Sr. Genevieve Walsh and the 22nd Mission of Mercy Mass

February 12-13, 2005

Saturday February 12

I am not going to try to write a paper describing all of the events that took place today. However there was one segment of the day that I feel I need to include in my written description of the events here in Emmitsburg. Sister Genevieve Walsh is very sick with congestive heart failure and is expected to die within a matter of days. I wanted to stop by St. Catherine’s and visit her and this is how it went:

I went to the noon mass at the Grotto of Lourdes today. After mass I got Grotto water because S.C.C. asked me to get some. After I got the water I stopped by St. Joseph’s to pray a rosary for Sr. Genevieve because she is in very bad shape. I arrived at St. Joseph’s and looked at my watch as I walked in the door and the time was 1:13.

I prayed the Glorious Mysteries for Sr. Genevieve. During the time that I was praying the rosary I remembered many things and recalled some wonderful memories of Sr. Genevieve and it made me very sad to think we were about to loose her. I looked at my watch just as I finished the rosary and the time was 1:33. I felt a strong feeling of peace as I walked out the door and I glanced at my watch and it said 1:33:59.

I drove down the street to St. Catherine’s and when I arrived the odometer was 3313. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. I walked in St. Catherine’s and just as I did I again felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. I signed in at the reception desk and was given visitor badge 133.

I walked up to Sr. Genevieve’s room and she was sleeping and clutching her crucifix with one hand. I was not going to wake her up but Amanda Masser who is one of the nurses came in and did wake up Sr. Genevieve. I talked to Sr. Genevieve for a few minutes and then left. I drove home and pulled in my driveway and the time on the dash was 2:13.

Later in the evening I sent Ted Szymanski an email telling him about Sr. Genevieve’s condition. Ted and Sr. Genevieve have known each other for a very long time. At the very instant I sent the email I felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and the time was 7:13.

Sunday February 13

Last night I received 2 phone calls. The first one was from Jim O’Brien asking for a ride to the Mission of Mercy Mass at St. Mary’s when he gets off from work at 2 PM. The other call was from Dolly K asking if S.C.C. and I could be Eucharistic Ministers at the Mission of Mercy Mass. S.C.C. said she could not do it because she was going to Hanover. I told Dolly that I would do it.

When I got up this morning and got dressed I thought of today being the Mission of Mercy Mass at St. Mary’s just as I was putting on my watch. It said XX:XX:13. We ate breakfast and a little later S.C.C. left to ride to Walmart in Hanover which is about 45 minutes away.

C.R.C. and I were at home when the phone rang. It was Jan F (Dr. Joe F’s wife) saying that Sr. Genevieve was not doing well and that Joe asked her to call me to let me know that death was near and this might me the last chance to see her alive. I told Jan I would stop by and see her today when I go there to pick up Jim when he gets off work. C.R.C. and I got ready and left the house and rode first to St. Joseph’s to pray a rosary for Sr. Genevieve. We arrived at St. Joseph’s and the odometer was 1.3.

C.R.C. and I walked in the church and as we did I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. We prayed the rosary for Sr. Genevieve and at the very instant we finished I felt the peace run through me. I looked at my watch and the time was 1:33. I glanced at my watch again as we walked out the door and this time it said XX:XX:33. We got in the car to ride down the street to St. Catherine’s to see Sr. Genevieve and pick up Jim and at the very instant we pulled out and the car started to move the odometer switched to 33.3.

We arrived at St. Catherine’s and at the very instant the car came to a complete stop I again felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. We walked in the front door and again I felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

C.R.C. and I walked up to Sr. Genevieve’s room and she looked very bad. She was awake but to weak to speak more than a word or two. We held hands and I felt sure this would be our last conversation. I prayed alone for a few seconds and decided to tell Sr. Genevieve who I saw this past December 8th. I told her and she smiled. C.R.C. and I left and just as we walked out the door of St. Catherine’s a car approached us with the license plate of 13.

We waited in the car and about a minute or two later Jim O’Brien came walking out after getting off from work. He got in the car and we drove directly to St. Mary’s for the 22nd Mission of Mercy Mass. We arrived at as we did I glanced at my watch and the time was 2:13:59.

Fr. M______ was sick and we had a substitute priest. Fr. Marty Fields from St. Joseph’s in Taneytown filled in. C.R.C. was the altar server. Just before mass began Jan F asked me if it was to late to get on the upcoming Medjugorje trip. I told her there was still time and I would bring her the paperwork she would need to send in.

Mass began and at one point I looked up and there was a blue halo around the head of the statue of Mary. When it faded I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. Jan and I were the Eucharistic ministers and at the very instant we finished and returned to our seats I glanced at my watch and the time was 3:13:00.

After Mass Jim O’Brien chanted the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and just before we finished it I felt the peace run through me. I knew to glance at my watch and the time was 3:33.

There was a dinner in the parish hall and when that was over we left to take Jim home. We stopped at St. Joseph’s on the way and when we arrived the time was 5:13. I said a short prayer of thanks and for Sr. Genevieve and then dropped Jim off at his house. We then rode home and on the way we stopped at Joe and Jan F’s house to drop off the paper they needed to fill out and mail for the upcoming March 28 trip to Medjugorje. We dropped it off and the time was 5:33.

R_____ C___

Feb. 24, 2005

11:13 Pm