CONCHITA’S DIARY- 9

1961-1963
Principal points in the history of Garabandal from 1963 to 1966

APPARITION

ON NOVEMBER 13, 1965

First, we reproduce one of Conchita’s letters, written to Fr. Alba, S.J. from Barcelona, as an introduction. It is accompanied by some explanatory notes:

AVE MARÍA!

Dear Everyone:
I understand from these two girls who have arrived in our group that you cannot come here even though it is your desire. I send you my affectionate greeting, and I promise you my poor prayers in front of the tabernacle and the Virgin.
I hope that your desire is to love God and His Mother more and more (it is our desire as well) and to overcome our faults.
I ask for your prayers for myself and my friends, [Conchita makes an allusion to her three friends: Loli, Jacinta, and Mari Cruz.] since we need many to be very humble and to give Jesus what he asks. Pray so that one day we will be nuns in the service of God, so that we can help people who need it. This is our desire, but we are very weak, and need you to help us [Conchita has already said during the Apparitions that she wanted to enter the convent.].

The Virgin told me on January 1, 1965, that the Catholic Christians who don’t think about the other world, of heaven or hell, should think about it so that our lives can be more united with Christ, and so that we should think and meditate more on the Passion of Jesus. We should do it, but not only do it ourselves, we should make others do it. Then we will see how we feel at the doors of happiness with God, and we will accept our crosses with joy and love for God.

With much affection for all, and in union of prayers.

(Signed): Conchita González

P.D. I say this, [This is a type of Post Script, for which Conchita is responsible.] that believing in the apparitions accomplishes nothing if we don’t fulfill the message, or if we don’t follow Holy Mother Church. As everyone knows, the Virgin has said the same thing as at Lourdes and Fatima; she has not said anything new. The miracle comes so that we will fulfill the message. It is not important that we believe in the apparitions; that is a grace that God gives us. We should pray often for our brethren who still don’t know God; this is the Virgin’s desire. We should also pray for those who receive graces from God and the Virgin and don’t thank them.

-X-

Reproduction of a letter from Conchita to Fr. Gustavo Morelos (México), in which she announces that she has had a locution (8-XI-65), that she will have an apparition at the Pines (Saturday the 13), and that she will give the Most Holy Virgin an object to kiss, telling her that it is for Fr. Morelos.

HAIL MARY!

San Sebastián de Garabandal, November 8, 1965. Reverend and dear Fr. Morelos:

See, before receiving your response, I’m writing to you again to say that I have had a locution from the Virgin and she has told me:

“Go to the Pines on Saturday and you will see me there. Bring me many religious objects and I will kiss all of them so you will distribute them, and through the use of them my Son will work prodigies.”

I will give you one of the kissed objects. When I give it to be kissed, I’m going to tell Our Mother that it is for Fr. Morelos.

I have finished my diary, but I am going to begin another.

Pray for me so that I will go to the convent soon and so that I will be good.

