CONCHITA 1973

Doctor: Did the Virgin ever talk about the rosary?
Conchita: Every time we saw the Virgin we would say the rosary with her. She taught us how to say it.

 

Doctor: How did she teach you? Did she take the lead in praying it?
Conchita: Yes, she would lead us in praying it and we would repeat her words.

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Doctor: Did she pray it slowly or quickly?
Conchita: Slowly, very slowly.

 

Doctor: Is that the right way to say it?
Conchita: We thought it was the right way at the time.

‹…›

 

Doctor: (Showing Conchita a picture of the girls in ecstasy at the village church closed door) How come you were at the church door?

Conchita: In the beginning [of the apparitions] we used to enter the church. But then because of the disturbance made by people who wanted to be first when we held out the crucifix for veneration, the bishop said we could no longer go inside while in ecstasy. From then on, the Virgin never led us inside.

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Doctor: You mean from then on the Virgin only led you up to the door?
Conchita: Yes.

 

Doctor: Was this her way of saying the bishop had to be obeyed?
Conchita: Yes, I think it was an example of the obedience we owe to the bishop and also to each person to whom we owe obedience.

‹…›

 

Doctor: During all these spectacular events there were messages. There was one in 1961. Can you repeat what the Virgin said in that first Message?
Conchita: Yes. The words of the Virgin are: "We have to do much penance and make many sacrifices. We have to visit the Blessed Sacrament often. Above all, we must be very good. The cup is already filling up. If we don't change a great punishment will come upon us."
This is the way I understand it, although the Virgin didn't say it this way. With respect to penance and sacrifice, penance is what we impose on ourselves; sacrifice is giving up things as a situation suggests. For example, when a person scolds us, not to answer them back. Or if we receive a blow, to offer it to God. For me this is self imposed penance and sacrifice.

Doctor: On the subject of penance and sacrifice, wasn't there an incident regarding a piece of gum?
Conchita: Yes. The day of the last apparition on November 13, 1965, I had a piece of gum in my mouth. The moment I saw the Virgin, I stopped chewing it and lodged it against the inside of my cheek. But she said, "Why don't you get rid of that gum and offer it as a sacrifice for me?"
[Note: In an account of this apparition much closer to the actual event itself that Conchita wrote for Father Jose Maria Alba, S.J., on December 10, 1965, the words of Our Lady are more accurately recounted: "Why don't you get rid of your chewing gum and offer it up as a sacrifice for the glory of my Son."]
So I took the gum out of my mouth. I understood from this that the Virgin was not asking for big sacrifices, but small ones so that we can continually offer them out of love for Her.

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Doctor: So little sacrifices are good when made in the presence of God. After all, gum is not bad, right?
Conchita: Not at all, but giving it up is an act of love for God.

 

Doctor: The Virgin also said in the Message that above all we have to be good. What do you think she meant by that?
Conchita: I don't know what the Virgin meant. I understand it to be a life lived moment by moment offering everything to God. Living like a Christian the way our conscience tells us is what I think She meant.

 

Doctor: So everyone can be good.

Conchita: Sure. Everyone in the practice of their religion, in their environment, in their family, their job, knows how to be good because each person has his own conscience and God speaks to each one through their conscience.

 

Doctor: Each man and woman knows what is right or wrong whether it's here [in New York] or a little village like Garabandal.

Conchita: I am sure that each person knows when they do something good or bad.

 

Doctor: The Message then was the important thing in all these apparitions. What have you done or what have you tried to do to live the Message?
Conchita: What would give the Virgin great happiness is a very difficult thing for me. That is to live each moment of the day doing everything for God.

 

Doctor: Do you think you and I are living the Message?
Conchita: I think I am, but you have to answer for yourself.

 

Doctor: You work as a nurse. [Note: At the time of this interview, Conchita was a nurse in Dr. Dominguez's clinic in New York.] Do you fulfill the Message in that capacity and if so how?
Conchita: I try to by doing my work to the best of my abilities and by treating the patients the way I should.

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Doctor: How about a housewife with three or four children who is busy all day? Can she fulfill the Message?
Conchita: Surely, according to the perfection in which she accomplishes her duties offering all her actions to God.

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Doctor: Offering to God all the little things she does during the day. So it's not what you do but how you do it.
Conchita: How you do it, that is true.

 

Doctor: How about a person working in an office?
Conchita: You can fulfill the Message anywhere. You can always be good and offer praise to God.

 

Doctor: One of the things you have done in New York is give out scapulars. Why do you do that? Do you like giving out scapulars in the office and on the streets?
Conchita: Ever since I was a little girl I've worn the scapular. It's a devotion my mother taught me. But more than that, I wear it because whenever the Virgin appeared, She had the scapular on her wrist.

 

Doctor: All that you have said so far deals with the first Message. Wasn't there another Message on June 18, 1965? Can you tell us about that one?
Conchita: Certainly. The Virgin's Message delivered by Saint Michael said: "Because my Message of October 18, 1961, had not been fulfilled and that the world didn't know about it, I'm telling you that this is the last one. Before the cup was filling up. Now it is flowing over. Many priests, bishops and cardinals are on the road to perdition and are taking many souls with them. Each day less and less importance is being given to the Eucharist. You should use all your efforts to avoid God's wrath. If you sincerely ask for pardon, He will forgive you. I your mother, through the mediation of Saint Michael the Archangel, ask you to correct your ways. You should sacrifice more. Think of the passion of Jesus.”

 

Doctor: What do you think about the statement that cardinals, bishops and priests are on the road to perdition?
Conchita: I think every day the Virgin appeared She mentioned priests and that we should pray for them. We never understood why. For us priests were like saints because we never had many come to our village. It was considered a privilege whenever one came. Regarding bishops and cardinals, we thought it very strange, but we would repeat it the way She said it.

 

Doctor: (Showing Conchita a picture of her receiving Communion from Saint Michael) Here you are, but we are not able to see the Host. The angel brought you Communion many times, isn't that right? Do you remember how many times?
Conchita: Not that many, maybe forty times. Usually there was a priest in the village and the angel only gave us Communion when there was no priest. Regarding Communion, the Virgin taught us the value and the importance of the Eucharist. After the apparitions started, we never missed a day without receiving.

 

Doctor: Since only priests can consecrate, did you ever ask the Virgin where the angel got the Hosts?
Conchita: Yes, we did ask because a priest told us to. The Virgin said that the angel took the already-consecrated Hosts from tabernacles on earth.