First Friday, Saturday & Public Apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg

February 3-5, 2006

As I sit down to write this paper I am still stunned when I think about the contents of the papers I wrote last month and compare those papers to the public message Our Lady of Emmitsburg gave this month. I did not want to include the letter I received from St. Joseph’s in my pack of papers last month but I did because I knew that is what I was being asked to do. Little did I know then that Our Lady was preparing the way for the very strong message given on February 5th which covered every detail of that letter and my response.

I know a lot of what I write sounds repetitive but in reality it is not. Each paper describes completely different events that are timed around circumstances that I have no control over. Here are two perfect examples of what I am talking about.

1. On Monday January 30th I attended 7:00 am mass at the basilica. After mass Libby Briggs asked if I would take the 3:00 to 4:00 am slot for First Friday adoration at St. Joseph’s. I said yes and glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

2. Fr. Mike M____ called and invited S.C.C. and I to dinner at St. Mary’s rectory at 5 pm on February 5th. Fr. Mike fixed dinner for all of the people involved with the St. Mary’s spaghetti dinner on February 19th.

These two events were instrumental in the events described in this paper. If either one of these events had not happened I would not be writing this paper. I will now describe the events of First Friday and Saturday that led up to Our Lady’s message on the first Sunday.

First Friday February 3, 2006

At first glance this paper may seem like all the rest, the same old thing over and over again, but that is not the case. Certain elements may seem the same from paper to paper but each one is very different.

I left for work this morning and while I was driving to St. Joseph’s I remembered that today was First Friday. I glanced at my watch as I first remembered this and it said XX:XX:13. I stopped at St. Joseph’s and arrived at 6:33. I said a few prayers and just as I pulled out to go to work the odometer switched to 1.3.

I drove to All Saint’s in Manassas for daily mass and just as I arrived a car approached from the opposite direction with the license plate of 33. I glanced at my watch as I walked in the door and it said XX:XX:33. Fr. Celinski was the priest. Mass began at 8:33. I received Holy Communion and just as I returned to my pew and knelt down with the host still on my tongue I felt the peace hit me. I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:13:13. Mass ended and I drove across the street to work, when I arrived the odometer was 3.3.

I was busy most of the day, when I got to a good breaking point in the work I left to take my lunch break and pray the rosary at All Saints. I started the car and was caught by surprise and sudden peace when I noticed the odometer from where I arrived at work this morning was 3.3. I drove to All Saint’s and prayed the Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. When I finished I left and drove back to work and when I arrived the time on the dash was 1:13.

Unlike the morning the afternoon was very slow and I did not have any work that I needed to do. I took that opportunity to write the January 23rd March for Life paper and completed it at 4:33. A little later I got off from work for the day and just as I pulled out of the gate to go back to Emmitsburg the feeling of peace struck me. I looked up and the CD flashed 333. Despite very heavy Friday traffic and a car accident on Rt. 15 I arrived at St. Joseph’s and glanced at my watch just as the car came to a complete stop and the time was 7:33:59.

Ray Sanders came walking up to my car and said he did not have a ride to the apparition of Our Lady on Sunday. I told Ray that he could ride with S.C.C. and myself but he would need to find another ride home because we would be leaving early to go to dinner at Fr. Mike’s. Ray said that would be fine. I then left and drove to Phil C’s house for our LMC men’s prayer group. When it was over I drove home and just as the car came to a complete stop the CD flashed 13.

First Saturday February 4, 2006

Usually I just go to St. Joseph’s for First Friday adoration anytime during the night and pray but I was obligated to be there tonight from 3:00 to 4:00 am because I agreed to take that hour of coverage when asked by Libby Briggs back on January 30. I had set the alarm clock to go off at 2:40. I got dressed and drove to St. Joseph’s. Just as I arrived the CD flashed 13. I glanced at my watch as I walked in the church and it said XX:XX:33.

I took my seat and knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. While in prayer I suddenly had the urge to pray the rosary. I glanced at my watch as that feeling hit and the time was 3:13. Just before I completed the last prayers at the end of the rosary I again felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and the time was 3:33. After completion of the rosary I continued to pray (especially about what continues to happen to me) until my replacement arrived at 4:00. I then drove home and pulled in my driveway and the time was 4:13.

