Garabandal and the Priesthood

By Father Materne Laffineur
Together with a devotion to the Eucharist, Garabandal teaches a great devotion for the priesthood. Our Lady teaches the girls to pray often for priests. Loli said one day, "I often pray for them, especially for those who wish that they were not priests. I pray that they may at least go on saying Mass."

They have the greatest reverence and affection for all members of the clergy, so much so that they are often reproached for "giving a warmer welcome to priests than to lay people."

In spite of the imprudence and unsettling hostility of certain priests, the children have never been heard to utter the least criticism of them or to show them the least discourtesy. They even make a special point of praying for them, especially for those who cause the children to suffer for reasons unknown to them.

To everyone expressing surprise at this, Loli replies, "When in the presence of an angel and of a priest, I would greet the priest first and it is to the priest that I would bow first of all."

That does not prevent them from from being nice little Spanish girls with a liveliness that reminds us of certain answers given by their illustrious compatriot. St. Teresa of Avila!

One theologian, a young priest and a fine one at that, asked Conchita:

"If you think that a priest has more power than an angel, whom would you prefer to see, the angel or me?"

"Oh, the angel of course! He is much better looking than you!"

Another cleric, deciding to put the little girls through one of those psychological "tests", asked Conchita this strange question:

"If your parish priest were neither a man nor a woman but an animal, what kind of animal would you like him to be?"

"A lamb."

"Why?"

"Because he would be like Jesus Who sacrificed Himself for us."