Fr.Turner's reflections about Garabandal 

The Council teaches that the fundamental function of the priest is to be a minister of the Eucharist (presb, nos. 2 and 5). The Blessed Virgin spoke many times about the priests to the visionaries. She told them that if they find an angel and a priest, they must first greet and venerate the priest, because the priest consecrates, while the angel does not. 

Priests are also responsible for instruction, which is why She told the girls to ask their pastor for the meaning of the word "sacrifice" that they did not understand. This suggests that the Blessed Virgin hinted that a good priest is sacrificed and consecrated. If that is the case, we can understand why She spoke about them so often, encouraging the girls to pray to priests frequently. She expresses a special concern for priests, particularly in the second message, because if they (Priests) do not set a good example and do not show leadership qualities, some of the faithful may be tempted to venture "on the road to perdition . " Its task is to help us to live a holy life, each one of us in our individual and personal life. This special concern of the Virgin, and of God, who sent Her, is absolutely positive. On July 20, 1963, Our Lord said to Conchita in an inner voice, "Let me know those who ignore me, and make them love me for those who know me, but don't love me." 

In the second message, She recommends everyone to pray for priests, bishops and cardinals. It is known that the Virgin gave seers the power to recognize priests dressed as laymen, thus suggesting that they (priests) were marked with a kind of "seal" ...

We are now in a position to understand why the visionaries treated priests with special consideration, even when some of them treated them badly or harassed them. No subject seemed to concern them, with the exception of their vocation. Conchita once asked the Virgin if all the priests were good, and Conchita was quite surprised to receive a negative answer. Mari Loli prayed for them several times, especially for those who wished they were not priests. She even asked the Virgin, in a voiceover, for a cross so she could suffer for them. Where did these thoughts and feelings from Mari Loli come from?

She once confided to a priest, "The Blessed Virgin told me to make sacrifices for priests, because if there are many holy priests, many souls are brought to Christ and to His love. 

She told me to pray especially for those who want to abandon the priesthood ... that a priest, at least, will continue to celebrate Mass, because he is a priest forever. "" The notion of the priest's permanent "character" is found in these last words. 

In order to let the guests use their bed, Conchita's aunt, Maximina, placed her two boys, aged between four and five, on a straw mattress spread over the floor. In order to hide it all, she had surrounded the mattress with leafy chairs. Conchita entered the house of Maximina, in ecstasy, crossed the beds, and left. She went down a few steps, with her head stretched up and back, on the way back, with her hand holding the crucifix. She started to laugh, seemed to be talking to someone, then came back up the steps walking backwards, reached the place where the children were hiding, removed a chair, knelt and, without looking at the boys, discovered her feet , crossed them and said to one of them: "Oh! ... Is this going to be a priest?" This was seen and heard by many people, including Maximina, who does not hide the confusion she felt at that moment, when she narrated this episode. 

A priest, ascetic and pious, was Conchita's first confidant on the miracle of the host, and he wrote his name in his Diary: Father José Ramon Garcia de la Riva. Another priest who was reputed to be a saint, the priest. Luís Andreu, was the only person to see the great Miracle beforehand, besides Padre Pio, and was the only one who, with the exception of the Virgin Mary in Garabandal. At the time of the apparitions, on many occasions, the girls counted the priests who came to Garabandal and paid attention to their habits. When asked who they would like to come, they replied: "the priests". Many came from the villages in this district. In the beginning, Pepe Diez counted around fifty. They heatedly discussed the events, even in public. The girls were very sensitive to the way the priests celebrated Holy Mass, and they noticed in particular that the Andreu brothers did this very well. After the time of the apparitions, it was possible to observe that this lesson about priests had been totally assimilated by the seers. In Burgos between 1966-67, Conchita often spoke about the priests and that he would pray that they would become saints.

