I strongly want to thank Monsignor Munilla, bishop of Palencia , for his generous support given to the spiritual retreat given by Father James Manjackal, Indian missionary of the Congregation of San Francisco de Sales, priest of a fine and intense spirituality. He is enriched in a most special way by the charismas of the Holy Spirit. Thank you very much. We owe to you this retreat, which like the rain of May, penetrated into us. I also thank you for your impressive and beautiful homily of the Mass that you presided with Father Manjackal and so many priests, and for the abundance of confessors. What a beauty! We met people from near and far: from Palencia, Valladolid, Avila, Barcelona, Toledo, Madrid, Asturias… and with many who arrived from the Canary Islands; people from different parishes, movements and associations, representing the universality of the Church. 

As in the parable of the wedding in the Gospel, the twin sisters who organized the retreat, doctors and coherent Christians, and a woman from Valladolid friend of them, went out to the byways and spake of it. How lucky I feel that they met me too! I will not forget it in my life and I infinitely thank God for such a special retreat. I also want to thank the Marists Brothers of Palencia, their fine welcome at their School. Although with another style, the figure of Fr. James Manjackal reminds me, due to  his great love for the Church and his fiery love of souls, the servant of God Father Fr. Tomás Morales (SJ), whom I knew personally. The Charismatic Father James is a gift of God for the men of the XXIth century, as it was for the men of XXth century St. Pio de Pietrelcina, whom he reminds me of due to the stigmas and the miracles that God works through his prayer. I thank God because in XXI century we also can count on evangelizers with the spiritual stature of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua (XIIIth century). 

 Josefa Romo/Valladolid