3-09d) The Gathering Crowd

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

The same was happening during Friday the 18th, well into the evening. Persons from foreign countries were numerous. The L'Etoile dans la Montagne mentions: «200 Frenchmen, 10 Americans, 6 Englishmen, 4 Italians, and an occasional representative of the other countries of Europe and America.»

There must have been many priests, but there were only a dozen visible in cassocks.

Vehicles with the most varied license plates inundated the village and its surroundings. Attention was especially drawn, and not only because of their size, to the vehicles of the technical crews for Spanish NO-DO, " [NO-DO (Noticiario-Documental) was the governmental agency of news pictures. Its importance has diminished with the development of television. The presence of NO-DO at Garabandal was due to the activities of a young woman from Segovia, Paloraa Fernández-Pacheco de Larrauri, This woman, who already knew the village well, was there again for June 18th with her sister Fuencisia.] and Television Italiana. In the latter group, the famous actor Carlo Campanini was particularly active.

What was the attitude of the crowd? Fr. Laffineur tells us in L'Etoile dans la Montagne as a witness of the scene:

«In general, it was exemplary. Pious, modest, penitent. Almost all those who composed it had received Communion at one of the three Masses [Aniano Fontaneda from Aguilar de Campoo wrote on June 26th to Fr. Ramón: «I was at Garabandal on the 17th and 18th and I saw your friends and a great number of acquaintances. You missed a great day since everything turned out magnificently. Although Fr. Valentin told me that there would be no Masses in the village unless the priests came with written permission to celebrate Mass, we actually had several Masses, with more than 1,500 Communions. I can say no more than that the Hosts were exhausted on two occasions.»]during the morning ...

Occasionally there could be found a face that was there only to spy on the events and activities, to gather information to utilize in favor of a cause that he represented or served . . . the emissaries from the Commission of San-tander, obviously; members of some foreign agencies also, and even someone representing the ridiculous ex-priest Collin.» [We have already spoken about him during his visit to Garabandal on August 22nd, 1963.]

How did the crowd pass the interminable hours of waiting? Certainly with less difficulties and hardships than the congregation that waited on October 18th, 1961. This time there was not such a great gathering and the weather was much better. But opportunities were not lacking to exercise patience, and practice penance. Mr. Poch Soler, the reporter sent by the Barcelonian weekly, Por que?, wrote an interesting article: [This article was not published in the weekly paper until April, 1966. Its introduction went like this: «In writing about this, we have tried at all times to avoid the frivolousness and journalistic lightness that at times we are accustomed to use for other subjects of the street. We have limited ourselves to reporting the facts as we have seen them, transcribing everything that we have heard and all this with the greatest objectivity possible.»]

«From Cossio we made the trip on foot, 7 kilometers, always heading upwards, arriving at Garabandal after 2 in the morning of June 18th. Unplanned and spectacular! The monumental task of sheltering hundreds of pilgrims in a small town of no more than 40 houses had already ceased when we arrived. The people were sleeping in the doorways, in the stables, on the porches, in the kitchens, in the middle of the streets ... In our nocturnal walk thru the uneven and rocky streets, we had to step with the greatest attention, avoiding the many people who were sleeping, stretched out on the ground, under the feeble illumination of a dozen light-bulbs scattered throughout the village.

One of the two bars or taverns in Garabandal remained open all night, although its small capacity could barely shelter 12 or 15 people. There we settled ourselves down to write. To our one side two English people were sleeping peacefully, slumped over the table on their elbows. On the ground, two French priests were praying the rosary in a hushed voice. Others were drinking beer and later went outside to walk in the streets beneath the clear moon illuminating that night in Garabandal.»

The French correspondent from Le Monde et La Vie agreed with this, and said further that well into the night, in scattered sectors of the village, there rose up prayers and devout hymns in Spanish, Latin, and French . . .

As day dawned, the influx of people increased, creating a boisterous commotion in the streets. The French reporter describes it:

«The morning passed rather well. Everyone was using the time the best that he could. They were praying, singing, taking photographs, speaking with the villagers, asking a multitude of questions about the girls and their ecstasies.»

Conchita's house naturally was the principal magnet of attraction. Only she was going to be the protagonist of what everyone was awaiting. Only she could name the time and the place. The youthful 16 year old girl was slow in appearing to the crowd because her mother rightly did not let her get up until well into the morning. The reporters were the ones most importune in their desire to see her. Poch Soler wrote in his article:

«Conchita inspired all the press reporters with profound respect. My colleagues from Paris, Portugal, Madrid, the crew from NO-DO were waiting impatiently, but without irritation, for the time when they would be able to speak to her.

You have to have a little patience, her mother told us. Understand that the girl is tired. Yesterday she was still sick with a 40 degree temperature. She wants to talk with everyone, embrace everyone. I am the one who doesn't want her to go outside on the street.»

Finally the door opened inch by inch, and in the doorway stood the young girl, pale, heavily bundled up, but with her best smile for everyone. For hours . . .

«... she let herself be devoured by the crowd. She smiled, she wrote cards, she allowed herself to be photographed, she responded to the questions thrown at her, she promised to pray for the most diverse intentions, she tried to console the most afflicted, she embraced the children.» (L 'Etoile dans la Montague)

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Mr. Poch Soler continued:

«At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of June 18th, we managed to speak with Conchita. I confess that this was the most moving moment of my career as a journalist. Never has a person filled me with such respect and confidence at the same time . . .