I went straight back to bed and did not wake up again until the phone rang. It was Phil C asking what he and Aileen could bring to the monthly LMC meeting. I looked over at the clock when Phil called and the time was 7:13.

S.C.C. was already up and I got up and got ready to go to St. Mary’s for the LMC meeting. We did not have a meeting last month because of Steve K ’s funeral. Mass began at 8:00 and we prayed the Joyful mysteries after mass. Fr. Mike gave a very nice talk to the LMC’s. Mary G also attended the meeting again. The meeting ended and just as we finished up and walked out the door I felt the peace hit. I glanced at my watch and the time was 10:33:59.

After the LMC meeting was over I drove home and did a few little things. I then needed to ride into town, so without paying any attention to the time whatsoever I drove into Emmitsburg. I stopped at St. Joseph’s to pray the rosary before doing anything else. I glanced at my watch as I walked in the church and the time was 11:13:33. I prayed the Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary and glanced at my watch as I finished and kissed the crucifix and the time was now 11:33:13. I left and felt the strong peace as I walked out the door and the time was 11:33:59.

I rode to St. Peter’s and had a cup of coffee. I then left and did the things I needed to do which was why I originally rode into town anyway. When I finished these things I drove home and pulled back into my driveway and the time was 2:13.

Later in the evening we took C.R.C. and his friend Peter F out for C.R.C.’s 15th birthday dinner and as we walked out the door I felt the peace hit again just as I noticed the time on the kitchen stove was 5:13.

Sunday February 5, 2006

S.C.C. went to the 8:00 am mass because she was scheduled to work the “Welcome Table” after that mass. C.R.C. and I attended the 10:30 mass because I was scheduled to be the Eucharistic Minister and C.R.C. was scheduled to be altar server. We lined up to process in the church and at the instant we processed in I felt the peace hit. I glanced down at my watch and the time was 10:33. Mass ended and the time was 11:33.

We got home and had breakfast and S.C.C. said that Gwen L also needed a ride to the apparition of Our Lady today. I rode into town a little later and stopped by St. Peter’s and told Peter that I had 2 people I needed to pick up so I might be a little late arriving at the Lynfield Event Complex to help set things up. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

I then rode by St. Joseph’s and Ray Sanders was there so he just got in the car with me despite the fact it was a ½ hour earlier that what I had originally told him that I would pick him up. I went in St. Joseph’s to say a quick prayer before going to the apparition and as I walked in the church I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. I said a few prayers while Fr. O’Malley baptized a baby named Natalie Ann. I left and glanced at my watch as I walked out of the church and again it said XX:XX:33.

Ray and I rode back to my house and picked up S.C.C.. We then rode over to pick up Gwen L. We left to go the the apparition and when we arrived at St. Joseph’s the time on the clock tower was 2:13. We drove to the Lynfield Event Complex and arrived there at 2:33.

Both Ray and Gwen knew they needed to find rides home with someone else because S.C.C. and I had to leave early to be at dinner at Fr. Mike’s at 5:00 pm sharp. The prayer service started and the time was 3:13.

Mike Sullivan announced that Fr. Al Pehrrson had called earlier in the day and offered mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal for the intentions of everybody present at the apparition. Fr. Simon Ingler was there. Our Lady came during the 4th decade of the rosary. She gave the message and Gianna recited it as Our Lady spoke to her. When I realized that the message was directly related to the papers I wrote last month I felt the peace and glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

The apparition and rosary ended and S.C.C. and I had to leave to go to dinner. We got in the car to leave and when we started the car the time was 4:13. We drove back to Emmitsburg and when we arrived at St. Joseph’s the time was 4:33 and the odometer was 33.

We then drove straight to St. Mary’s and had dinner with Fr. M___ and all the others working on the Feb. 19th dinner. When that was over we left and just as we were leaving we met a car with the license plate of 333. We drove home and I sat down and wrote down all of the notes that this paper is created from and the time when I finished was 10:13.

R_____ C___

Feb. 10, 2006

5:33 Pm