"Whenever we turn our gaze to the Immaculate Conception there will be fruit.""Mother Come", lhe pilgrimage of the Immaculate Conception of Ephesus yesterday culminated its tour of Spain with a torchlight rosary celebrated in the convent of the Discalced Carmelite nuns of La Aldehuela. This was the end of six months in which this image has visited penitentiaries, Marian sanctuaries, cathedrals and convents of religious men and women.
A pilgrimage coordinated by Fr. Jaime Bertodano, Vicar of the Secular Apostolate of Getafe, who, once this journey is over, has shared with Omnes his impressions and most memorable moments of these months.
- What has this pilgrimage meant for its promoters? How have they experienced it?
The pilgrimage has been an immense grace, starting for those of us who have been closer to the organization. We have been privileged witnesses of the many gifts that Our Lady has been giving us. We have seen the simple, humble and profound way of acting that our Mother has: her predilection for the little ones and the weakest, her joy in being in the cloister with the religious, the call to confident prayer in the Rosary and adoration, the providential action with dates and places unknown to us but which for many meant a caress. Above all we have seen this: the caresses of the Mother to those who needed consolation. Truly, many experienced that Our Lady knew what was in their hearts and touched them with her maternal love, filling them with hope.
The pilgrimage has also woven a precious network of lay people, priests and nuns, who have become a true Marian family in Spain, united by the Blessed Mother.
- What are the highlights of the pilgrimage?
There are so many! 6 months of pilgrimage plus another 6 months of preparation have given us a lot... I remember the surprise visit of the Archbishop of Smyrna when we were in the little house in Ephesus. Receiving the blessing of the successor of St. John was a confirmation that the Church sends us and accompanies us on this journey from the beginning.
The first months of the pilgrimage from Zaragoza to Santiago through so many small towns were very emotional. This pilgrimage was the first pastoral activity since the beginning of the pandemic in many places. The people were eager to go out and many have experienced the passage of the Immaculate Conception as a sign of freedom. We have seen how it has touched the hearts of the priests, favorite sons of the Immaculate Conception, instilling illusion and hope. In some cases at the beginning they were reluctant or skeptical, but then they said goodbye to the Virgin, grateful and renewed for her passage and for the good she had done in their parish.
The arrival at the Cathedral of Santiago was very special. It was a long-awaited meeting with the Apostle. Every time I watch the videos I am more surprised by that moment.
I would highlight the unforeseen places along the way. We realized that Our Lady wanted to go to some places that we had not planned. If there were a few hours free one day, a residence, a convent, a hospital appeared where people came and with tears they welcomed Our Lady or prayed the Rosary spontaneously. An elderly nun in a nursing home told us: "How did Our Lady know that I was so lonely that she came to see me? It was certainly in the heart of the Immaculate Conception to pass by.
There have been precious encounters. Each place has been special and Our Lady has not ceased to surprise us every day. Some ask us to write a book with all the anecdotes. Of course we could spend hours recounting every moment and providence with the Immaculate Conception.
I would like to thank the Armed Forces, the Guardia Civil and the Police for their help. They have been more than respectful. Their presence has been fundamental and was a sign of communion with the people and the faithful devotees. We have lived very special moments with them. And of course, we look forward to the meeting with the Heart of Jesus on the Cerro de los Angeles.
-How have the prayers dedicated to the Virgin Mary been in the land of Mary, and do you think that Spain is still Marian?
We could write entire pages about each Hermitage and place. Navarra, Loyola, La Bien Aparecida, Covadonga, Oviedo, El Ferrol, Pontevedra, Valvanera, Burgos, Avila, Guadalupe, Jaén, Algeciras, Ceuta, Guadix, Murcia, Valencia, Mallorca, Barcelona, Lérida, Torreciudad, Cuenca... I could not choose just one place. The people told us "we have come back to remember that Spain is the land of Mary". The meeting with the patronesses of the different wayside shrines and dioceses was always moving. And we saw different realities of the Secular Apostolate working together with lay people who spontaneously joined in. The Immaculate was creating communion in the dioceses and we felt that communion.
Yes, I truly believe that this Earth is especially chosen by Mary.
In Empel, in December 1585, there was a very significant miracle. The tercios were cornered and about to be massacred on that piece of land on Bommel Island. Outnumbered, the dykes opened by the enemy had flooded all avenues of escape. There was no way out. The only thing left to do was to pray... and that tablet of the Immaculate appeared as a sign of her presence. At night, an incredibly cold wind blew and froze the waters of the Meuse River, allowing them to leave that place, take another position and win the battle. It was December 8, the day of the Immaculate Conception. It could be a good parable of our current situation. Beset by so much ideology, we seem to be cornered by evil. But if Spain prays to Mary it will be saved.
-Will the Immaculate of Ephesus return to tour Spain?
Well... we are convinced that this pilgrimage has not been ours but hers. We have said "Mother, come"...and she has come.
Perhaps she plans to return to Spain on pilgrimage...or to other places...who knows? If it is in her heart it will be done. If Our Lady wants us to embark on whatever it takes. She invites us to trust in the Lord and to bring the Good News with as much creativity and fidelity to the Holy Spirit as possible.
