She Went in Haste to the Mountain (Page 134)

Father José Ramón García
de la Riva

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During this time — the end of January and the first weeks of February — Mari Loli, Mari Cruz and Conchita once again had apparitions as before in the usual way . . . Each girl with her own style, and each day with its own story. There was much in common in the activities of the three visionaries and the episodes of each day: holding up the articles to be kissed by the Vision, presenting the crucifix to be kissed by the people around them, visiting the church and also the homes, praying at the Cuadro, going up to the Pines . . . Concerning the latter, there was a remarkable thing that occurred about the 5th of February.
«About 8:45 at night, Mari Loli went out of her home in ecstasy. She went toward the Pines, going up by the most difficult way, not by the trails or path, and she did it with extreme ease, without grabbing onto anything and without falling, while all the rest went up almost on their hands and knees, hanging onto the shrubs on the way in order not to roll back down. The girl did this three times. The ecstasy ended at 10:00.» (Fr. Valentín’s notes)

On January 31st, we have a more detailed story:

«At 8:00 in the morning, Conchita went to the Cuadro in the calleja to pray the most holy rosary, remaining there in ecstasy. Then she went through the village, and on passing the fountain, fell backwards, smacking her head hard on the ground. All those present feared that she had severely injured herself; nevertheless, when the ecstasy was over, her mother said that they couldn’t find even a bruise.»

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This report from the Police Chief, Alvarez Seco, was confirmed by Father José Ramón García de la Riva, who gives us more details:
«I was present and I took photographs of the ecstasy at 8:30 in the morning — at the Cuadro, at the door of the church, at the place where Conchita fell backwards, striking the back of her neck hard against a stone on the ground. The sound was very loud; Conchita’s mother and some of the people present cried out, thinking that she had broken her neck. At first Conchita, lying on the ground, was serious, listening to the Vision. Then she began to laugh and Aniceta and the other women were reassured. I then felt the young girl’s head and didn’t notice anything abnormal. After the ecstasy I felt the neck again, and once again didn’t find anything. Surprised, the girl asked me why I was touching her head like this. When I gave her the reason, she merely smiled.»

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Further information, dated February 1st, was reported by Fr. De la Riva:
«Loli was in ecstasy with Conchita in the kitchen. Through the open window, she held out the crucifix to be kissed by the people who were outside . . . This crucifix belonged to a woman who was in the kitchen; she was afraid of losing it since it was a precious relic to her. She continually asked for it back. She became so demanding that Conchita ended up exclaiming, What an impertinent woman! Giver it to her once and for all; so that she will leave!
The crucifix was taken from Loli’s hand and given to the woman who was then very happy. Loli remained without a crucifix in front of the open window, her hands joined on her chest . . . Then she said, Conchita, the Virgin says that you should ask Father for the crucifix.
I was the only priest present, and this certainly was referring to me.
I then said to myself, If you don’t come to get it yourself, I’m not going to give it to you. And I remained standing there where I was, near to the kitchen entrance, my hands in my pockets.
I don’t have the habit of carrying a crucifix with me; but by chance on that day I had a little crucifix in my pocket. Then I grasped it tightly in my right hand, to see what would happen.
Had Conchita heard or rather had she understood what Loli had said? Perhaps, for she didn’t ask me anything. Then Loli, still in ecstasy, turned around and made her way toward me.
With an amazing movement of her right hand, with a stunning suppleness and an incredible agility, she put her right hand in the right pocket of my cassock. She opened up my hand, which was tightly clenched on the crucifix — opening it in spite of me — and she seized the crucifix.
Then I thought to myself, and said in my mind, Take it, take it! I don’t need further proof.
My excitement did not stop me from noticing that — while at other times the hands of the girls lost their warmth in ecstasy — this time Loli’s hand maintained its natural warmth.»

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As a resumé of these times, we can transcribe here the letter that Conchita wrote to the pastor of Barro on February 15th:
«Dear Father José Ramón,
Since you’ve left here, we haven’t heard any more about you. We don’t know if you are angry or if you are sick, since there’s a lot of flu here . . .
Today it is snowing; I’m coming now from praying the rosary at the Cuadro, and last night, at 8 o’clock, I had an apparition there. It was snowing very much, but I saw a clear sky. I wasn’t cold; my mother was shaking like a leaf . . .
The apparitions continue in the same way. María Dolores has many — some days more, and others less — but she sees her every day. Mari Cruz saw her every day during the week except for one or two days. Jacinta will see her on the 18th, which will make a month that she hasn’t seen her. Mari Cruz and I have had the apparitions for some time now in the Cuadro, but not every day at the same time. Loli sees her in the village, in the houses, and at the Pines . . . There is nothing more that I can say.»

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Conchita certainly speaks in a natural and ordinary way about things that are most extraordinary.