"What the Holy Virgin wants from the priest, above all, is her own sanctification. He must fulfill his vows through the love of God, and bring many souls to Him through example and prayer, because in our time, this is difficult. " 

"May priests be sacrificed for the love of souls in Christ! May they from time to time make retreats of silence to listen to God who speaks to them constantly." "May they think a lot about the Passion of Jesus, so that their lives may be more united to Christ, and invite souls to penance and sacrifice, and also make the cross that Christ sends for us all more tolerable for them." "To talk about Mary, which is the path that leads us to Christ, and also to talk and make people believe that there is a heaven, as well as there is also a hell. I believe that this is what Heaven wants from the priests." Conchita González In Burgos, Conchita wrote: "Let us pray a lot for the priests, who are the salt of the earth and are the beloved of Christ."

 González Conchita, 15 November 1967 "


A year later, in October 1968, she was asked by a theologian if she still thought that "many priests were on the path of doom". She said yes and to these priests she replies: "Imitate Christ in the Eucharist". This sounds theologically well, as Jesus in the host is perfectly consecrated to God and totally consumed by men. Of the many things that the Blessed Virgin said, Jacinta remembers most vividly Her words about priests: "I think that was what impressed me most of all, and leaves a great esteem and veneration for them in my soul. ... ". " On November 21, 1968, a group of visitors went to say goodbye to Mari Loli. They told her that they went to pray for her in the pines. She protested and told them that in the first place they should always pray for priests. In December 1968, Conchita was operated on for appendicitis. Although under anesthesia, she was heard to say: "We must pray for the priests ... we will pray for the priests ... as we must pray for the priests", which shows that it was one of her main concerns. In autumn 1969, in response to a question that was sent to her, she explained that Our Lady asked Conchita and her companions to pray for the priests ... because the believers would follow her example. In 1970, Mari Loli wrote to an author of books on Garabandal that she would "ask the Blessed Virgin to make him a holy priest." The Virgin Mary's frequent visits to Conchita, her numerous retreats, her prayer life, her profound intuitive intelligence, and perhaps the special charisma she received as a gift from God, gave her the ability to give deep and insightful answers. Walter J. Kushion and a group of visitors from Ireland asked her on September 13, 1970, "Why are priests leaving the Church today?" She replied, "Because they have no love for the Virgin Mary." 

He who loves Mary faithfully, loves His son faithfully and the Church He loves (Ephesians 5:25). Conchita considers that we are all responsible: "We will pray a lot for priests. We ourselves are to blame for the fact that many priests are on the road to perdition, because we do not pray enough for them, because we do not sacrifice, and also because we must give example for priests who are consecrated to the Blessed Virgin ... We have to help the priests ... so that they can stand up so that they can continue on in their vocation " Prayers for priests became contagious, particularly in the village, when Conchita's aunt and Godmother, Maximina, began to pray daily for priests. Since she learned from the Blessed Virgin to pray for priests, Lady Julia Mazon, mother of Mari Loli, never went a day without praying for them, for their sanctification, while milking the cows or when she took the animals to graze. This example of prayer for priests is largely followed in the United States, where Garabandal's friends hold vigils. of prayer for priests, and of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The Holy Father [Pope Paul VI] was aware of these facts and approved them. Through his priestly prayer (John 17), Jesus wanted to consecrate his apostles to the ministerial priesthood: ".... As You sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And because of them I consecrate myself, that they also be consecrated by the truth" (John 17: 17-19). The apostles were, therefore, fully resigned to Jesus, Priest and Victim of the new New Covenant cult "in truth" (John 4: 23-24), that is, in accordance with the divine revelation given by Jesus. See (John 14: 6), through the operation of "the Spirit of Truth who will guide you in all truth" (John 16:13). These ministerial priests will have successors who receive "a gift, the charism of God through the laying on of hands", conferred by the College of Priests (II Tim 1: 6.) "Reading, preaching, instruction, let these be your constant care," wrote Paul to Timothy. "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of hands ... Continue on these things: because, in doing this, you will save yourself and those who hear you" (I Tim. 4: 13-16). Priests are "ministers of Jesus Christ, ... consecrated by the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 15:16). This verse indicates the end, the goal of the New Covenant ministry. This is the teaching of the Council: "God ... wanted ... to consecrate the priests who wish to participate in the priesthood of Christ in a special way ... Through the celebration of the mass, offer the sacrifice of Christ sacramentally "(presb, n. 5).