St. Joseph’s

November 17, 2003

I attended mass this morning at "Parish Church" and was pleasantly surprised to see S.C.C. was already there when I arrived. S.C.C. has been very supportive especially after getting caught up with the events that have been taking place in my life. It is not just my life but hers as well because she has been present for much of what I have described. She said reading the papers brought back many vivid and wonderful memories of her Emmitsburg experience.

After mass I went to work in "hometown", as I was finishing up the work I needed to do there I got ready to leave and go to Manassas. Just as I was getting ready to leave my phone rang and it was our friend Roberta Marziani. Roberta just called to say that her vacation time from work was approved and that she would be going to Medjugorje with us on December 26. We hung up and I instantly knew to look at my watch. The time was 10:13:59.

I arrived at work in Manassas and was fairly busy most of the morning. I was in the middle of doing something and ran out of supplies. I walked to the supply room to get what I needed to finish my work but the person who works in there had gone to lunch and I was going to have to wait for her to get back. At the very instant that I realized that I was not going to be able to finish my work I decided to take my lunch break and go to All Saint’s to pray the rosary. I looked at my watch and the time was 1:13. I prayed the rosary and when I returned to work I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

I finished my work and when I was leaving for the day to go to St. Joseph’s for the Miraculous Medal Novena I was delayed by about 10 or 15 minutes because my laptop computer would not shutdown. It would hang every time I tried to turn it off. I ended up having to reboot it. When I finally got it shutdown I left to go to Emmitsburg and when I pulled out of the Manassas parking lot the time was 5:13.

I drove to Leesburg to pick up Ted and when I arrived at Wal Mart the time was 6:13. Ted’s car was there but I did not see Ted. I waited and about 10 minutes later he showed up. Ted had been in Wal Mart to buy dishwasher powder because it was on sale. He said the cost was $3.13.

We rode the rest of the way in Ted’s car and when we arrived at St. Joseph’s there was nothing unusual about the time or odometer. It was about 7:20. We walked in the church and there were 2 lines for confession and suddenly I felt like I wanted to go. I became the last person in line. There were about 3 or 4 people in front of me. I waited in the line and paid no attention to the time. When the person in front of me came out and I was going in I suddenly felt that special peaceful feeling. I entered the confessional and the time was 7:33.

Fr. O’Brien was the priest. It was not my intention when I went in to discuss Thursday nights but it ended up being just that. I was able to get a lot off my chest and he listened and never tried to rush me along. I came out of confession feeling very good because I could tell that they still have an open ear, more so than in the past. I sensed progress in the right direction.

I came out of the confessional and entered a pew. The Miraculous Medal novena was over and mass had already started. I prayed my penance and at the very instant I finished I again felt the sudden surge of peace. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. I looked up and the halo of light was around the head of the statue of Mary in the front of the church.

When everything was over Ted and I left. I glanced at my watch as we were pulling out and the time was 8:13:33. We drove back to Wal Mart in Leesburg where my truck was parked. I got in my truck and when I pulled out to drive home the odometer instantly switched to 13. I drove back to "hometown" and pulled in my driveway and the time was 10:33.

R_____ C____

Nov. 25, 2003

9:33:13 Pm