| 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 |
* * *
| 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 |
Valuable Testimony
It was natural that those who had been witnesses of the events on that afternoon and evening began commenting among themselves on leaving the church. In this group Father Royo Marin said, I'm not infallible; but I am a specialist in these questions; [A few years previously he had published an extensive and very documented Theology of Christian Perfection which had great success in the latin-speaking countries.] and it appears to me that the visions of the girls are true. I can perceive four positive signs which do not leave room for doubt.
Then Raphael Fontaneda came up and said to him, Father, if the affair is as important as you say, why don't you stay here a few more days to study it better?
Father Marin responded, It's not possible for me to stay now; but this thing is so clear that there's no room for doubt.
And it should be noted that Father Marin had gone up to Garabandal more skeptical than the others; childlike simplicity is not usually the characteristic of clergy who are cognizant of their diplomas and doctorates.
It was late at night when the troop of travelers that had left Aguilar de Gampoo at daybreak began the descent from Garabandal — some on foot, others in the jeep. By deference, Father Luis Maria was made to go down in the vehicle. During the trip all could observe that he was overflowing with an interior joy, and he manifested this in a thousand ways, at the same time declaring his absolute certainty about the truth of what the visionaries had said.
In Cossio it was necessary to wait
for those who were making their way down by foot. Father Luis did not get
out of the jeep; he was almost asleep when Father Valentin Marichalar,
the parish priest arrived. Then he spoke very clearly to the priest in
a serious voice:
Father Luis with his mother and youngest brother on the day of his first Mass.
That night before retiring, Fr. Valentin carefully wrote down in his diary what Father Luis had said to him so seriously at the time of departure.
On the return to Aguilar from Cossio, a different route was chosen than the one used for arrival, longer but better: through Torrelavega and Reinosa. Continuing the description of Raphael Fontaneda:
«In Cossio we departed in the various cars that made up the expedition. Father Luis was asked to go in my brother's car, but he preferred to come with me since he had made the original trip there with me. He sat down in front next to the driver José Salceda; in the back seat were my wife Carmen, my 8 year old daughter Mary Carmen, and myself.
Along the way we were discussing what we had seen that day . . . Father Luis told us that he had exchanged opinions with Father Royo Marin and that they were both in total agreement.
My wife as well as I and José Salceda were all impressed by Father's deep and intense joy, as well as his conviction. He spoke without haste and many times repeated these phrases, What a gift the Virgin has given me! I can't have the least doubt about the truth of what is happening to the girls.
In Torrelavega we caught up with the jeep that had taken us from Cossio to Garabandal; it was stopped with the people from Aguilar de Campoo. Our driver drove up to see if they needed anything and he and Father Luis talked a few minutes with the passengers.
On beginning the trip again, I said to Father, Father, why don't you try to sleep a little? He accepted the suggestion and slept about an hour, until just before arriving in Reinosa. [An important industrial village in the Cantabrian mountains to the southwest of Santander.] Then he woke up and said, I've slept very well, and I'm in good shape! I feel great. I'm not even tired.
All the rest of us were half asleep, since it was close to 4:00 in the morning. We stopped at a fountain to drink and refresh ourselves. Father Luis then asked the driver if he too had taken something to drink, and Jose Salceda answered that he had put some water in his eyes, because his eyes had the greater need. [All the cars that made up the convoy came to a stop around a fountain on the outskirts of Reinosa. The passengers got out to stretch their legs and refresh themselves; only Father Luis remained in his seat with the car door open. Gradually most of the other people gathered around him and asked him questions . . .
Again on the road, Father returned to his exclamations, I feel myself truly full of joy and happiness. What a gift the Virgin has given me. How fortunate to have a mother like her in heaven! We shouldn't have any fear of the supernatural life. We should learn to act toward the Virgin as the children do. They have given us an example. [The girls' relationship toward the Virgin appeared now to Father Luis — after his mysterious trance — as normal and proper. On the contrary, the learned of the Bishop's Commission found in that relationship a strong reason for coming to their negative position. How could this be with such imbecile and puerile conversations!] I can't have the least doubt about the truth of their visions . . . Why has the most Holy Virgin chosen us! . . . TO-DAY IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE.
He stopped speaking with the last sentence. Then I asked him something, and getting no answer, I said to him, Father, is something wrong?
No, nothing. I am sleeping. And he leaned his head forward, at the same time letting out a soft sound as if clearing his throat.
José Salceda turned his head toward him and seeing his eyes, shouted, Father is very sick.
Quickly my wife reached for his wrist to take his pulse, and cried out. Stop! Stop! There's no pulse. There is a clinic here. He must be taken there immediately.
I thought that it was only a case of car sickness, and when the car stopped, I went to open the door while saying to him, Don't worry, Father, this is nothing. It will pass right away with a little fresh air.
But my wife insisted, He should be taken immediately to the clinic.
— Don't talk foolishly.
We took him to a clinic a few meters away, and the nurse who opened the door for us told us immediately that he was dead. My wife replied that couldn't be. And that something should be done. The nurse gave him an injection, while José Salceda ran to call a doctor and a priest. The doctor [Dr. Vicente Gonzalez. The hospital to which they brought the priest was the Clinica Montesclaros (without doubt in honor of the Virgin of Montesclaros who has a sanctuary not far from Reinosa and is held in much honor throughout the region).] came in ten minutes but the only thing he could do was pronounce him dead. The parish priest came right after and administered Extreme Unction.
After the initial shock and anxiety, we began to act. I telephoned his brother Fr. Ramon, who was in Valladolid preaching the Spiritual Exercises to a community of religious. I also called Aguilar de Campoo and a few hours later my brothers and my brother-in-law arrived. Fortunately Fr. Royo Marin [Father Royo Marin had relatives in Reinosa and this explains his stop there, as he certainly was not aware of the unexpected death of Father Luis Maria.] also arrived in Reinosa and he accompanied and consoled us. And toward the middle of the morning Fr. Ramon Maria Andreu presented himself.»
"They hold their eyes wide open but those eyes are dead to all the sensorial stimulation."
Father Ramon Maria, who had received the telephone call in Valladolid at 6:15 in the morning, arrived in Reinosa at 11:00 a.m. After praying before the body, he gathered the few things that belonged to his brother, among them a notebook that he carried in a pocket of his cassock — notebook N° 3 — in which he had concisely put down the incidents of the previous day at Garabandal.
Then he was able to converse with Father Royo Marin and from his lips received these statements:
«There is no doubt about Garabandal; the least that one could do is take it seriously. The ecstatic marches are a very clear indication to me. They take place in the darkness, and are so swift that we aren't able to follow the girls. The girls don't look where they are going and they don't stumble over anything; I observed merely slight sliding on top of the wet grass. They hold their eyes wide open but those eyes are dead to all the sensorial stimulation that affect all of us.
Your brother was very learned; he must have been a good professor. He analyzed the thing well and we agreed on everything. [Father Royo Marin's opinion about Garabandal was very firm.
