1-6a) Wings on Their Feet

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

In these words the last Gospel summarizes the most important event in history: God's coming down to mankind as one of them; and the result: mankind's rejection of His coming.

I would like to use those inspired words to caption Mary's coming among us at Garabandal.[It will be readily understood by an intelligent reader that I am not attempting to put the coming of the Son of God into the world and the coming of the Virgin at Garabandal on the same plane. These two comings cannot be compared either in their physical or their spiritual reality, or in their meaning, or in their relationship to the faith. The comparison given is only meant for illustration.]

Although in His times Jesus came for all men and all nations, His coming was first of all to the people of His own country Israel. And how did that country, the first called and chosen, react to the coming of Emmanuel? [A Hebrew word signifying God with us.] Some heard and accepted Him gladly; but others — the ruling classes in general, the priests and scribes — were obstinate in their hard-headed rejection. The first He filled with good things, As many as received Him, He gave power to be made sons of God. (John 1: 12) The others he abandoned to their emptiness and misery of soul, You shall die in your sin... (John 8: 24) Here is a mystery in that He came unto His own, but His own received Him not.

As described in the last chapter, during the month of July, 1961, the extraordinary became a daily fact of life for the people secluded in those faraway reaches of the savage Cantabrian Mountain Range.

With the daily lavishing of exceptional graces, the Virgin — according to the words of her Magnificat — was filling whomever received her with good things, making them experience beyond others the marvel of being sons of God and her sons. She acted openly as a mother and teacher; but her actions did not extend to everyone in the same way. She instructed the multitude more in an indirect way, through phenomena that the people could not explain, but in the presence of which they felt a holy reverence. Through these phenomena many entered into living communion with a higher world that until then had but slight importance in their lives. However, to the four chosen girls she gave direct lessons almost every day, and frequently several times a day. Why only to them?

Had they merited more than others? Whoever asks this question I invite to question deeper. Why did Jesus choose only twelve apostles from the many who had been demonstrating themselves as fervent disciples? And why only to those twelve whose names we know today? The evangelist answers. And going up unto a mountain, He called unto Himself whomever He would, and they came to Him. And He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them to preach, (Mark 3: 13-14) Whomever He would!

We do not know if they were worth more or if they merited more. It should never be forgotten that No flesh should glory in His sight (Cor. 1: 29) but that everyone should say to himself, For who distinguished you? What have you that has not been received? And if you have received, why do you glory as if yon have not received it? (Cor. 1:7) But that all might know well then that it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. (Rom. 9:16)

It would have been very inspiring and enjoyable to have heard first hand the lessons that the Heavenly Mother and Teacher began to give to her four privileged girls and disciples during the summer of 1961. However, as the girls were not capable of explaining these lessons, we will have to limit ourselves to presenting what others were able to capture indirectly and then transmit in testimony. (There are not many accounts concerning the month of July, 1961 that we are now describing.) [Furthermore, in her diary, Conchita skips over almost all these dales in July.]

As an example of what was happening almost every day in Garabandal, here is what occurred on July 16th. This was the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, elaborately celebrated throughout Spain, [Apart from devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel per se, among the reasons for this are the large number of women in Spain who are named Maria del Carmen, and the fact that Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patroness of sailors.] which in that year fell on a Sunday.

I personally received the account from Andrés Otero Lorenzo from Santiago; he was both a witness and a participant in what he described.

On that July 16th, in the early hours of the afternoon, Mr. Lorenzo came by car to Garabandal together with Mrs. Zubiria and Carmen Herrero Y. Garralda, youngest daughter of the Marquese de Aledo. [Mr. Otero was at that time chauffeur to the Marquesa. The car that he took that day to Garabandal was a utility vehicle of Mrs. Zubiria that was better suited for the rugged ascent to the village.] They had left Ribadesella [A beautiful village in Asturias, very popular as a summer resort.] several hours before and were arriving for the first time in Garabandal.

Like so many other strangers they soon came upon the home and cafe of Ceferino Mazón and began to ask questions. However no one could say for sure that there would be an apparition that night. Loli, who was doing housework, soon appeared, and they learned from her that there would be an apparition — obviously she had already had a call. However she was not able to tell at what time it would be.

Then they went out to stroll around and learn about the quaint and unusual town. They stopped at Conchita's house and had a talk with her. She confirmed what Loli had said. Yes, they were waiting for something, but much later. From the church tower the bells then began to ring out the first calls for the rosary in the church.[It was customary to recite the rosary at nightfall.]

