There took place an event concerning our own age in 1634 in Quito, the
capital of the South American Republic of Ecuador. Our Lady of Good
Fortune gives us hope for our difficult times. Amongst the various proofs
of her motherly love for the land of Ecuador, conquered in the year 1533
by the Spaniards, are the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Fortune of which
Sister Maria Anna of Jesus tells us in the beginning of the seventeenth
century. It took place in the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in
Quito where Our lady appeared.
After these words the Mother of God added the following concerning the
Order of the Immaculate Conception, and especially the convent in Quito.
"This house will be attacked with a hellish rage in order to
destroy it. Divine Providence, however, and I will uphold it and favor
the striving for virtue of those who dwell within. Notice further, my
beloved Daughter, that my motherly love will watch over all the convents
of my Immaculate Conception. This order will, through the daughters who
dwell therein, give me honor. I shall take under my special protection
all the convents which are founded from this one. They are often going
to be in danger of disappearing, but they will be upheld in a marvelous
way, only one will, with God’s permission, be closed. You will be able
to see it all from heaven.
"The sanctuary lamp which you just saw go out has several
meanings.
"Firstly, towards the end of the nineteenth century and during a
large part if the twentieth century there will arise various errors and
the whole universe will become Republican. (1). The
precious light of faith will be going out following on the almost
complete destruction of morals; in that time there will be many
tribulations, moral tribulations also, both public and private. The
little group of people who keep the true worship of faith and the
virtues will have to suffer cruelty and indescribably. The constant
martyrdom will bring many to an early death, they will be counted
amongst the martyrs, they have sacrificed themselves for Church and
country. In order to deliver oneself from the slavery of these errors
one will need great strength of will, perseverance, courage and a great
trust in God. These are gifts of the merciful love of my Divine Son, He
has provided them for the renewal. In order to test the faith and the
trust of the just and good men there will be moments when everything
seems to be lost and paralyzed but that is the moment in which the happy
beginning of the complete renewal starts.
"Secondly, my communities will be abandoned, sunk in an abyss, a
deep ocean of bitterness and they will seem to be satiated with
sufferings and afflictions. How many good vocations are lost because of
lack of good and prudent spiritual direction; the Novice Mistresses
should take great care of the prayers of the novices and they should
show understanding of souls.
"The third reason for the extinguishing of the sanctuary lamp is
the spirit of impurity of those times, the air will be filled with this
unclean spirit. A flood of filth will overflow the streets, the squares,
and all public places so that there will be no virginal souls left in
the world.
"Fourthly, in all layers of society errors will strive with
great cunning to penetrate into the families in order to corrupt the
youth too; Satan will congratulate himself that he can feed himself in
the fouled way on the hearts of the children. The innocence of children
will hardly exist any more. Priestly vocations will be lost. That will
be a true misfortune and priests will turn away from their holy duties
and enter upon a false, wrong course, and therefore the Church will go
dark. No prelate and father will be watching any longer with love,
strength and prudence over this flock, and many of the prelates will
lose the spirit of God and bring their own souls into danger. Pray
constantly, call upon heaven without tiring, and weep without ceasing
inwardly in your heart and pray to the Heavenly Father through the
Eucharistic Heart of my Divine Son Who has nobly shed blood.
"Out of the bitterness and pains of His sufferings and death,
pray that He will have compassion upon His servants, that He will bring
an end to this terrible scourge by sending to the Church a prelate to
renew the spirit of His priests. My Divine Son and I will surround this
beloved son with a special love, we shall pour out a heap of many graces
of humility of heart and docility towards God’s inspirations, and the
strength to defend the rights of the Church so that he will know how to
defend the rights of the Church with a heart which enables him to behave
like another Christ towards the mighty people of this world and the
little people of this world without despising the unfortunate ones. He
will, with a divine gentleness, lead into the convents and monasteries
souls consecrated to God for the service of God without making the yoke
of the Lord heavy upon them. He holds in his hands the scales of
sanctity in order that everything happen according to the weight and
measure so that God be glorified.
"This prelate and father will form a counter-weight against the
lukewarmness of priests and religious who are meant to be dedicated to
God. As a result of the guilt of these faithless men, Satan will gain
upon earth control of this world like a dark cloud which darkens the sky
and darkens all of the people who are consecrated to the Most Holy Heart
of my Divine Son. All will have to suffer chastisements because all
kinds of crimes have been allowed. They will suffer pestilence, hunger,
civil strife, degeneration of morals and the loss of countless souls. In
order to blow away the black clouds which block the shining holiness and
the freedom of the Church there will be a fearful war in which much
blood will flow of priests and religious. This night will be so terrible
that people will think that wickedness is conquering. Then strikes my
heart and in a most sudden way I shall annihilate the pride of Satan, I
shall abyss and liberate the Church and country from his cruel tyranny.
"The fifth reason why the sanctuary lamp went out is that
influential men will watch with indifference, uncaringly, the oppression
of the Church, the persecution of virtue and the triumph of wickedness.
Because these influential people will not use their position of
influence in order to combat evil or to renew the faith, the people will
gradually become indifferent to the demands of God, they will take on an
evil spirit and let themselves be swept away in all kinds of passion and
vice. My beloved daughter, were you to live that terrible time you would
die of pain or grief over the circumstances which I have described to
you. The love of my Holy Son and mine which we have for this world which
is our property demand from now on sacrifices and good works in order
that the duration of this terrible catastrophe will be shortened."
