound study. I also took notice that we were face to face with exciting phenomena both for the doctor and the theologian.

From that point to believing, there is — in spite of everything — a step that one doesn't make so easily. However one thing remains certain: if I look back on the ensemble of events in which I have assisted with a sometimes excessive scepticism, I can testify and affirm again that we aren't dealing with a comedy or simulation on the part of the four girls.

Unfortunately, saying that amounts to saying nothing at all. To present the problem is not to solve it.

The question remains the same: What is the cause of the phenomena at which I have assisted as an eyewitness and of which the story that I have recounted is only the smallest part, a drop of water in the sea?

How many are the persons with whom I have shared my intense desire to understand? How many times have I asked for a convincing explanation? And I am still waiting for an answer to my questions.»[Journal de Conchita, Nouvelles Editions Latines, Paris, 1967.]

Thus on the 29th of July, 1961, two brothers [We have already described one of them, Father Ramón María. The other, Father Luis, was younger; he was 36. He had made his ecclesiastic studies in Oña, Innsbruck (Austria) and Rome, and for some time he had been a professor at a theological seminary that the Jesuits had in Oña (Burgos). I say had because some years ago it was tranferred to Bilbao.
Oña is a small historical city northeast of the capital of Burgos, situated between mountains covered with pines on the picturesque bank of the Oca River not far from its outflow into the Ebro. It had been the seat of a seminary of the ancient monastery of San Salvador — formerly belonging to the Benedictines — abandoned after the laws of Mendizabal in 1835. After the Jesuits vacated recently, the government officials of Burgos made the seminary into a psychiatric hospital.] both priests, both religious, initially skeptics in their first impressions, would enter into the history of Garabandal where they were to play a major role in the unfolding and development of that history.