MONDAY, AUGUST 28 - TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1961

Muriel, Fr. Ramon Andreu and Mr. Foerschler

THE "SYMBOLIC" BAPTISM OF
MURIEL CATHERINE

Muriel Catherine, a nineteen-year old woman from Paris, of a Jewish father and a Protestant mother, was practicing no religion when she met Ascension de Luis from Burgos. The latter taught her a few rudimentary notions of the Catholic faith. The two friends went up to Garabandal on Monday, August 28, Feast of St. Augustine, the most famous convert in the Church history, except St. Paul.

At about 12:30 a.m., on August 29, they attended an ecstasy of Mari-Loli and Jacinta, who spoke about Muriel to their Vision. The visionaries then exclaimed: "She is not baptized!. . . Come, let's help her . . . Ah, because of her parents! . . ." Loli suddenly stretched out her arm, and grasped a bottle of holy water that a priest had given her to throw towards the apparition as a "test." The girl opened the bottle and threw the contents upwards, in front of her. But instead of
following its normal course, the water mysteriously bent its path, and in its inexplicable trajectory, fell as a little shower on Muriel.

Muriel already had faith. But to be baptized, she had to wait until she came of age, the parents being opposed to her initiative. She was baptized in the cathedral of Burgos, at twenty-one years of age, on October 20, 1963, under the name of Maria del Carmen Catherine. She can be considered as a figure of the Synagogue called to be "baptized," or of the Church arising from the Synagogue.

Muriel represents the first of three cases of a typical "conversion" linked directly to Garabandal. The two other cases are those of Maximo Foerscher, an Evangelist, and of Barbara Painter, an Anglican Protestant.
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book, page 98.]

What a beautiful story of Our Lady's desire that all people's enter the holy Catholic Faith! It also reminds me of the Scripture written by St. Paul regarding the conversion of the Jews:

"For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery (lest you should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in. And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And this is to them my covenant: when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief: So these also now have not believed, for your mercy, that they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all."
(Romans 11:25-32)

As a matter of fact, as we shall read later on, the Great Miracle at Garabandal will bring everyone in the world into the Catholic Church, yes even the Moslems too! Praise God! Wow, will we be busy then teaching our neighbors about Jesus & Mary and all the Truths of our blessed Faith. Hey, you better get brushed up on your catechism so you can be a good teacher and pass on our beloved Faith!!!
Roman Deacon