She Went in Haste to the Mountain (Page 65)

“The girls fell on the ground in ecstasy.”

In the chapel would be new communications.(6)

Conchita Arrives

When I arrived at the village from my trip to Santander, several priests and many people came to meet me.
For Loli and Jacinta had said in their apparition that I was coming on the road, as I really was.
The Virgin had told this to them while they were in the church.
We have much more information on this than what Conchita writes so briefly.

When the three travelers arrived at Cossío, some young girls were awaiting them, among whom was the daughter of the school teacher at Garabandal. Aniceta, who had arrived upset and was becoming more uneasy after she saw them, kept asking, What do those girls want? What do they want? When they approached, she went nervously up to the school teacher’s daughter. Where are you coming from? Is there a fiesta in Garabandal?(7)
On arriving at the village, Aniceta said to the people who questioned her, I’m satisfied. There’s nothing to this. We’ve been to the Bishop. And there’s nothing to this. For the simple woman, the Bishop had to be absolutely infallible.
They went directly to their homes and shut themselves in; Aniceta was in no mood to talk to people or make explanations. But Maximina wanted to see what was going on and was able to witness some of the last scenes. She heard that Loli and Jacinta, during an ecstasy in the church, had asked the vision about Conchita, and then had said, Is she coming now? And minutes later, Oh, she’s in the house now. Maximina closely watched what was still going on during that memorable evening, and then went home.
When on that same night father Manuel Antón arrived at his residence in Barro (Llanes), he talked with Father Victor López, who had just returned from Santander.
—What! Asked Father Victor, Do you still believe in Garabandal?

—Now more than ever after what I’ve seen today.

—Well I personally have almost no belief. I’ve spoken with Bishop Doroteo(8) and he told me . . .
Naturally he related his interview with Conchita on that same day and what Odriozola and Piñal had said.
Garabandal was beginning to be marked by a great sign of contradiction. Whoever kills you, will think that he has done a service to God. (John 16:2)

6. From Fr. Valentín’s notes:
«When the affair at the Pines finished about 10:30, the girls said that they had to go pray at the church. There they were on their knees on the fist step of the altar about 10 minutes. They were asking for Conchita. And we overheard soon afterwards that she was in her home, that she had already come back.

They continued praying the rosary. When the ecstasy ended, I asked them why they hadn’t taken places on the carpet as I had told them. They answered that the Virgin had said to them, That was Father Valentín’s place, and for that reason they had taken a place on the side.

Mari Cruz had not gone to Mass that day. In the evening she didn’t see anything. This is the first time that this happened, although she had said on the previous night that she would have an apparition.»

7. Aniceta asked these pointed questions because she was annoyed that this group was waiting for her daughter. It seems that she had returned from Santander with the hope that everything would soon return to normal.

8. It was not remarkable that Father Victor would speak on familiar terms with the Apostolic Administrator. Bishop Doroteo Fernández, who came from the diocese of León and for years had close relationships with many priests in that city.