Another report about the Miracle of the
Sacred Host - D. Alejandro Damians.

On many ocassions, and by different people, I4ve been asked to relate the effect I experienced on the prodigy I had the oppotunity to presence at San Sebastian de Garabandal on 18th of July of 1962. Depending on my state of mind, the crowd, the personalities who were present, or even the presence of people who have already listened to my report, or any other external circumstances or atmosphere, my review has been more or less extensive, and even in detail or perfect. In order to avoid, not contradictions or discrepancy, but light differences in my report, I considered of interest that my description would be restrained to the reading of a Report that I could write, on that so convenient quiet of spirit, doing previously an exam and analisis of all the circunstances which surrounded the events. In some sense, I was adviced by a good discernment person and I resolved not to delay more the writting of this report, looking forward to the hope it may offer a sincere, lucid, and serene idea of my participation in the events taken place at the little village San Sebastian de Garabandal. I will talk about people who may be familiar to many, and others whose personality will be completely unknown for you; I won4t detail excessively, but nor I will omit their participation. My report may seem monotonous to those who are already familiar in any way with such events and circunstances, while it will be insufficient and perphaps incomplete to the rest. However, the most interesting point for us is Garabandal, and I think we can create a little confussion in characters, in exchange for a major clarity in the events. So, I will start my report going back on monday 16th of july of 1962. On that day, I already knew that the first Garabandal prodigy was announced to the next 18th of july, or more specifically, the first extraordinary public or trascendent event, because there, as everywhere, God4s prodigies follow one another in the passage of life. I have always thought I am a faithful man. I have never needed to presence miracles to reaffirm my beliefs, but human curiosity had already led me to visit that little village in province of Santander on March. Without being specially emotional, its inhabitants kindness, the little girls ecstasy, the supernatural atmosphere that seemed to be experienced when you step on that land, the stoical collective resignation which was shown by those people before the manifestly great quantity of extraordinary circumstances, and the strange events with a personal meaning for me, all those things produced a deep impact to my senses. However, in spite of that experience was enough for me and although I wished to return Garabandal, I hesitated about what resolution to take on that ocassion. I confess sincerely that I am very fond of comforts when my situation and work permit, and perphaps that4s why I was ready to have a short summer holidays at Premia del Mar, trying to ignore that a prodigy was announced to the next 18th of July, and my presence there would be very difficult to accomplish. I excuse myself thinking that if that was God4s will, I would be there anyway A cousin of mine was looking forward to going and I had hold down my decision to his; we had resolved that before his departure, when he were back from his holiday at a village of the coast, he would passed through my house to confirm my assistance. The meeting had been entablished at 19:00; and it was so late that I had decided accommodating myself to home life, being fully determined not to break my short holidays. I received his visit when I was just having dinner, and he told me familiar reasons made him impossible to go, but a friend of his was ready to go in case he found a journey mate; I refuse the invitation. Each time, circumstances were more and more appropiate to excuse myself; the ill-timed, my cousin imposibility and the idea of doing a trip with someone completely unknown to me, strengthened my decision of staying at home. At this point, in the most human and simple way, I was fully aware of God4s will under the preasure practised not only by my wife or my cousin, from whom I wait something similar, but mainly by my little son whose aged didn4t seem to allow him to do it; they all made me finally change my decision. Since this moment, events happened in a lighting speed; a phone call to my cousin4s friend, our appointment for 4 in the morning, a trip to Barcelona with my wife to prepare the essencial things and leaving a note at my office saying that I would be absent for some days... Everything happened successively, hastily, and like in a nightmare. At four in the morning, my new friend, his brother, my wife and me, depart to the North by car. At this moment I will refer a detail that it was bound to be, perphaps, the most important one; before departing, my cousin gave me a video camera of a friend of his and some superficial references about its handling due to my absolute lack of knowledges on this matter. Our journey has no special details to mention; we did no break to sleep and arrived at Garabandal at 10 in the night of 17th of July. The little village was full of foreigners. Without any publicity, the new of the first perceptible probe of the veracity of events happened up to date, had spread all over the country, and a crowd from differents regions and ranks of society made an exceptional atmosphere so you could feel the expectation. There were some priests among visitants, and D. Valentin, Cosio4s parish (the nearest village) who had arrived at Garabandal to celebrate the rituals of the major feast. We got a room at Ercarna4s house, who was one of the visionaries4aunt; we left there our short equipment, and go inmediately to Conchita4s, the visionary who had announced the miracle. That night we presenced an ecstasy, as extraordinary as always, which had an effect on our sensivity, in spite of we were waiting for an event that showed us the visual proof of supernartural. Refering the following day seems absurd to me now, when days 17 and 18 are in my mind as a whole without interruption; because that so extraordinary long night to me was followed by a cloudy pale dawn as an extension of the night; the morning mass was followed by a little bustle of the feast which were weak in the morning, increasing its intensity early in the evening. I was almost the whole 18th day at Conchita4s house with my wife, a friend, a few priests, and some persons who were unknown to me. I could talk to Fray Justo, a franciscan priest I would be in contact with afterwards, who said in a letter to a friend how unfaithful he was when