TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1961:

Queen Fabiola and King Baudoin

KING BAUDOIN AGAIN AT SAN
SEBASTIAN DE GARABANDAL

The Belgian sovereign had already visited San Sebastian de Garabandal several times. Taking advantage of holidays he was spending in Spain with his wife of Spanish origin, Queen Fabiola, he returned to this village on September 12, 1961. He thus attended the ecstasies of that day and even found himself "bound" to one of the visionaries in a particular way. One of them made a step backward and stepped on his foot, to the point of keeping him rooted to the spot!

At the funeral Mass for King Baudoin (d. July 31, 1993), Cardinal Daneels (Malines - Brussels) dwelt at length on the "secret" of the deceased man. Under the cover of the monarch's public activities (the process of his possible beatification was even mentioned), flowed a calm and hidden spring: his life in God, to the rhythm of prayer and penance with a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin, whom he venerated very particularly as "Our Lady of Mount Carmel," and to the Eucharist. "The day will come when the Sovereign's 'secret' will be revealed, and the world will then be in amazement," explained Cardinal Daneels.

In the night of September 12 to 13, then Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, the girls, in ecstasy, recited the whole fifteen mysteries of the rosary . . .
[Excerpted from 'Garabandal' Book page 101]

I'm trying to remember the comments I made about this excerpt. I think I said that there were many saintly Kings and Queens who led lives of Faith, Hope and Charity, helped their subjects in their needs and were devout! Then there were those like Henry the Eight and Elizabeth the First, and many others, who persecuted Catholics and murdered many priests, nuns, and laity. When I read those stories about how the English Saints were martyred, it sends chills up my spine. I ask myself 'How could these monarchs be so evil, murdering these innocent Christians and trying to destroy the Catholic Faith, the Church of Jesus Christ?'

Today just happens to be the feast of Blessed Rodger Dickenson, Blessed Ralph Milner, and Blessed Lawrence Humphrey.

These three martyrs lived in England during the time of Church persecution by Queen Elizabeth I. "Mr." Roger Dickenson was an undercover diocesan priest. Ralph Milner was a husband and father. He worked as a farm laborer and was brought into the Church through the good example of his neighbors. The day he made his First Communion he was put into prison for being a Catholic. The jailer liked Mr. Milner so his prison confinement was not strict at first. For several years, he went on "parole" to find supplies of food and whatever the other prisoners needed. While on parole, he was of great help to "Mr." Dickenson and Father Stanney, a Jesuit. The day came when Father Dickenson, too, was caught. He and Mr. Milner were brought to trial together. Father Dickenson was tried for the crime of being a Catholic priest. Mr. Milner was tried for helping Father Dickenson perform his ministry. The judge looked at the crowd in the courtroom. He thought of Mrs. Milner and the couple's eight children. He wanted to free Milner at all costs. "All you have to do," he said, "is visit a Protestant church, just for a few minutes, to say you have been there. I'll let you go free to be with your family." Mr. Milner quietly and firmly refused. He and Father Dickenson went bravely to their deaths. It was July 7, 1591. The third martyr, Lawrence Humphrey, had been brought into the Church by Father Stanney, S.J. He would not give up the faith he had so recently acquired. Lawrence was just twenty-one years old when he was martyred.

Oh! How our beloved Church has suffered these past 2000 years! No wonder Our Lord sweated Blood in the Garden the night before He died, seeing all this persecution before His eyes! Lord, have mercy on us! Father, forgive them, they know not what they do (I hope)!

Roman Deacon