Our Lady of Good Success on the
Return of the Franciscans
Dear Dr. Horvat,
I have just finished your translation of Fr. Manuel Pereira's 2-volume biography of Venerable Mariana of Jesus. This story has greatly inspired me. Thank you for the work you did on it.
I have a question. Can you explain the prophecy concerning the return of the Franciscan as overseers of the Conceptionist convent in Quito? It was prophesied to occur in the 20th century. Has it happened?
In the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
B.K.
______________________
Dr. Horvat responds:
Dear Mr. B.K.,
I am pleased that the manuscripts of Fr. Pereira have inspired your spiritual life, as they inspired mine. They are also a great aid to understand the crisis of the Church and society in our times.
Regarding your questions, I will start with the easier one.
First, has the Immaculate Conception Convent in Quito returned to the direction of the Franciscan Order?
It has not. The Convent and its nuns are still under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Quito.
In Volume I, Our Lady said centuries would pass before the return of the Franciscans
Second, regarding the time Our Lady predicted for this long separation between the Convent of the Immaculate Conception and the Franciscan Order, the period mentioned in the prophecies is vaguely indicated, not specifically.
For example, in the third apparition of January 16, 1599, in Volume I, Our Lady of Good Success spoke about the removal of the spiritual direction of the Conceptionist Convent from the Franciscan Friars and its transferral to the Diocesan Bishop. Since this transferral had recently taken place, Our Lady comforted Mother Mariana, who was deeply grieved, and assured her the separation had occurred by divine permission, and not because of some fault on her part.
Then, Our Lady told her it would be centuries before their return:
"But after some centuries, they (the Franciscans) will return to govern this beloved flock, which will always lament their absence and feel their loss."
The return of the Franciscans to govern the Convent would come after the restoration of the Church, she continued, when a man would come who would play a providential role in this work:
"But a golden era will come for this my Convent. Then, a Prelate [Prelado], my most beloved son, blessed and prized before God, will understand by divine light the necessity for the daughters of my Immaculate Conception to subject themselves in exact obedience to the Friars Minor for their sanctification and perfection. This Prelate will ask the Vicar of my Most Holy Son here on Earth to restore the jurisdiction over this Convent to the Friars Minor." (Volume I, ch. 22, pp. 142-143).
This prophecy allows us to understand that the mentioned Prelate has not yet come since there is neither a golden era in the Church nor has the Convent returned to the Franciscans. In addition, the Conceptionist nuns have not returned to the original Rule.
Also, we still cannot identify this "prelado" who will ask the Holy Father to restore the jurisdiction over the Conceptionist Convent to the Friars Minor. One thing that is clear is that this man will not be the Pope.
'After the 20th century'
In the apparition of January 21, 1610, Our Lady referred again to the return of the Franciscans:
In Volume II Our Lady foretells that the Franciscans will return 'after the 20th century'
“The absence of the government of the Friars Minor, so indispensable, is the cause for many sufferings, and so it will be until the 20th century, after which they will again have jurisdiction over my Convent, in order to raise many souls to great perfection and sanctity. The separation of the Franciscans took place not by divine will, but only by divine permission.” (Volume II, Introduction, p. 26)
Here, the key words [my emphasis in the quoted text] are the ones indicating that the jurisdiction will return sometime after the 20th century, not in the 20th century, as you suppose in your inquiry.
We do not know when this date will be. Our Lady did not specify, but we can pray that it will be soon. We are in that period after the 20th century and, surely, the destruction of the Church seems to be reaching its apex, demanding the intervention of Our Lady that she promised:
"That night will be most horrible, for, humanly speaking, evil will seem to triumph. This, then, will mark the arrival of my hour, when I, in a marvelous way, will dethrone the proud and cursed Satan, trampling him under my feet and fettering him in the infernal abyss.” (Apparition of February 2, 1634, Volume II, p. 214)
'Centuries will pass'
In two other places in Volume II Our Lady also mentioned the return of the Franciscans.
The first mention was in Mother Mariana's description to Bishop Salvador de Ribeira of the miraculous re-making of the statue by the Three Archangels and St. Francis in the early morning hours of January 16, 1611.
Mother Mariana told him that, after the marvelous transformation, the first Mother Abbess of the Convent, Mother Maria de Jesus Taboada, also appeared to her. Mother Maria de Taboada repeated to her that only after centuries would the Franciscans return to govern the Convent:
"Centuries will pass before the Friars Minor will again have jurisdiction over it. Until that day comes, bitterness and tears will be the daily bread of my good daughters who will live in these cloisters." (Volume II, p. 75)
The Convent is under Archbishop of Quito Fausto Gabriel Trávez and not the Franciscans
So, once again, Our Lady spoke that centuries would pass, but did not give a specific time for the Franciscans’ return.
Second, in that same report to the Bishop, Mother Mariana mentioned the return of the Franciscans again in a different context. She foretold that many documents, including the sworn testimony of the artist that the statue had not been made by his hands, along with other precious items, would be hidden in a wall of the Convent during one of the tumults the city would suffer under revolutionary Masonic governments.
This prediction was fulfilled in the early 1900s, when many documents and the original Christ Child were hidden in a wall of the Convent by an elderly nun, who died before revealing the place she had concealed them.
Mother Mariana also told the Bishop that those precious articles would only be found after her life and the apparitions would become known in the 20th century. Those things, she said, "will be found when the Franciscans return, unless humble violence is made to Heaven imploring their recovery so they might be guarded as precious treasures here in my Convent. Otherwise, no merely human recourse will suffice to discover them.”
From my understanding of the internal situation in the Convent today, this ”humble violence” is not being made. Instead, among the nuns there are rivalries about government, factious quarrels over the name Our Lady of Good Success, etc. Thus, the good and loyal sisters, whom Mother Mariana said would always be there, have much to suffer, another of her predictions.
