Statue of The Sacred Heart of Jesus in Saint Joseph’s

June 7-8, 2002

Friday June 7, 2002 was another one of those days that other obligations made it impossible to go to Emmitsburg and attend the Rosary and Benediction at Saint Mary’s in Fairfield. The only other time I missed was Friday December 7, 2001.

Exxxxxxx Catholic School was having graduation for the members of the 5th and 6th grade that night and missing that was not an option. Throughout this entire day the occurrences of 33, 333 and 13 in synchronization with other events was much higher than usual. I will not try to list them here, however I am now keeping a daily journal that on average contains 10 to 25 daily and nightly entries. It is non-stop and God has my consent for it to be this way.

S.C.C said we needed to get to church for graduation a little early and we arrived at 6:33. We took our seats and I was surprised to see S.C.C’s mother there. I really was not expecting her to come. Mass started at 7 p.m.. This was only the 2nd mass S.C.C’s mother had ever attended. The first one was on Thursday September 30, 1999 at St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg. Both S.C.C’s mother and father went with us to Emmitsburg on this day, attended mass and S.C.C’s father was prayed over that night by Gianna Sullivan. His cancer dipped to almost undetectable levels and he remained healthy for exactly 1 year after that. I will go to my grave knowing that our trip to Medjugorje was a result of this night.

During the graduation mass after returning to my pew from Holy Communion I was suddenly consumed with a sense of peace of a magnitude I have only known on a few special occasions in my life that I have already described in earlier papers. I looked down and in the pew in front of me was a camera with a digital display that said 33. I was not at all surprised, actually I expected it. Mass ended and we went to the reception that was held in the parish hall. We stayed there for a while and then went home. We pulled in the driveway at 9:13. After we got home I had absolutely no plans whatsoever. I was looking forward to just relaxing and doing nothing. S.C.C went to bed. C.R.C and my nephew Eric who was spending the night also went to bed. I was standing downstairs in the room where I keep my Civil War relic collection when SUDDENLY I was consumed with a almost uncontrollable urge and desire to go to Saint Joseph’s in Emmitsburg. I looked at my watch and the time was XX:XX:33. The Xs are because I only saw the 33. The other hour and minute digits did not register, my eyes only saw the 33 seconds. I tried to block this out of my mind, there was no reason for me to go to Emmitsburg at this hour. I went in the other room and turned on EWTN and sat down. I still wanted to go to Emmitsburg but I was NOT going to go, the thought of driving up there that late was ridiculous when SUDDENLY I was completely consumed again with an uncontrollable urge to go. It was even stronger this time. I said to myself “if it is 13 or 33 I am going to go”. I looked at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

I remember thinking I could go to Saint Mary’s because it was First Friday so there would be all night Eucharistic Adoration. Saint Joseph’s had First Friday adoration but it had been discontinued after 10pm.

I got in my truck and started driving to Emmitsburg. I was still asking myself why I was doing this. I got as far as the first traffic light in Warrenton and was sitting at a red light when I decided I was going to turn around and go home. SUDDENLY for a third time I was again consumed with an even stronger desire to go and this time it was accompanied with a thought about seeing and speaking with Gianna. I looked down and the odometer said 33. The light turned green and the little red car in front of me had a license plate of 013. At this point I did not know why I was going to Emmitsburg, I only knew I WAS GOING.

I arrived at the entrance of the Grotto in Emmitsburg and the odometer said 333. I drove to Saint Joseph’s and was shocked to see the lights on in the church. I parked and walked in the church at 12:11am. I was very surprised and almost a little sad that it was not 12:13. I can not even remember the last time my arrival at Saint Joseph’s was not in sync with 13, 33 or 333. The Blessed Sacrament was on the altar. Gianna and Mike Sullivan were sitting in the very back of the church against the wall. There were about 7 or 8 other people there. I entered my pew, knelt down and started to pray. Gianna walked up and said something to a lady who was about 2 or 3 rows in front of me. When Gianna turned around and saw me she stopped briefly and said “hello”. I smiled and said hello back to her. I accidentally noticed my watch and the time was 12:13.

Gianna and Mike left the church at this time. Mike is still recovering from a near fatal aneurism that occurred on April 13, 2002. I decided that I was going to pray all 15 decades of the rosary then go home. I started the rosary and was somewhere around the third decade of the joyful mysteries when I started to notice the statue of The Sacred Heart of Jesus in the right front corner of the church started to “shimmer” around the head. I continued to watch this as I was praying the rosary. After a few minutes the Face of Jesus floated out of the statue and rose about 3 or 4 feet above the statue then moved over to the left. The face kept the size and expression of the statue but consisted entirely of a soft golden light that revealed every detail of His Face. I was frozen but at the same time I was aware of a feeling of peace that was so strong, it almost felt as if it had weight. I don’t know of any other way to describe it. When it was over a bright flash of purple light completely filled that corner of the church.

I had no trouble at all finishing the rosary, it seemed to go by so quickly. When I finished and was leaving the church I looked at my watch and the time was 1:20:33. I drove home and arrived back at my house at 3:33am. Nobody in the house even noticed I ever left. I told S.C.C about it 2 days later.