The Fifth Visionary of Garabandal dies of Joy

By Barry Hanratty

Fr. Luis Maria Andreu Rodamilans, S.J., was the only person besides the four children to see the Blessed Virgin at Garabandal, and the only person to see, in advance, the Great Miracle which Our Lady promised will take place at Garabandal in the future 'time appointed by God.

On August 8, 1961, Fr. Luis went to Garabandal with a group of friends. It was his second visit to the village. That evening the visionaries had an ecstastic march, the first of many such marches during the years of the apparitions. It was a very long march which ended at the pines. Fr. Luis and many other people followed the visionaries. Afterwards, Conchita wrote in her Diary: “It was dark when the Blessed Virgin appeared to us. At the end of the rosary, the four of us went into ecstasy and we began to walk toward the pines. When we arrived at the pines, Fr. Luis Maria, who had followed us, said: ‘'Miracle, Miracle, Miracle'’ and he kept staring upward. We could see him. Now, in our ecstasies we never see anyone (except the Blessed Virgin). But we saw Fr. Luis, and the Blessed Virgin told us that he was seeing her and the Miracle, too.” In the ecstasy, the children saw Fr. Luis on his knees. Conchita further stated that the Virgin, who was looking at Fr. Luis, seemed to say to him, “You will soon be with me.”

“The Happiest Day of My Life”. Fr. Luis left Garabandal in a jeep with friends that same night. Stopping at Cosio, he met the Parish Priest, Don Valentin Marichalar, to whom he said: “Don Valentin, what the children say is true, but I ask you not to repeat what I have just told you, for the Church can never be prudent enough in this kind of affair.” Fr. Marichalar wrote these words of Fr. Luis in a notebook that very night. Continuing his journey with Rafael Fontaneda and his family, Fr. Luis showed overwhelming joy the entire trip, constantly repeating: “I am so happy. What a favor the Blessed Virgin has bestowed on me. How fortunate we are to have a mother like her in heaven! There is no reason to fear the supernatural life. The girls have given us an example of how we must act with the Blessed Virgin. There is no doubt in my mind that the things involving the girls are true. Why should the Blessed Virgin have chosen us? This is the happiest day of my life.” As the car was passing through Reinosa, Fr. Luis, after repeating these words once again, lifted his head and fell silent. His friend Fontaneda asked him, “Father, are you all right?” “Yes, I am just sleepy.” Came the reply. Then his head bowed forward onto his chest. He made a slight coughing sound, and died. He experienced no pain, nor death agony, but died with a smile on his lips. Fr. Luis died of joy at 4.30 am on August 9, the feast of St. John Vianney (The Cure of Ars), the patron and model of priests.

Fr. Luis’ involvement in the Garabandal events did not end with his death. The girls often spoke with him after his death. Conchita relates in her Diary entry of August 16, 1961: “... at eight or nine o’clock in the evening, the Blessed Virgin … said to the four of us: ‘Father Luis will come now and speak with you.’ A moment later he came and called us one by one. We didn’t see him at all but only heard his voice. It was exactly like the one he had on earth. When he had spoken for a while, giving us advice, he told us certain things for his brother, Fr. Ramon Maria Andreu. He taught us some words in French, in German and in English, and he also taught us to pray in Greek.” Fr. Luis also sent a message through the girls to his mother. Fr. Luis’ sudden death was a great shock to his mother for Father had been in excellent health. On the day he died, she was packed and waiting for his return from Garabandal because together they were going to Germany. But, instead of seeing her son with his usual big smile, she received a death notice. Therefore, to console his mother, Fr. Luis sent, through the girls, this beautiful message: “Be happy and content, for I am in heaven and I see you every day.” A short time later Fr. Luis’ Mother realized her long-time ambition was to enter a convent. Fr. Luis was buried in the Jesuit cemetery in Ona, Spain. In a locution of July 18, 1964, the Blessed Virgin told Conchita that on the day after the Great Miracle to come, the body of Fr. Luis will be removed from the grave and will be found incorrupt, just as it was on the day he was buried.

Reprinted with kind permission from GARABANDAL INTERNATIONAL / October-December 2011

FR. LUIS ANDREU'S BODY INCORRUPT ?

In 1977, impatient followers of this prophecy opened the tomb of Fr. Luis ( it had been moved from one cemetery to another. ) The question was presented to me many times, if they already dug up Fr. Luis Andreu’s body and it was decaying, does this negate the prophecy about he being found incorrupt ?

Fr. Luis Andreu's corrupted body in NO WAY invalidates the prediction, why? Conchita, in a letter dated August 2, 1964, wrote this to Father Ramon Andreu (his brother) “On July 18 (1964), I had a locution in which I was told that on the day after the miracle your brother (Fr. Luis Andreu) would be removed from his grave and his body would be intact.” SO in fact, the Blessed Mother said it would be " THE DAY AFTER THE MIRACLE ", NOT BEFORE ! The prophecy is still valid until then.

Consider this too, now that we know his body decayed, how much more of a greater miracle will it be when he is found incorrupt the day after the Miracle ?