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

This will exemplify some of the things that were happening during the summer days of 1961.

    One day in September, Placido Ruiloba, the man from Santander previously mentioned as one of the best witnesses of the Garabandal events, came up to the village with his wife and her father. The father, who already had one of his legs amputated, was concerned that sooner or later the same fate would befall his other leg. «My father-in-law» — Mr. Ruiloba stated — «went with great faith to the place.»

    Like so many other visitors they stopped first at the house of Ceferino, with whom Placido had struck up a warm friendship. They told him all about the condition of the invalid and the desire he had for Mari Loli to petition the Virgin for him in ecstasy, requesting his salvation. That she save at least the one leg that was left!

    Ceferino told them that during these days his daughter ordinarily had her ecstasies in the rooms upstairs; and that he, although sorry about it, could not allow many people to go upstairs, because of the danger that the rafters and the ceiling would fall down and cause a disaster; but that specially for this case, he would see to it that they could go upstairs. Minutes later Mari Loli arrived, and the visitors immediately entreated her to remember their request when she would be with the Virgin.

PHOTO: Loli in front of her home in 1961—an instrument chosen by the Virgin to convey messages both for individuals and for the world.

    From here they went to Conchita's house, to make the same request. (They transmitted it to Aniceta.) And when they were about to leave, Mr. Matutano, [from Book 1, Chapter 4.] who was there, told them that it would be worth their trouble to remain, since Conchita already had two calls and it would not be long until the time when the Vision came.

    And so it was. It happened in the little kitchen of the house, at the usual hour of nightfall. The small group standing around could follow from time to time the girl's conversation that dealt with many things. One of the things that they heard very clearly was the request for the salvation of the man who was there with his leg cut off. That at least they don't have to cut off the other!

    The window was wide open so that many persons, who were not able to enter, could follow the trance from outside.[The kitchens in Garabandal were on the street level.] After a while, the visionary who was still taken up in the trance — her head tilted sharply backwards, her glance fixed on high — held up her crucifix [Father José Ramón García de la Riva mentions in his Memorias:

    A short pause followed during which the girl's breathing could be heard very clearly. One of those present could not contain himself and went outside to see what was happening. He found a couple trying to hide in the darkness some distance away. He spoke to them and they admitted that they had withdrawn from the window when the girl began holding the cross to be kissed. He and she both considered themselves unworthy to place their lips on the holy article.

    It took a little while for the man to convince them that their attitude was mistaken; that even though they felt themselves very sinful, they had no reason to turn away from the one who had come especially in search of sinners; that it was obvious that she was waiting for them, since there was the girl with her arm held out in the darkness, offering the crucifix ... to them! And they were the only ones who were missing . . . And the girl was not doing this from her own initiative, since one had to do no more than look to see that she was completely removed from everything that was occurring around her . . . Faced with these thoughts, their resistance waned and from far back they came up trembling to place their lips on the image of the one who had invited them and waited for them in such an extraordinary way.

    After those final two kisses, the girl withdrew her hand from the window, and minutes later the ecstasy ended.[Fr. Valentin's journal shows that this episode took place on the night of September 17th.]

    Almost at the same time Ceferino came asking for Mr. Ruiloba to come immediately, since his daughter Mari Loli had just gone into a trance. They went as fast as they could and came in time to hear how the girl was faithfully making the request that they had given her. This filled them with consolation. But the consolation was followed by amazement when they heard the girl say Oh, has Conchita already asked you this ?

Conchita's house with the grated window thru which she offered the Virgin's kiss to repentant sinners outside

    Someone might ask, What is the meaning of all this?

    Well certainly the man with the amputated leg remained, as far as his physical condition, in the same situation in which he had been before, without any substantial improvement (now he rests in peace), although with a certain betterment since he was not the same as before with regard to other more important matters. Since he had come with great faith he was not disappointed, and we know that he left Garabandal very satisfied, with a heart full of joyous thoughts. We know that he was thrilled by what he had seen and heard . . . and sure that he had not lost the way. It could not be doubted that on those mountains something happened that affected him in a salutary way, something that, although it could not be explained, had brought him closer to a more important well-being. He could comprehend as never before those words of Christ, It is better for you to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. (Matt. 18:8)

    And what can be said of the recalcitrant couple? Throughout their life they will never forget those minutes of suspense.

    They must have suffered intensely with the shame of knowing their unworthiness: the incompatibility on the same lips of sensual kisses and the kisses of the image of the Absolutely Pure. But then also, as never before, they must have been enlightened as to what lengths God will go to bring back sinners, to pardon them and purify them.

    That kiss on a night in Garabandal, so unexpected and so urgent, must have marked the life of that couple with salvation. Before God there is nothing without importance.

    If a smile, as the poet Peman [Peman, poet, dramatist and Spanish orator, born in 1898. His most well-known dramatic works are El divino impaciente about St. Francis Xavier, and Cuando las cortes de Cadiz which tells about the resistance to Napoleon's French troups at Cadiz.] writes, could be the ruin of a life, how much more a kiss properly given could be the start of salvation.

    About this time took place, although the exact date is not know, another of the innumerable minor events that constitute the Hour of Garabandal in the tremendous History of Salvation.

    I received this directly from the lips of the stone mason Pepe Diez, [See Book 1, Chapter II] to whom it happened; he remembers it as if it were still taking place.

    As on almost all the evenings in those days, phenomena occurred in the village, together with remarkable processions of prayer and penance that formed behind the girls walking in ecstasy thru the streets and trails. But on this day Pepe Diez did not bother to take part in them. Besides this being nothing new for him, he was also tired, and he had no desire of being in the procession.

