June 30 , 2004

House Closing

I can not even begin to describe what I feel today. After all these years the time has come for us to move to the Emmitsburg area. Sometimes when I think of the events that has led us to this point I become numb, especially when I think of someone as unworthy as myself to have experienced something as wonderful as the apparitions of Our Lady of Emmitsburg.

I will miss people I am close to here in "hometown" and I will be returning at least a couple of days a week to do the part of my job that must be done from "hometown" but for the most part I will be commuting to Manassas. I will miss "Parish Church" more than I can put in words. There is no parish I have ever seen that can compare to it. St. Mary’s in Fairfield is up there too.

I try not to expect anything or take for granted the things that have been happening to me over the past 6 years. I have to admit that I had the feeling that today would one of those special days. It was and continued in a strong way over the next several days.

I got up this morning and got ready for daily mass at "Parish Church". I arrived and glanced at my watch as I walked in the door and it said XX:XX:33. During mass I prayed very hard about our move. After mass I prayed the rosary. When I finished the rosary I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:13. I walked out of the church and just as I walked out the door the peaceful feeling hit me. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

I drove to 2nd Bank and Trust to close the savings accounts from the sale of my Civil War Relic collection and obtain the money I needed over that amount from a line of credit. I walked in the bank and glanced at my watch. It said XX:XX:13.

While the teller was preparing the funds I had a seat in a waiting area. Suddenly I was bombarded over the next 20 minutes or so with sudden thoughts about our move that were very comforting. Each time I glanced at my watch it said XX:XX:13 or 33. The teller gave me the check and because of the service charge for the cashiers check the total ended with 13 dollars. When I finished at the bank I left and glanced at my watch as I walked out of the door and it said XX:XX:13.

I drove home and S.C.C., C.R.C. and David G were almost ready to leave for Emmitsburg when I arrived. David is helping us move and doing a lot of work at the new house as payment for his trip to Medjugorje this past December. When we were ready to leave I started the car and the time on the dash was 10:13. S.C.C. said she wanted to stop at McDonald’s. We did and when we got our order and again left for Emmitsburg the time on the dash was 10:33.

We drove to Emmitsburg and the house inspection was scheduled for 1 PM and the actual closing at the lawyers office at 3 PM. We arrived in Emmitsburg at the entrance of The Grotto of Lourdes and the time on the dash was 12:13. It is at this point you can see the golden statue of Our Lady from Rt. 15. We arrived at St. Joseph’s and the odometer was 13 and at the very instant we arrived the CD player flashed 3:33.

I got out of the car and just said a few prayers as I walked around the church once because St. Joseph’s is still closed during the week due to renovations currently taking place. We then drove out to the new house and met Ray Hennessey who is our real estate agent and member of the Thursday Night Prayer Group. We had the inspection and we were disappointed with the way the house was left but it was nothing that a little cleaning would not fix.

We then all rode to Gettysburg for the 3 PM house closing at the lawyers office. The lawyer was running about 20 minutes late with another closing. When we were called in we signed a few papers and paid for the house. He then said “Your done” and we left after about only 15 minutes. We then drove straight back to the house which was now ours and pulled in the driveway and the clock on the dash was 4:13. We walked in the house and the time on the stove was the last fraction of a second of 4:13.

Later we drove back in town and ate dinner. S.C.C. and I left C.R.C. and David at the new house and we drove back to "hometown". We stopped at St. Joseph’s on the way home and arrived at 7:33:59. We then drove back to the house in "hometown" and pulled in the driveway and the time on the dash was 10:13.

R_____ C___

July 10, 2004

11:13:13