leaving Garabandal after the prodigy. Not very long after, he would see the light and rectify, but that is another story. Two circumstances made us doubt if the miracle would happen or not; the festive atmosphere was one of them; the presence of priests was the other one. On previous ocassions, the children hadn4t fallen under ecstasy because of bustle, and the presence of priests had caused children received communion normally, and not by an angel mediation. There was a doubtful atmosphere because, in spite of what previous events reported, visitants said that Conchita had told some priests personally to assist to the miracle, and when asked in such sense, she stated none of those reasons would be an obstacule for the miracle4s fulfillment. At three o4clock in the evening, Conchita announced she would have lunch, which gave us the conviction we would have to wait at least three hours for the Eucharist miracle. And that4s how day passed: in doubts, hopes, tedium and ilussion. After twelve in the night, without any special event that could presage something extraordinary, discouragement and disbelief spread all over. About one in the morning of day 19th, when some people had already gone back their homes, a new which reported that day 18th wouldn4t end up until 1:25 in the morning due to the solar hour and place of the village, spread quickly. Then, those who were inside the house already knew one certain thing: Conchita had received the first call. Soon after, we were told to leave the house and I stayed at the porch with a friend of Conchita4s family to avoid people going inside the house. From my site, I controled the kitchen and the stairs that lead to the upper floor. Conchita was there, I think with a cousin and and uncle of hers, when she fell under ecstasy. Then, I saw her going down the stairs very quickly, in that so classical attitude that changed her expression so sweetly and nicely. When she was crossing the porth, people made a way for her and surrounded her like a flooded river that detroys whatever it finds on its ways. I saw some people falling who were trampled down without being wounded, although the sight of the crowd running, pulling one each other, couldn4t be more fearful. I tryed to keep myself closed to Conchita, but five or six rows of people separated us; I saw her sometimes, but not clearly. She rounded a corner to the left, passed a passage which was formed by a building and a low wall; she rounded again to the left, and in the middle of a relatively wide but little street, she suddenly fell on her knees. Her falling was so unexpected that the rush of people surpassed her by her sides due to their own inertia; I was lucky to free myself of that rows of people that separated us, and suddenly I found myself to her right, a meter and a half distant to her face. I stood firm the pullings of people, which it was not easy, trying with all my strength to keep on this so privileged place; and I got it. Pullings decreased and everything finally stayed calm. Soon before midnight, clouds, which had covered the sky before, had dispersed and the blue sky mantle was enlightened by stars surrounding the moon. Thanks to their light, and to the many torches lighting the street, I could see perfectly that Conchita4s mouth was opened, and her tongue at the normal position for communion. She was nicest than ever. Her expression, far from looking vulgar or ridiculous, was plenty of an amazing and moving mysticism. Suddenly, while she kept on immobile, a Sacred Host sprouted on her tongue. It was completely unexpected. It didn4t seem to have been placed there, but it could be said that It sprouted at an upper speed to the human perception. The effect the event made on us, and the effect it makes on me when I remember it, is very difficult to express. Surprise, amazement, confussion are fellings too easy to find to define an only expression. With these, or similar words I have reported, once and again, how it all happened and I have never being able to avoid, at this point, feeling again that wonderful impression that broke my heart inside my chest filling it of tenderness, and making me to burst into tears... Tears of happiness, satisfaction, content, love..., whatever, but tears. Afterwards I knew that Conchita was immobile two minutes with the Host on her tounge, until she took It normally and kissed the crucifix she had on her hand. I have been told months later, this long waiting was due to the Angel, who told her to remain in that position until the Virgin appeared. On those moments I didn4t notice that time passed; I remember, like in a dream, voices shouting at me to make me lowering and a hit I received on my head. The camera was hanging on my shoulder; without hearing the shouting that surrounded me, without reminding my cousin instructions, I took the camera, pressed a button and filmed the last seconds of Conchita4s communion. I had never before filmed, and the frame of the figure is the only thing I was sure to do right. I doubted the good result of the filmed because of my complete lack of technical knowledges and other factors like quantity of light or similar things. Still under ecstasy, Conchita raised and went out of my sight followed by all the people present at Garabandal. Afterwards I woud know it all had lasted about an hour. It had been too many emotions for me that day; I stayed sit, alone at a corner, reclined on a wall, and pushing my body against the camera with the little strengths that remained. I don4t know how long I stayed at that place and position. When my members laxity was followed by nervousness rigidity, I went all along the village in slow step and without a fixed course. I commented the events with people and finally went back to Conchita4s house; she wasn4t under ecstasy then, and wrote for me some words on a religious card. I sayed goodbye to her and to D. Valentin, who asked for my address, and completely exhausted I left Garabandal when it was 3,15 in the morning. I don4t know what the opinion of people reading this report will be, nor the decision of Church judging this events. It is possible it wont be of any interest for them. I don4t know. What I know, and I can afirm without any doubt is, to my opinion, that two miracles happened on 18th of July of 1962 at Garabandal. The first one was Conchita4s communion of supernatural and invaluable proportions; the second of less colective importance, but not less transcendent to me, was the proof of the Virgin4s endless condescension; because She is the one I owe the joy of seeing that prodigy. Signed: Alejandro Damians. Barcelona, January of 1963.

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