    From his house he was able to hear clearly the sound of footsteps and prayers approaching, then receding, to be lost in the distance . . . When all became quiet, he went outside and made his way down a dark alley to better avoid any meeting that might detain him. As he was walking close to a wall, he smacked his forehead against a stone jutting out from it. The reaction was instantaneous, motus primo primi, as the moralists say: the typical reaction of so many men who have grown up surrounded by bad language and have made it their own. He let out a blasphemy.

    Immediately he felt ashamed. But he did not have time to think about it. Something held him captive in that corner of the alley, as the sound of the procession that had faded away was now returning. It did not take long for the procession to come upon him, and he tried without success to hide where the shadows were darkest, so that everyone would pass without noticing his presence. The girl who was coming in ecstasy at the head of the parade, without lowering her gaze from on high, went toward him, crucifix in hand. Poor Pepe would have preferred the earth to swallow him. He fell trembling on his knees, and felt the girl place the crucifix on his lips with a soft force, as if requiring a kiss of reparation for the blasphemy that could only have been heard by the ears of God.

    The stone mason was well admonished, more effectively than if he had heard many sermons on the faithful observance of the second commandment of the divine law. He will never forget the lesson.

    And so at Garabandal Our Lady appeared in an ineffable way to repeat to everyone, My little Children, these things I address to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father: Jesus Christ the Just. And He is the propitiation for our sins. (I John 2:1)

    There were other episodes of instruction during the final weeks of that unforgettable summer. We are going to mention one that deals with a subject that is today neglected to the extreme.

    We know that the girls had a most proper comportment. The testimonies of this are numerous and explicit. Here is one of great value because of the competency of the witness — a person who shared the life of the girls as few others:

    «Since my first visit, on August 22nd, 1961, I took advantage of all opportunities to go up to Garabandal where I have passed and still pass my happiest days.

    I determined to study the girls closely, not only in their trances, but also in their normal state. I took pictures that show clearly the girls are not sick or peculiar, and have no abnormal symptoms. I can report with a thorough knowledge of the matter on their manner of comporting themselves in their homes, in the fields, in the stables, in the church, etc.. They cannot be distinguished from the other girls of the village. They play, run, jump up and down, pray . . .

    Now there is something that can be noticed in their external manners that is not the same as the other girls. For example, in their way of sitting, they always do it with great modesty. And never have they been surprised in the least lack of purity. Their comportment in this has been in the extreme. Furthermore everyone has been able to observe in the ecstasies how they concern themselves that their dresses are in place.»

(Fr. José Ramón García de la Riva, Memorias de mis subidas a Garabandal)


"Never have they been surprised in the least lack of purity."

-----------------

    The Virgin called their attention to this with a mother's delicateness.

    In one of their ecstasies [This was an ecstasy during the middle of the night, between the 9th and 10th of September.] the three girls went to each one's home separately, by the Vision's request, to change the dresses they were wearing for longer dresses. Conchita was heard to say later during the trance. «We should always wear long dresses like this, above all for coming to see you.» (Sanchez-Ventura)

    «On August 31st one of the girls, [This refers to Conchita, according to Fr. Valentin's notes.] while sitting, went several meters forwards toward the church and several meters backwards. The people who were watching became so filled with emotion that many cried . . . Not so much for the action itself of going over the ground sitting down like this; but because in all the distance traveled, the girl's dress, without being disarranged, covered her to her knees. And I observed afterward that, in spite of having slid like this on the dirty ground, the dress had not become soiled. It was on this same day in August that the Virgin advised Loli to lengthen her skirt a little. She said this smiling.»

    The spiritual giants so numerous today even in the clergy, will put on a knowing smile here, discrediting Garabandal because of infantile ideas which to their way of thinking could only have importance for narrow-minded people still affected by the old-fashioned morality of the Middle Ages.

    Fortunately God has His own criteria, ordinarily close to the reasoning of simple and virtuous souls, ordinarily distant from those who follow their own ways, the wise and prudent who are not well versed in sacred literature.

    Salvation in all its immensity is accomplished through things that are small.

    Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets.

    Modesty and decency can never be neglected in genuine morality because they are required by our condition as creatures made to the image and likeness of God, and furthermore raised up to be His sons and members of the Mystical Body of Christ. It is not that we are ashamed of our bodies, but that we are convinced that the most important part of us is not seen. And too much attention should not be given to our physical being while the other, our better part, remains forgotten and obscured. Proper dress is a distinctive trait of the human being who bridles and holds in check the animal nature, since there is in us a higher nature that deserves more attention and care.

    Salus populi, ego sum — I am the salvation of the people. Each day it was seen more clearly that the Virgin had come to Garabandal to promote the salvation of her people. [More about this?
From the ecstasy of September 4th:
    «At 1 o'clock they took the hands of all those present, and made them make the Sign of the Cross . . . Then they sang rosaries through the village — the vision leading, the children singing only a part. They went from house to house, singing an Ave Maria at each house. Sometimes they went up the stairs if it was necessary.»
From September 5th:
    «At 5 in the afternoon, Jacinta and Loli went into ecstasy, they made the Sign of the Cross on the forehead of all those that were there; later they went out with a little crucifix and went from house to house, holding it up for everyone to kiss.»
From September 6th:
    «They went from door to door singing the rosary. They gave the crucifix to everyone to kiss, and went in where there were sick or old people.»
    (The quotes above are from Fr. Valentin's notes.)] None of those who came here with true devotion toward her and a well-disposed heart went away disappointed. And there are many who have stated that they have passed the best moments of their life in that little mountain village. I do not yet know what heaven is, said one priest, but in Garabandal, it seems that I have been on the threshold.