k) Mystical Communions

Father Jose Ramon Garcia de la Riva

Memoirs of a Spanish Country Pastor - 11

Mystical Communions

Translated from the French and Spanish,
Reprinted by kind permission from St. Joseph Publications.

A keen observer of 200 ecstasies gives his personal account of what he witnessed at Garabandal.

In this segment, the author discusses the remarkable phenomenon of the visionaries receiving Communion from the hands of Saint Michael.

In the beginning of the apparitions, the Angel (it was always St. Michael the Archangel) undertook by himself to prepare the children for receiving Holy Communion.

Quoting again from Conchita’s Diary:

From the beginning of the apparitions the Angel gave us hosts that were not consecrated. We had already eaten and still he gave them to us, for they were not consecrated. This was to teach us to receive Communion well.

    One day, he asked that we return at an early hour to the Pines, fasting, and to bring a young girl with us. We brought a young girl and did what he asked.

    When we arrived at the Pines, the Angel appeared. He held a ciborium which seemed to be gold and he said to us: “I am going to give you Communion. The Hosts are consecrated.”

    “Recite the ‘Confiteor.’” We recited it, then he gave us Communion and told us to make thanksgiving to God. He then had us recite with him ‘Anima Cristi’ which we did.

    After this prayer he told us: “I will come tomorrow to give you Communion.” Then he left.

    When we told this to the people some did not believe, especially the priests, because they said that the Angels could not consecrate.

    When we saw the Angel again, we repeated what the people told us and he answered us that he took consecrated Hosts from the tabernacles of the earth. But some persons continued to doubt in spite of these explanations.

    The Angel gave us Communion like this for a long time.
    Later, it appeared that Conchita and Loli received Communion alone: Conchita at the Pines, at the Cuadro, under the porch roof of the church; Loli at the same places, except at the Pines. At least, I think so, because I was not aware that Loli had received Communion at the Pines from the moment that the two visionaries alone continued to receive Communion from the hands of the Angel.

Each time it was a “Mystical Communion” which means that beside Conchita and Loli, (also the two others previously) no one was able to see the Host Itself.

One could see perfectly and hear the rest. They made the sign of the cross, recited the ‘I Confess to God’ (Confiteor), spoke a little with the Angel, they stuck out the tongue, closed the mouth, moved the jaws, swallowed, and recited the prayer of thanksgiving of St. Ignatius, ‘Anima Christi.’

The Communion ended, they came out of the ecstasy which did not last more than 10 minutes.

I’ve seen many of Loli’s mystical Communions, but only one of Conchita’s. I’ve taken many photographs. All were under the portico of the church, except for Conchita. I asked her, I remember, to request the Angel that the ecstasy take place at a place on the portico where I could take a pretty snapshot. Unfortunately, it took place where I expected the worst. The child fell on her knees, leaning on the door of the church, and in order to obtain the picture that I now possess, I had to climb the stairway which leads to the tower. I found myself in the shade with a blinding sun in front of me. It was the same every time with Loli. I had to work always against an intense light.

***

I asked the children how the Angel could give them Hosts really consecrated, since he could not consecrate them himself. They posed the the question to him and he answered that he took the Hosts from the Tabernacles of the earth.

I myself observed that the Angel did not give Communion if the curate Father Valentin, or a priest duly delegated to be a parish minister at Garabandal, was present and performing his duties. That is the conclusion of a study that I completed.

It is that which authorizes the response one could make to the following question: “How is it possible that the Angel played a role in a ministry not proper to him, which is not his own?”

He fulfilled this duty as an extraordinary minister when it was not possible for the ordinary minister to do it himself; never on another occasion.

Publisher’s Note

Similar to Fatima, an Angel was delegated at Garabandal to carry and distribute Holy Communion, using Hosts consecrated by priests.

The Virgin Mary, though She is the Immaculate Conception, Mother of God, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Queen of Heaven, Mediatrix of All Grace, Co-Redemptrix, Absolute Perfection, was not present at the Last Supper, being faithful to Scripture in what the Apostle said was the role of a woman.

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