Pentecost Sunday

June 8, 2003

 

The sequence of events that led up to today actually started on May 11 when Steve Kowalick from the Mission of Mercy sent me an email asking if I would be willing to lead the Chaplet of Divine Mercy during the next monthly prayer service for the Mission of Mercy at St. Mary’s on June 8 which is also Pentecost Sunday. He also asked if C.R.C. would be willing to serve as an altar server during the mass with Fr. M______. I replied back to Steve saying we would be happy to do this. Later that night I got a reply via email from Bob Nichols who is also on the Mission of Mercy thanking us for doing this. The time on the email was 11:33.

June 8th came and S.C.C., C.R.C. and myself left to go to Emmitsburg for the day. I did not take the Eucharist to Bob G___ because he went to his granddaughters baptism that day and I did not stop at Our Father’s house to give the Eucharist to Agnes Corradi because I did not want to interrupt the church service they have that time of morning. I decided that I would take the Eucharist to both of them later in the week.

We arrived in Emmitsburg and we stopped at the Grotto of Lourdes first. When we arrived I looked down and the odometer was 3.3. S.C.C. and C.R.C. waited in the truck because I just wanted to take a picture of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima with the digital camera we just got.

We did not have a lot of time because S.C.C. wanted to go to St. Peter’s book store before going to St. Mary’s for mass and I wanted to stop at St. Joseph’s and pray the rosary. After I took the picture we drove to St. Peter’s book store and I dropped S.C.C. and C.R.C. off. I then drove to St. Joseph’s and arrived there at 12:33. I was a little disappointed because it never crossed my mind that the 12 noon mass would still be in progress. I said a few prayers outside and took a few pictures of the church with our new camera. I drove back to St. Peter’s book store and met up with S.C.C. and C.R.C..

When we left the book store we drove to St. Mary’s and I dropped S.C.C. and C.R.C. off. I then went to pick up Sister Genevieve because she said she was feeling strong enough to go. I loaded Sister Genevieve’s wheel chair in the back of my truck and then helped her get in. We rode back to St. Mary’s and arrived at 1:33. I helped Sister Genevieve out of the truck and into the wheel chair and took her in the church.

A little later Dr. Joe Ferguson who is a Mission of Mercy doctor came over to us with Sister Genevieve’s portable oxygen tank. He noticed that we did not have it when we arrived so he went and got it, knowing that she would need it.

At 2 PM the rosary was started and the afternoon followed the exact same schedule as last month. Several times during the rosary I would be suddenly struck with a sudden memory of something or somebody I have encountered over the past 5 years in Emmitsburg, each time it would be sudden and strong enough to make me want to glance at my watch, each time it was XX:XX:13 or 33. After the rosary was over mass started and C.R.C. served as one of the altar boys. After mass I led the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This was followed by 5 minutes of adoration then benediction.

There were refreshments in the parish hall but we did not go because we had been invited to Karen and Mick Major’s house for a annual get together and Sister Genevieve was looking forward to going there. It was easy to see that the day was taking a toll on her but she still insisted on going. After we got to the Major’s house Sister Genevieve became ill. Dr. Ferguson was there and tended to her and hooked up her oxygen and a few minutes later she was OK.

A little later I ran into Dr. and Mrs. Ferguson in the kitchen and we started talking somewhat candidly about how we originally became involved with the events in Emmitsburg. It never ceases to amaze me how different people find themselves here under sudden and abrupt circumstances that change their lives forever. The joy and peace this brings can only be fully understood by someone who has been through this. After we finished talking I could see the joy on their face and understand the peace in their hearts. When we finished talking I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

When it was time to go Dr. Ferguson helped me get Sister Genevieve in the truck and told me that if she starts to get sick again to put her oxygen on. We started driving back to Fairfield and Sister Genevieve asked if we could stop at the Jubilee supermarket to get a few things she needed. S.C.C. and I went in and got the things she wanted (cream cheese and crackers) and when we returned to the truck the time was 7:33.

We drove back to Fairfield and helped Sister Genevieve in and got her in the chair she likes to sit in. The day was a little bit to much for her, she was exhausted. When we left we rode by St. Joseph’s before going home and noticed people were coming out. We parked and went in. At the very instant we walked in the door I glanced at my watch and the time was 8:13:13. We no sooner got in the church and a lady said “I’m sorry but we are closing up now”. We said a quick prayer and turned around and left but it still felt good just to go in for 1 minute, especially that minute.

We started driving home and S.C.C. asked C.R.C. if he put Sister Genevieve’s cheese in the refrigerator. C.R.C. said “I thought you did it”. We then realized that the cheese was sitting on the counter and would go bad. We did not want to call Sister Genevieve because as tired and unsteady as she was she might fall again so we drove back and put the cheese away. When we left and started driving home the time was 8:33. When we got home and S.C.C. told C.R.C. to go straight to bed. C.R.C. resisted and S.C.C. said “Do you see the time? It’s 11:13.”

It was 1 year ago today that I saw the Face of Jesus Christ in St. Joseph’ Church.

R_____ C___

June 10, 2003

11:13 Pm