IN UNION THROUGH PRAYER

(Signed): Conchita González

As the letter from Conchita continues, she describes her apparition to Fr. Morelos:
“On Saturday, November 13th, as announced by the Virgin during a locution in the Church, I saw her in the Pines. It was a special apparition to kiss religious objects and then to distribute them afterward; they have great importance.
I had a great desire for that day to come, so that I could once again see the one who has caused the joy of God within me: the Virgin with the Child Jesus in her arms.
It was raining, but that didn’t matter to me. I went up to the Pines and I carried many rosaries with me, which had been given to me so that I could distribute them. As the Virgin had told me in the locution, I brought them for her to kiss.
I went up to the Pines alone, very sorry for my faults, and saying to myself that I would not fall into them any more, since I was sorry at the thought of presenting myself to the Mother of God without ridding myself of them.
When I arrived at the Pines I began to take out the rosaries I carried, and while I was taking them out, I heard a very sweet voice, the voice of the Virgin, which is distinguishable from all others, and it called me by my name. I answered: “What…?” And in this moment I saw her with the Child Jesus in her arms. She came dressed as usual and was smiling broadly.
I said to her:
─ “I have come to bring these rosaries to be kissed.”
And She said to me:
─ “I SEE THAT.”
When I brought them I was chewing gum, but when I saw her, I stopped chewing and put it on a tooth. She knew that I had the gum and said:
─ “CONCHITA, WHY DON’T YOU THROW AWAY YOUR GUM AND OFFER IT AS A SACRIFICE FOR THE GLORY OF MY SON?”
I was ashamed, and I removed my gum and threw it on the ground. Afterward, she said to me:
─ “DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU ON YOUR SAINTS’ DAY—THAT YOU WOULD SUFFER MUCH ON EARTH?
…WELL, I AM TELLING YOU AGAIN. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN US, AND OFFER IT WILLINGLY TO OUR HEARTS, FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR BRETHREN, BECAUSE IN THAT WAY YOU WILL BE MORE UNITED WITH US.”
I said:
─ “How unworthy I am, Oh Our Mother, of so many Graces I have received from You, and I come here today carrying the small cross I have now.”
She said to me:
─ CONCHITA, I DO NOT COME ONLY FOR YOU, BUT FOR ALL OF MY CHILDREN, WITH THE DESIRE THAT THEY WILL COME CLOSER TO OUR HEARTS.”
And she asked me:
─ “GIVE THE OBJECTS TO ME, SO THAT I MAY KISS ALL THAT YOU CARRY.”
And I gave her everything.
I carried a Cross with me and she kissed it, then said to me:
─ “PASS IT OVER THE CHILD JESUS’ HANDS.” I did it and He didn’t say anything. I said to him:
─ “I will bring this cross with me to the convent,” but he didn’t say anything [It can be seen that this persistent silence on the Virgin’s part to Conchita’s question about her religious vocation, like the clear words of Our Lord in the locution of February 13, 1966, are proof that God had a very special and particular vocation reserved for this girl.]. After kissing the objects, she said to me:
─ “MY SON WILL ACCOMPLISH PRODIGIES THROUGH THE KISSES I HAVE GIVEN HERE. DISTRIBUTE THEM TO OTHERS…”
─ “Of course, this is what I will do.”
After this, she asked me to say petitions for the others, as they had asked me. I did, [Conchita and the other girls have said frequently that during the ecstasies the glance of the Most Holy Virgin was directed towards those who attended the apparitions, and it sometimes rested longer on one than on the other. With a mother’s regard she said: “All of these are my children.”] and she said to me:
─ TELL ME, CONCHITA, TELL ME ABOUT MY CHILDREN; I HOLD ALL OF THEM BENEATH MY MANTLE. I said:
─ It is very small; It will not cover all of them.
She smiled.
─ “DO YOU KNOW, CONCHITA, WHY I DIDN’T COME ON JUNE 18 TO GIVE THE MESSAGE TO THE WORLD? … BECAUSE IT PAINED ME TO SAY IT, BUT IT HAD TO BE SAID FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD IF YOU FULFILL IT. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND DESIRE YOUR SALVATION IN ORDER TO UNITE YOU AROUND THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. IS IT TRUE, CONCHITA, THAT YOU WILL RESPOND TO ME?”
I said to her:
─ “If I always see you, yes, but if not, I don’t know, because I am very bad...”
─ “DO YOUR PART AND WE WILL HELP YOU, AS ALSO MY CHILDREN LOLI, JACINTA, AND MARI CRUZ…”
She had only been there a short time, when she also said to me:
─ “THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME YOU SEE ME HERE, [It is difficult to say what this sentence means: “I will not come to the Pines again” or “You will not see me in Garabandal anymore”… At the moment Conchita does not know the meaning of these words.] BUT I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU AND WITH ALL MY CHILDREN.”
After that she added:
─ “CONCHITA, WHY DON’T YOU VISIT MY SON MORE IN THE TABERNACLE? WHY DO YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE CARRIED AWAY BY LAZINESS SO AS NOT TO VISIT HIM WHEN HE WAITS FOR YOU DAY AND NIGHT?”
As I have already written, it was raining a lot and the Virgin and the Child Jesus were not wet. When I was seeing her, I didn’t realize that it was raining, but when I stopped seeing her, I was wet.
I said to her:
─ “Oh, how happy I am when I see you! Why don’t you bring me with you now?” And she answered me:
─ “REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU ON YOUR SAINTS’ DAY… WHEN PRESENTING YOURSELF BEFORE GOD, YOU MUST SHOW YOUR HANDS FULL OF GOOD WORKS DONE FOR YOUR BRETHREN AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. NOW YOUR HANDS ARE EMPTY.”
Nothing more. I had passed this happy time with my Mother in Heaven and my best Friend [This is an expression that is used frequently by Conchita.] and with the Child Jesus. I have stopped seeing them, but I continue to feel them. [This is surely a reference to the locutions.]
Once again there is left in my soul a peace and a happiness and a great desire to overcome my faults so as to love with all my strength the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, since they love us so much.
Previously, [The word “previously” applies to the previous Apparitions and locutions.] the Virgin told me that Jesus did not send the punishment to discourage us, but to reprimand us for not paying attention, and to help us. He sends the warning to purify us, so that we will see the love He has for us in the miracle. For this reason, He wants us to fulfill the message.

The “warning” will be seen and will happen in all places and be felt by every person; it is like a punishment. It will be seen what has been caused by our sins. I think that it will bring much good, not so that we will be discouraged, but for our sanctification.

For Fr. Morelos.
I have received your letter, and I am answering it today. [This referes to the account of the Apparition.] I did not send this before because I couldn’t. I hope you pray for me, because I need it.
Many greetings from my mother and Serafín.

IN UNION THROUGH PRAYER

(Signed): Conchita González

In September of 1965, Fr. Gustavo Morelos traveled to Spain because he wanted to make the Spiritual Exercises and afterward to dedicate some time to studying the “Apparitions” of the Most Holy Virgin in San Sebastián de Garabandal (Santander), Spain. The news had arrived in México.
He returned to his country on November 7th, and to his great surprise he found a letter from Conchita, dated the 8th of the same month. In it she announced that she had had a visit from the Virgin in the Pines, a document that was reproduced in the previous pages.
What interested the Father most about this letter was the promise that Conchita made: that when she saw the Most Holy Virgin, she would give an object to be kissed, saying: “This object is for Fr. Morelos.”
The Father anxiously awaited Conchita’s account of her meeting with Our Sweet Mother.
Finally, on a very significant day, December 25th, the Father had in his hands the letter, which we reproduced here:
On July 4, 1966, Conchita wrote another letter to give two pieces of news: First, that she had returned to the village. Second, that the Crucifix she had promised (it had been the first she’d asked to be kissed) had been given to Fr. Andreu.