Sudden Unexpected Trip to Emmitsburg

July 29-30, 2002

 

There have been several times in the past that I suddenly felt an almost uncontrollable need and desire to get up and go to Emmitsburg. On the occasions that this has happened in the past I never planned or even thought about going, I was just suddenly and without warning overcome with a deep, powerful inner knowledge that I needed to go. When this happens it is always in synchronization with a sudden out of nowhere 13, 33 or 333.

It also happens that at some point after I have started the trip I find myself in doubt and wonder why I am doing this. Without fail when these thoughts pass through my mind they are quickly overpowered by a final and even more powerful desire to continue the trip and again always in conjunction with 13, 33 or 333.

Under these conditions I ended up in Emmitsburg on July 29th. I will describe the events of the entire day that led up to this.

I started the day by attending mass at "Parish Church" Church in my hometown. During mass I started thinking about the possibility of going back to Medjugorje with Ted Szymanski and Don G. When this thought ran through my mind I just happened to notice my watch and it said XX:XX:13. I did not intentionally look at my watch, through the course of normal movement I just happened to notice it. During the elevation of the Host I also just happened to notice my watch and the time was XX:XX:33. After mass I stopped off at the post office to mail a certified letter that contained my final house payment. The clerk said the cost would be $2.67. At that very instant I had a sudden thought about Jesus and my Aunt Marion who’s estate made it possible for me to pay off my house. Marion went to St. Joseph’s on April 29, 1999 and her funeral home viewing was on April 29, 2002. As this thought ran through my mind the clerk handed me 33 cents change.

Later during the day while I was at work I was looking at the letter I gave Father ___ describing the night of June 7-8, 2002 when I was in Saint Joseph’s in Emmitsburg and saw Jesus’s face. I prayed that I did the right thing by giving it to him. It was confirmed to me that I did do the right thing giving it to him when I looked up and the clock said 11:13. At this same moment I knew it was time to take my lunch break and go to Our Lady of the Blue Ridge to pray the rosary. I arrived there at 11:33:59. After the rosary I returned to work and was busy the rest of the day. Just as I was finishing the very last of the work I needed to do I had a very strong thought about the Virgin Mary and how good She has been to me. I looked at my watch and the time was 4:13. At this same time I had a very sudden and urgent desire to go to Emmitsburg. I started thinking about the evening of June 7th because the feeling and desire was the same. A little while later I was thinking about something else when suddenly I had a very strong and sudden thought about Jesus that caught me completely by surprise. I looked at my watch and the time was 4:33. Within a few minutes I was again overcome with the need to go to Emmitsburg. I looked at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

As I was driving to Emmitsburg the urge to go was reinforced again by a sudden sense of joy of the whole Emmitsburg experience. It made me so happy that I could not hold back tears. I looked at the clock on the dashboard and the time was 5:13.

As I continued to drive for some reason I suffered a moment of doubt and asked myself why I was doing this. At that very instant a powerful thought that was actually more like a voice ran through my mind. It was very sudden and very clear and said “No Trip To Emmitsburg Is Wasted”. This sudden interior voice startled me. I noticed the clock when this happened and the time was 5:33 and the odometer was 3.3. 

As I continued my trip to Emmitsburg I had a very sudden thought about what I told Fr. ___ about S.C.C 's dad going to Emmitsburg on Thursday September 30, 1999, attending mass and being prayed over by Gianna Sullivan. I also told him that I will go to my grave knowing that our trip to Medjugorje was a result of this night. At that very instant and without thinking about it I pushed the trip meter back to the odometer and it said 333.

I continued to drive and arrived at the Grotto of Lourdes in Emmitsburg at 7:13. I walked through the Grotto praying the rosary and I arrived at the spring water and took a sip just as the water shut off (on a timer because of the drought ) at 7:33:13. I finished the rosary and drove to Saint Joseph’s and arrived there just as people were leaving the Miraculous Medal novena at exactly 8:13. I saw and talked to lots of people I knew. I was going to go in the church and say a few prayers but just as I was going to walk in they were locking the door.

Robert Clements told me he was going to go to the church in McSherrystown because they have perpetual 24 hour adoration. I told him I would follow him because I had never been there. I sat in my truck in front of Saint Joseph’s waiting for him to get his car. I waited for about 4 or 5 minutes. Robert arrived and we left for McSherrystown at 8:33. It was about a 25 or 30 minute drive. When we arrived at the church I parked and the odometer was 1.3. We walked to the Adoration Chapel and was told that the chapel was open but the Blessed Sacrament was not out because of the threat of power failures and it was very likely that the chapel would loose power. Electrical crews were working just down the street. The thought ran through my mind that I arrived at the Grotto spring just in time to see the water shut off, arrived at Saint Joseph’s just in time to see the doors get locked and now arrive in McSherrystown to witness the first unscheduled removal of the Blessed Sacrament in years. This did not bother me and I was still happy to just go in the chapel and pray. I prayed another rosary for Emmitsburg and God’s validation of it. For the first time in my life the thought ran through my mind to pray for the Virgin Mary’s intentions. I finished the rosary at 9:33. Robert and I stayed for a few extra minutes. I started driving home from McSherrystown and arrived at the Grotto entrance at 10:13. I pulled in my driveway at home at 12:13.