The interview took place in the kitchen of her home. Present were her mother and her two brothers, two strong men of the north who protected the place. She held out her hand and apologized for making me wait to get the interview.

— Because today I will see the Angel and that is marvelous.

— Have you noticed the number of people who have come to Garabandal?

— I haven't stopped thinking of them!

— And how do you feel about this enormous crowd?

— My joy is difficult to put into words . . . How happy Our Lady will be!

— Are you sure you will see the Angel today?

— At what time?

— I cannot say, since I don't know. I don'tknow the hour, but I have a feeling that it will be rather late.

— What do you feel when the Virgin appears to you?

— A strong constriction that comes up from my chest to my throat . . . And then there is a marvelous light.

— What do you think the Angel will say?

— I surely don't know. Possibly there will be a message. But I don't know; we will see.

"a marvelous light" "a message"

When I went out on the street, the people closed in around me. Everyone wanted to know what Conchita had told me. French, Americans, Portuguese, they all begged me to please give them an answer. It was hard to convince them that it had been a normal interview, that the visionary hadn't told me anything about the time or the place of the ecstasy.

After 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the concentration of pilgrims around Conchita's house was imposing . . . The troops of the Civil Guard of the 242nd Command were in charge of maintaining order, although it wasn't ever necessary for them to intervene with force.

The French groups and the people from the other nations gave a lesson in faith, devotion and seriousness, that we would have appreciated in our own Spanish people. [L'Etoile dans la Montagne states: « Toward nightfall gangs of Spanish boys and girls appeared whose flippancy showed that the devil wanted to be present at the spectacle too.»] At all times the initiative for prayers and petitions arose from them . . .

The climate at times was almost hysterical. Some physically covered Conchita with medals, scapulars and holy cards, hoping that she would *> touch them and kiss them. Others made their way toward her to ask for her autograph, to take her photograph. A woman raised a paralytic son in her arms, imploring Conchita to kiss him.»

Among the priests who had come to Garabandal, certainly the one who aroused the most interest was Father Pel . . .«the famous stigmatic, called the French Padre Pio, [Referring to the Italian Capuchin Padre Pio from Pietrelcina, famous the world over for his extraordinary apostolate and mystical charisms. Fr. Constant Pel (adjacent picture) died on March 5th, 1966, convinced about Garabandal. (The reporter errs in calling him a stigmatic.)] known through all of France for his sanctity and miraculous gifts. Even though 87 years of age, he was circulating around and talking with great agility.»

But the one who showed himself the most active, and who seemed to have the best welcome in Conchita's house, was the Spanish Fr. Luis Luna, who had come from Saragossa. He was privileged to be near the visionary for many hours that day.

Continuing now with the article of Poch Soler:

«The evening advanced, without Conchita announcing the time of the apparition. It became darker. But how sure it is that faith moves mountains! No one gave up or abandoned his post . . , [Conchita stayed at the door of her home, giving herself to the multitude . . . «until night fell, and we didn't know if she had time to eat anything more than a crust of bread. Shivering, she went back into the house; but in order not to let anyone down, she opened the kitchen window and across the iron grate continued to give herself to the crowd.»(L 'Etoile dans la Montagne)]8 o'clock came, then 9, then 10 at night . . . They were praying without ceasing; supplications and hymns in every language rose up to heaven . . .

. . . until a trembling of emotion seized everyone: At the door of the house a priest [This seems to have been Father Luna from Saragossa.] came out, and calling for silence, spoke to the crowd.

This is from Conchita: Everyone should go to the Calleja, to what is called the Cuadro, since the ecstasy will be there.»

The frenzy stirred up by these words could not be described . . . Everyone ran crazily to see if he could get the best place for observation.

Aniano Fontaneda wrote in his letter to Father Ramón: «Everybody wanted to be the first to get there; they almost ripped my clothes off as they shoved me on all sides. Many were knocked to the ground. I lifted up Mercedes Salisachs [The illustrious writer from Barcelona. Any sensible person will understand the frenzy with which the throng rushed to seize good positions. This is not meant to commend it; only to make the situation understood. The reporter Poch Soler showed he sympathized with the crowd in his article:

«The spectacle was not only striking; it instilled fear ... A woman was dragging her five year old son between her legs; the little boy was crying, but the mother could not give him any attention because she had to find a good position at all costs. A blind American got up on top of the wall, helped by his friends. A man with two bad legs asked me to give him a hand so that he would be able to climb the rocky path. The human drama that brought all these persons to the Cuadro overwhelmed us all. Those people had their life conditioned by suffering and their admirable resignation was the greatest miracle of that night at Garabandal.»] and other people who stumbled and fell going up the hill.»

Fr. Luna also described it: «After having been together with Conchita for several hours — in order to benefit from her company when the expected ecstasy came — at the time of going up to the Cuadro, I found myself bowled over by the rush of the crowd, which carried me along in the turmoil and finally knocked me to the ground. With my back on the ground, the people passed on top of me as they ran upwards. While I was there, in the darkness of the night, two people assisted me, one on each side, and without the least effort on my part, in spite of the weight of my 80 kilos. I found myself on foot. Later I was able to guide myself on the left wall of the Calleja, where the stones are stacked without mortar.»

The dispersal of the crowd left Conchita's house surrounded by an unusual silence. Only three or four persons still remained there at the window of the kitchen, desiring to exchange words with the young girl still inside.