The three travelers went out into the street again and made their way toward the church, strolling leisurely. They had not yet arrived at the plaza when they saw Conchita passing them swiftly, looking upwards as if transported. Mr. Otero, a strong man in his thirties, ran after her, attempting to stay at her side in order to observe her to his satisfaction.

«I was impressed by her face,» — he told me — «her total appearance, I had never seen anything like it before, nor have I seen anything like it since. [Meaning away from Garabandal, of course; since this man later made more visits to the village and viewed many of the girls' ecstasies that always left him amazed.] The face turned completely upwards with a most beautiful expression; the lips partially open — I don't know whether for praying or for speaking, or for both — the hands joined in front of her chest moving the beads of a rosary between the fingers. And then her walk! It was really unique in its grace and lightness; she appeared to take normal steps, yet one had almost to run in order not to be left behind..»

When they had come to the level of Ceferino's house. Loli also came outside in ecstasy with the same attitude and expression as Conchita. Without looking at each other, they joined perfectly together and continued toward the church, not holding hands as on so many other occasions, but separated, each one holding the rosary with her hands on her chest.

The church filled rapidly with the faithful. The two visionaries came in their ecstatic march up to the altar rail itself; there with one of those falls that are so striking and frightening, they dropped to their knees on the floor. Up to here they had come protected by Mr. Otero (who had not separated himself from Conchita), Ceferino, and his older son Fernando (Nandin} who had left the house behind Loli. The three had joined hands in the street and had formed a barrier so that the people in their desire to see and touch would not accidentally fall on top of the little girls.

Following the custom, a woman from the village [Referring to Maximina Gonzalez, Conchita's aunt, Father Jose Ramon Garcia de la Riva, of whom we will speak later on, told me this. Sometimes another woman of the village, Celina Gonzalez, led it.] led the recitation of the rosary and during it the girls in ecstasy answered until the finish. When the prayer ended they stood up, left the church reverently, and began an ecstatic march [This name was given to the traveling from one location to another that occurred during the ecstasies. These ecstatic walks were very frequent at Garabandal.

«Sometimes they marched forward all together with a normal pace. Other times they started together, and later they separated each one for a different street, to come together again finally at a determined spot, showing great joy on meeting. The most frequent thing was to go forward at great speed, in such a manner that not even the fastest were able to follow them. There have been cases in which they have marched on their knees, and even sitting down . . .

These changes of location in ecstasy were due to the apparition coming and going from the location with the girls following her; but not knowing how. They were not able to say whether they were running, walking, or lying down, or even if they were really moving or not.» (Father Ramón Andreu)]toward the Pines.

The three bodyguards, in spite of their robust condition, became exhausted in following them. Many persons, among them the two women who had come from Ribadesella, soon quit — the march was not for the unconditioned. Our informant Mr. Otero does not lack vocabulary, including one that can be very expressive; but he could not succeed in describing the grace of those walks while in ecstasy.

«They did not fly as has been said at times by persons who have seen the affair from afar and in the dark. They did not fly; that could easily be determined. Their feet touched on the ground, but in a way that I don't know how to describe. Looking always and only upwards they never stumbled on anything, nor did they slide, nor did they strike against any stones.

And look out! There are rocks and stones throughout those streets and paths of Garabandal. Especially at that time, for later the people that came cleared away the worse stones little by little; I myself have taken many away during my various trips. They marched as if they were flying, but not flying; while the rest of the people were falling and sliding. But you would have to see what that was like! Above all, the running in the dark and in the dim light.

The girls walked as if their feet had eyes to search for the exact spot where it was best to step, always on top of the rocks and pebbles or away from them, never striking against them. And with a lightness, a grace, and rhythm I could not describe. I fell several times and stumbled many more times; but although perspiring and gasping for breath, I couldn't succeed in keeping up with them. I could never forget those marvelous things.

Oh! I forgot. Before entering the calleja, at the level of the highest houses of the village, in the middle of the street, closed in by its walls, the girls had one of their falls. It seemed my heart stopped with the noise of the cracking their knees made. Heavens! Those girls have smashed their knees and broken their legs, I said to myself.

But nothing of the kind happened as I found out later. It had become dusk rather early, for in the final hours of the afternoon some low-lying clouds had come from the surrounding mountains, darkening the sky considerably. The people were quietly walking as well as they could manage behind us, when suddenly, there came the fall. I was seeing it for the first time, and it frightened me, for I saw how they plunged suddenly on their bare knees on top of the ground with its rocks and stones. The fall sounded sharp, like the breaking of bones.

