It was 4 am today, 9 August 2018, when despite already in bed resting meet, I felt the need to pray a rosary and then get up to write this article. And is that a day like today, and at the same time, ago 57 years old, He died "with great joy" Father Luis Maria Andreu (S.J), to return from his second trip to San Sebastian de Garabandal.
And is that, despite its short life (36 years old), and its very short presence in Garabandal (2 travels), Luis Maria Andreu Father occupies an important place in the events. Apart from the four girls (Maria Conchita-Loli-Mª Cruz and Jacinta), He was the only person present during one of the ecstasy, (Constancia who have), He had the grace to see the Blessed Virgin and the Great Miracle. That was the 8 August 1961.
SO RELATA CONCHITA in his diary:
One day when the four had vision, Loli, Jacinta, Mari Cruz and I, There were many people and among them Father Luis Maria Andreu and a seminarian, Andres Pardo, and Father Royo Marín, Dominico. It was night when we showed up that day the Virgin. On leaving the rosary in ecstasy we got four and started walking towards the pines. arriving there, The p. Luis Maria said: Miracle, Miracle! and she stood looking up. We saw him well, for, in our ecstasy we do not see anyone, only the Blessed Virgin. Father Luis on this occasion we saw, and the Virgin told us that he also saw and the miracle that will occur.
The next day we were four of us, to sweep the Church and to be sweeping Jacinta's mother came very scared and told us: -¡Se dead Father Luis Ma. Andreu! We did not believe him because we had seen the day before. So, We left the church half sweep and we went to find out with other people. We were told that when he was going to die and his last words were: 'Today is the happiest day of my life! What else have good Mother in Heaven! Then he died. This happened on the road to Reinosa
The death of P. Luis Maria Andreu, an important part in the events of Garabandal, as you can see for yourself Conchita's diary. This father was a professor of theology at the faculty that the Society of Jesus has in Oña, Burgos. He had done his studies in Oña, Innsbruck y Roma. When he died he was 36 years old. He had climbed for the first time Garabandal in the last days of July. He rose again the day 8 August 1961. That day D. Valentin gave the keys of the Church because he had to be absent from the parish. He said his last Mass in Garabandal. In the afternoon of the day 8 August there was an ecstasy of the four girls who started in the Church. After the girls went on a long-term static gear. They stood in the places where they had previously had some ecstasy and prayed there. The p. Luis Maria followed all this ecstasy. The girls went to the pines. With them also rose P. Luis Maria. Being in the pines is when the P. Luis Maria entered the field of view of girls and when four times he uttered the word “miracle.” He spoke in a voice somewhat muffled, like the girls themselves as they spoke in ecstasy. Girls have described how they saw. “He was kneeling, Sweat dripped down his face, Our Lady looked at him as saying: Soon you will be with me.”
That night, The p. Luis Maria, Garabandal dropped from jeep, until Cossio. There he waited for those who walk down. It was inside the car waiting on the one o'clock, when he arrived D. valentine. He approached the car to ask you something and P. Luis told: —D. valentine, what girls say it is true, but V. do not say yet, because all prudence on the part of the Church in these things is always low. This phrase was written D. Valentine in his diary that night before he had news of the death of P. Luis Maria. Camino de Aguilar de Campo was a caravan of about four cars and among them was the P. Luis Maria. In that car there were four other people more ( Rafael Fontaneda, his wife Carmen , a daughter of both at that time was about six years and the mechanic Jose Salceda). The p. Luis Maria slept for a while and woke said: What a dream so nice I had. I'm not even tired. They reached Reinosa about four in the morning. There stopped all cars at the entrance of the village in a fountain. They descended from the car to drink water while P. Luis remained in his, with the door open, surrounded by others who asked him questions about what they had seen. Upon leaving the last place left in the car carrying the P. Luis Maria. Within Reinosa, still, The p. Luis said: —“I am full of joy. What gift has made me the Virgin. How lucky to have a mother like that in heaven. Do not be afraid of the supernatural life. Girls have taught us how we should treat the Virgin. For me it can no longer be any doubt. Why we will have chosen the Virgin to us? Today is the happiest day of my life. In saying this raised his head. As he stopped talking asked: -Father, something happens? -and he said,: No, nothing, dream. So he saying lowered his head. The mechanic turned and said to him: -is, Father is very bad. He has returned eyes. Right there was a clinic. Nothing could do more than confirm the authenticity of his death. It was not known in any distemper. Died, We could say, without agony. He had on his face a faint smile of happiness. The story of this father and Garabandal does not end with his death. Girls have often spoken with him, Conchita will tell us in his diary. Most surprising is that the Virgin has told Conchita that the next day the miracle, This parent will be exhumed and his incorrupt body appear, as the same day they buried. Conchita says so in a letter to Father Ramon Andreu: “The 18 July I had a speech and she told me that the day after the miracle will draw his brother's grave and leave uncorrupted”.
PADRE ANDREU, Intercede for us, So that we always present in our thinking and our actions, THE MESSAGE FROM THE BLESSED VIRGIN, GET TO KNOW AND DO toos PILGRIMS TO THIS PLACE IS NEAR.
José Sánchez
PILGRIM CENTER IN Garabandal