MAY 1963:

CONCHITA'S SIGNIFICANT FIRST . . .
PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES

Conchita's stay at Lourdes was organized by Reverend Luis Lopez Retenaga, a professor of Theology at the major seminary of San Sebastian (the great Basque city). He, too, was an important witness of the "events" of Garabandal. The pilgrimage unfolded within the framework of the annual diocesan pilgrimage of Santander.

During this pilgrimage, one of fervor and serenity for Conchita, she had a locution revealing the healing of a little handicapped girl that would occur on the day of the Miracle. She was one of the thirteen hundred Spanish pilgrims who had come to Lourdes.

Joey Lomangino, Francisco de Gallego and Daniel Fernandez, two patients paralyzed since childhood, and this little girl are the four individuals whose healing was clearly predicted and promised by the Blessed Virgin for the "D" day.

The possibility for Aniceta to make this trip was the 'sign' by which she had asked the Blessed Virgin, to confirm the authenticity of Garabandal. Thanks to a letter addressed to him by Conchita, Dr. Jean Caux went to Lourdes, where once again he was to provide us with new and precious documents (film and photos).

As to Don Retenaga himself, he took occasion also of his many stays in San Sebastian de Garabandal to gather noteworthy clarifications from Conchita and Mari-Loli, particularly about their locutions. Questioning them from the very beginning about his subject, he understood the difficulty that the two adolescent girls had in explaining this type of new "communications" they were now experiencing. On the one hand, because of their very limited vocabulary and scanty religious culture; on the other hand, because of the particular nature of their "interior locutions" that do away with words related to the senses, but directly impress the intelligence and the heart. Consequently, their literal human translation proves to be delicate. Nevertheless, it is helped by the fact that "such words are engraved almost indelibly" (Conchita).
[From 'Garabandal' Book, pages 173-174]

I have already told you that I knew and helped the blind Joey Lomangino back in the 70's. Well he's been promised by the Blessed Mother to get "new eyes" on the day of the Miracle. Well, Joey's a few years older than me and I'm 70. How long can he live and then use those eyes "for the glory of God", as Our Lady told Conchita. That's what I mean about the Warning and the Miracle coming soon! Time is running out for Joey, and for all those people who are promised a miracle of healing.

I've never been to Lourdes (actually I haven't been to too many shrines in my life time), but I would love to go there. Not for a healing, but just to be where Our Lady appeared and walk the same ground. I have a wonderful movie about Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes. It was made in France a number of years ago and is quite good. I've watched it many times. It's never boring!

Roman Deacon