WEDNESDAY, JULY 18-19, 1962:

The Host, visible and as if it were alive, on Conchita's tongue.

THE "MILAGRUCU" (ON THE VERY
FEASTDAY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL)

The "Milagrucu," in other words, the little miracle": that is how Conchita described the wonder that was to take place. For the visionary, indeed, the fact that the consecrated Hosts, usually given to her by the Angel and most of the time before a large crowd, were invisible, was much more astonishing!

On the Feast also of St. Sebastian, (thanks to an Indult from Rome, since January 20 is normally the day of its celebration), Patron Saint of the village, Conchita was indeed to receive her "first call" . . . at 11:30 p.m. As to the ecstasy itself, it was to be over at . . . 2 a.m. The time here was exactly the same as that of the first great apparition at the "Rue de Bac" (the famous "Miraculous Medal" sanctuary in Paris) on July 18-19, 1830, the very liturgical Feastday of St. Vincent de Paul!

On the morning of the events, Conchita, inadvertently, had already received Communion from the hands of a priest in the village church. This explains, perhaps, but only in part, that the "Milagrucu" occurred not on July 18, the date originally predicted, but rather in the night of July 18 to 19.

This sign was brought about to help people believe, and to confirm the supernatural authenticity of the "events" of San Sebastian de Garabandal.

"La forma! La forma! La forma!," shouted the crowd with one voice when Conchita held out her tongue and, suddenly, in a split second, appearing like lightning, the Host was deposited there. It was white, the same size as the Hosts commonly used, but slightly thicker. It remained visible on Conchita's tongue for almost two minutes.

To this day, all the history of Christian spirituality and hagiography attest to the possibility of such a miracle. Considering the numerous and perfectly reliable testimonies we have at our disposal, it would be worth writing a substantial monograph about it . . . (that will be done later -- J.S.).

At the end Conchita fell in ecstasy on her knees, in a puddle of water . . . to receive the Host from St. Michael's hand. It was about 1:40 a.m. . . . July 19!

We owe the film of the "Milagrucu" to Alejandro Damians, an engineer from Barcelona. He used his amateur camera with the sole light of a full moon and a few flashlights. Msgr. Beitia quickly expressed his keen desire to see the film and have a copy of it in his possession.

Informed by a letter from Conchita, Dr. Jean Caux (Paris) was on the premises with his camera on the night of the "Milagrucu." Unfortunately, he was unable to film anything, for lack of a flash. This "deprivation" upset him to the point of modifying his life considerably and determining his spiritual journey in a decisive way. It was probably to sooth his bitter disappointment that Conchita, during her ecstasy, presented her crucifix to the famous physician for him to kiss it . . . three times!

All through his stays in the village from 1961 to 1965, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Caux shot some of the most beautiful films ever about Garabandal. Being also an aesthetician surgeon in Paris, this professional of beauty was first touched by the unparalleled grace of the girls in ecstasy. After having attended many other "apparitions" and all kinds of "trances" for more than thirty years and throughout all of Europe, he found the quality of the phenomenon he was able to witness in San Sebastian de Garabandal, absolutely unsurpassable and unequaled.
[From 'Garabandal' Book, pages 142-143]

God does things in His own time and fashion! Many people in the village left when the "little miracle" didn't happen on the 18th of July. They had no patience and went home. But because Our Lady is always obedient, (the Church only allowed one Holy Communion per day at that time) She waited until after midnight to allow the Angel to give Conchita Holy Communion. Our Lady said "Obedience to the Church, gives great glory to God!" That's a good lesson for us.

I remember in New York, there was a woman who went from church to church, receiving Communion in each one. She was finally confronted one day and told to stop because the Church says (in our time) that a person can receive twice in one day, provided he or she stays for the whole Mass, and the second Mass should only be a special one like a funeral or wedding, etc. It's different for a priest, of course. Some priests have to celebrate more than two Masses, but a priest must receive the Host he consecrated to make the Mass complete!

About that French Doctor, I read elsewhere that (He said this himself in an interview) he was in mortal sin, living with a woman, and that's why he was denied from taking the pictures of the "little miracle"! He had a change of conscience after that and changed his lifestyle! A great Garabandal conversion story!

Deacon John