Sunday April 18, 2004

11th Mission of Mercy Mass

If there could be any one thing in this entire Emmitsburg experience that I would like to have the ability to accurately relay to people, it would be just how difficult this whole thing has been. It has not been easy and I fully expect it to become more difficult. There are people who are very supportive of our move to the Emmitsburg area and have tried to get us to come for a long time. There are others who would like to stop us from coming.

I will not dwell on that and will only mention it in this paper as an example without going into great detail because there is no need to. I am beyond the point of letting personal insults and humiliations stop me from doing what I know I have to do.

S.C.C. said she and C.R.C. would meet me at her mothers house after CCD so we could go to St. Mary’s for the 11th Mission of Mercy mass and Divine Mercy Sunday. I went to teach CCD and at the very instant I walked in the classroom door the strong sense of peace hit me. I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:33:00.

After CCD Pat R asked if I would be willing to be a substitute CCD teacher next year since I stated on the form she passed out that I would not be returning as a teacher next year. I told her the only reason I was not coming back as a teacher was because I was moving. She said “You did not tell me that”. The reason I did not tell her is because I have tried to remain quiet about it. The fewer questions I have to answer, the better.

I met S.C.C. and C.R.C. at her moms house and we left for Emmitsburg. We had been driving for about 8 or 9 miles when we discovered we did not have the cell phone. I had left it in my truck that was parked at S.C.C.’s mothers house. I said forget it we don’t need it. S.C.C. said we do need it because my mother, sister and nephews were also going to Emmitsburg to go to the Grotto of Lourdes to hear Mark Forrest sing for Divine Mercy Sunday and would be calling us at some point in the day to go see our new house.

We turned around and rode back to get the phone. We left for Emmitsburg again and a few minutes later it rang. It was our friend Peter C who is now a seminarian at Mount Saint Mary’s. He wanted to know if we were coming to the Mission of Mercy mass at St. Mary’s. I told him we were already on our way. We hung up and the time was 11:33.

We continued driving to Emmitsburg and just before we arrived I had a sudden thought that we should pray a family rosary at St. Joseph’s before going to St. Mary’s. The thought was so strong and sudden I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. We arrived at St. Joseph’s and the time was 1:33.

We went in and we prayed the rosary as a family. When we finished S.C.C. continued to pray. I told her I was going to the parish hall to use the rest room and I would meet her at the car when she was ready. When I came out of the parish hall I saw S.C.C. and C.R.C. coming out of St. Joseph’s. We all arrived back at the car at the same time and we left to go to St. Mary’s and the time on the dash was 2:13.

We drove to St. Mary’s for the Mission of Mercy mass. Fr. M______ was not there because he is in Italy. Fr. Ryan S.J. from Mount St. Mary’s substituted for him. During mass while walking up to receive the Precious Blood the feeling of sudden peace hit me so strong that it caused me to glance down at my watch. It said XX:XX:33. The same thing happened as soon as I returned to my seat and again it said XX:XX:33.

After mass we went downstairs to the parish hall for dinner. We ate and had a very nice time. While we were eating Peter said he would like to see the house and Jim O’Brien said he would like to go too. We walked out to the car to leave but had to wait for S.C.C. because she had stopped to talk to Phil C because he said he wanted to talk to her before we left. When S.C.C. finished talking to Phil and got to the car we started it to leave and the time on the dash was 5:13.

We started driving and were going to go to the Grotto but my cell phone rang and it was my sister Barbara. She said they were just leaving the Grotto and wanted to ride out and see our new house. We told them to meet us at St. Joseph’s and they could follow us from there. We met them there and drove them by the house then they left to go back to "hometown". We then drove to the Grotto of Lourdes and arrived there at 6:13.

While we were at the Grotto I saw somebody I know and started talking to them. We talked for a long time and this person decided to tell me something negative that someone said about us moving up. This person said “You won’t like this” and proceeded to tell me. At this point I knew to glance down at my watch and it said XX:XX:33 which gave me the instant strength to not let whatever was going to be said bother me to much.

This person then told me what was said but I will not put it down on paper. However I will say that it made me feel very bad. It instantly made me think that this is just a small taste of what Gianna must be going through and that thought gave me strength.

We left the Grotto and drove Peter back to the House of Studies where he lives and he showed us around. We then drove Peter back to St. Mary’s because that is where his car was parked. When we dropped Peter off and pulled out the time on the dash was 8:13. We then drove Jim home and dropped him off at his house. We then rode to St. Joseph’s on our way home and when we arrived the time was 8:33.

R_____ C___

May 9, 2004

10:33 Pm