Regarding the time frame, Mother Mariana specified that her life and the prophecies would become known in the 20th century, which indeed has happened. She stated several times that the date for the Franciscans' return would be only after the 20th century. So, once again, we who are in the 21st century are still waiting for that time.
I have just finished your translation of Fr. Manuel Pereira's 2-volume biography of Venerable Mariana of Jesus. This story has greatly inspired me. Thank you for the work you did on it.
I have a question. Can you explain the prophecy concerning the return of the Franciscan as overseers of the Conceptionist convent in Quito? It was prophesied to occur in the 20th century. Has it happened?
In the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
B.K.
Dr. Horvat responds:
Dear Mr. B.K.,
I am pleased that the manuscripts of Fr. Pereira have inspired your spiritual life, as they inspired mine. They are also a great aid to understand the crisis of the Church and society in our times.
Regarding your questions, I will start with the easier one.
First, has the Immaculate Conception Convent in Quito returned to the direction of the Franciscan Order?
It has not. The Convent and its nuns are still under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Quito.
In Volume I, Our Lady said centuries would pass before the return of the Franciscans
For example, in the third apparition of January 16, 1599, in Volume I, Our Lady of Good Success spoke about the removal of the spiritual direction of the Conceptionist Convent from the Franciscan Friars and its transferral to the Diocesan Bishop. Since this transferral had recently taken place, Our Lady comforted Mother Mariana, who was deeply grieved, and assured her the separation had occurred by divine permission, and not because of some fault on her part.
Then, Our Lady told her it would be centuries before their return:
"But after some centuries, they (the Franciscans) will return to govern this beloved flock, which will always lament their absence and feel their loss."
The return of the Franciscans to govern the Convent would come after the restoration of the Church, she continued, when a man would come who would play a providential role in this work:
"But a golden era will come for this my Convent. Then, a Prelate [Prelado], my most beloved son, blessed and prized before God, will understand by divine light the necessity for the daughters of my Immaculate Conception to subject themselves in exact obedience to the Friars Minor for their sanctification and perfection. This Prelate will ask the Vicar of my Most Holy Son here on Earth to restore the jurisdiction over this Convent to the Friars Minor." (Volume I, ch. 22, pp. 142-143).
This prophecy allows us to understand that the mentioned Prelate has not yet come since there is neither a golden era in the Church nor has the Convent returned to the Franciscans. In addition, the Conceptionist nuns have not returned to the original Rule.
Also, we still cannot identify this "prelado" who will ask the Holy Father to restore the jurisdiction over the Conceptionist Convent to the Friars Minor. One thing that is clear is that this man will not be the Pope.
'After the 20th century'
In the apparition of January 21, 1610, Our Lady referred again to the return of the Franciscans:
In Volume II Our Lady foretells that the Franciscans will return 'after the 20th century'
Here, the key words [my emphasis in the quoted text] are the ones indicating that the jurisdiction will return sometime after the 20th century, not in the 20th century, as you suppose in your inquiry.
We do not know when this date will be. Our Lady did not specify, but we can pray that it will be soon. We are in that period after the 20th century and, surely, the destruction of the Church seems to be reaching its apex, demanding the intervention of Our Lady that she promised:
"That night will be most horrible, for, humanly speaking, evil will seem to triumph. This, then, will mark the arrival of my hour, when I, in a marvelous way, will dethrone the proud and cursed Satan, trampling him under my feet and fettering him in the infernal abyss.” (Apparition of February 2, 1634, Volume II, p. 214)
'Centuries will pass'
In two other places in Volume II Our Lady also mentioned the return of the Franciscans.
The first mention was in Mother Mariana's description to Bishop Salvador de Ribeira of the miraculous re-making of the statue by the Three Archangels and St. Francis in the early morning hours of January 16, 1611.
Mother Mariana told him that, after the marvelous transformation, the first Mother Abbess of the Convent, Mother Maria de Jesus Taboada, also appeared to her. Mother Maria de Taboada repeated to her that only after centuries would the Franciscans return to govern the Convent:
"Centuries will pass before the Friars Minor will again have jurisdiction over it. Until that day comes, bitterness and tears will be the daily bread of my good daughters who will live in these cloisters." (Volume II, p. 75)
The Convent is under Archbishop of Quito Fausto Gabriel Trávez and not the Franciscans
Second, in that same report to the Bishop, Mother Mariana mentioned the return of the Franciscans again in a different context. She foretold that many documents, including the sworn testimony of the artist that the statue had not been made by his hands, along with other precious items, would be hidden in a wall of the Convent during one of the tumults the city would suffer under revolutionary Masonic governments.
This prediction was fulfilled in the early 1900s, when many documents and the original Christ Child were hidden in a wall of the Convent by an elderly nun, who died before revealing the place she had concealed them.
Mother Mariana also told the Bishop that those precious articles would only be found after her life and the apparitions would become known in the 20th century. Those things, she said, "will be found when the Franciscans return, unless humble violence is made to Heaven imploring their recovery so they might be guarded as precious treasures here in my Convent. Otherwise, no merely human recourse will suffice to discover them.”
From my understanding of the internal situation in the Convent today, this ”humble violence” is not being made. Instead, among the nuns there are rivalries about government, factious quarrels over the name Our Lady of Good Success, etc. Thus, the good and loyal sisters, whom Mother Mariana said would always be there, have much to suffer, another of her predictions.
Regarding the time frame, Mother Mariana specified that her life and the prophecies would become known in the 20th century, which indeed has happened. She stated several times that the date for the Franciscans' return would be only after the 20th century. So, once again, we who are in the 21st century are still waiting for that time.
I hope this is of some help to you.
Cordially,
Marian T. Horvat
______________________
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