For a little while they remained on their knees on top of the stones. They fixed their gaze on something that was above and in front of them. They smiled, and what a charming smile! They moved their lips as if to speak or pray, but in a whisper, in such a way that one could hardly tell one word from another. It was impossible to doubt that they were with someone.

I had a privileged position, almost leaning against the children, and could observe as I pleased. Thus I could make some tests. I made a motion to stick my fingers in their eyes. Repeatedly I passed my hand in front of them. Not a contraction, not a blinking! They were completely absorbed in something that we could not comprehend, that was totally outside what was happening around them. At my side a doctor — I saw him well, although he tried to hide — dared even more than I myself. With a needle he repeatedly stuck them in the arms. Nevertheless, there did not appear in them the least sign that they had felt anything. I know that these tests were repeated during various other falls that they had during the march on that afternoon.

Finally they got up and they continued upwards toward the Pines. We followed them as well as we could through that long and difficult calleja of the apparitions. I cannot explain how they — without ever looking away a second from the vision on high — could follow that path without deviating the slightest either to the right or to the left. And how they walked over all types of obstacles, especially at the top of the slope, so steep, with so many bushes and thorny plants.

They fell on their knees before the Pines as if someone had placed them carefully there, without scratch marks, without perspiration, without the least sign of fatigue. On the other hand, the rest of us were arriving perspiring, gasping for breath, with the marks of our falls, spills, and scratches. It did not surprise me that so many people had remained along the way.

On their knees in front of one of the Pines — I think it was the center one — they stayed a long time praying, talking and smiling with someone invisible. Leaning my ear against their faces, I could catch some of the words from time to time. I think that what they repeated most when they spoke was this, How good, how good! Oh, yes? Oh, how good!»

I would think that our celestial Mother — on her feast as Our Lady of Mount Carmel — would speak to her little ones out of the great love and merry she has toward all her children on earth, her little children in danger, telling them about the plans of aid and salvation that she always undertakes for their welfare.

«During the time at the Pines I could notice the extraordinary laugh and smile of the children in ecstasy. They laughed with their whole person. They had none of what is so frequent and what we might call laughing with the mouth only. Their laugh came bursting out from within themselves, because I think that they were then full of a joy of which we were unaware.

The people around them started to keep a religious silence, and then someone began to lead a prayer. It was night, but one could see rather well by the light from the flashlights. I myself, not wanting to miss anything, was also there to protect the children — together with Ceferino and his son. To do this, on our knees as we were, we held out our arms and hung on to each other's hands, forming a little wall in a half circle that prevented the curious from falling on top of the two children. In order to push harder, at one time I stretched out my free left hand to grab one of those pine branches — at that time there were some very low ones [Today it would not be possible to do what Mr. Otero did, since the low branches of the Pines are all gone; the people have cut them off in order to lake a souvenir or relic.] — when I heard Loli shout, Hey, he is touching the Virgin! You can imagine my emotions!

The coming down from the Pines had more or less the same characteristics as the going up. The children, remaining in ecstasy, had still another fall — very different from the ones we were having. And everything ended at the church doors. When the girls returned to their normal selves [The entrance of the girls into the trance was instantaneous. In a fraction of a second they raised their heads sharply and were held affixed to the vision, which led them from one place to another.

The general way of ending was by making the sign of the cross or giving a kiss. But what occurred at the end, according to what they explained, was that «the Virgin went away as though she were dissolving.» (Father Andreu in the report previously mentioned)] I could ascertain more at leisure and more carefully that they had not broken any bones, nor did they have any marks on their knees. If that isn't a miracle, then let the intellectuals tell me what is.

To complete my astonishment, after all those things had left the rest of us depleted, I saw that the girls were fresher and in better condition than ever, without tiredness or exhaustion, as if they had just come out of the most restful and contented sleep. I myself wasn't in such good shape. And it was no pleasure to look at my suit and shoes; I can tell you this, that I had come with some good quality shoes that were almost new, and the next day or the following, I had to buy new ones.

Another thing about the girls that amazed me was that they were oblivious to the things that were happening around them — and that they had the impression that all this that lasted more than two hours, had lasted only a few seconds — and it seemed to them that they had hardly moved.

In later visits to Garabandal with members of the Aledo family, I had the good fortune to see many other things; but the things I saw on the first day impressed me the most.

I can positively assure you that I'll never forget that day. It was unique and I know for my part I've seen many countries and many things.»

But then, all those things that José Otero could observe on his first day in San Sebastián de Garabandal had been everyday occurrences there — except the ecstatic marches — for almost a month, and would continue to be everyday occurrences for many more months.

And many refused to believe. And almost all were asking again and again for a miracle!