Public Apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg

Sunday April 2, 2006

Again this month I was asked to fill in for Phil C and find the five people needed to lead the decades of the rosary at the public apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg today. Phil had to go out of town to visit some family members.

Earlier in the week I (March 29) thought about riding down to Leesburg and picking up my friend Ted Szymanski and bringing him to the apparition. While driving home from work that day Ted called me on my cell phone. I offered to come down and pick him up on Sunday. Ted said he would love to come.

While we were talking I also offered him the 4th decade of the rosary because that is the decade Our Lady usually comes in. At that instant a car approached from the opposite direction with the license plate of 33. We hung up and instantly I felt the peace. I looked down and the odometer was 13.3.

Sunday came and I knew it was going to be a busy day. When I woke up this morning the first thing that ran through my mind was the fact that Our Lady would be coming today. That thought caused me to look over at the clock next to the bed and the time was 5:33.

I went back to sleep for a short while before getting up and getting ready to go to mass. S.C.C. went last night so only C.R.C. and I needed to go this morning. C.R.C. and I went to mass at St. Mary’s and the Gospel reading ended at 8:13. At the consecration I felt the peace and glanced at my watch, it said XX:XX:33. Mass ended and as we were pulling out of the parking lot we were following a car with the license plate of 33.

C.R.C. and I rode home and S.C.C. had breakfast ready. It ended up being a nice easy morning with nothing to do. Later I started thinking about needing to ride to Leesburg to pick up Ted. I told S.C.C. that I was leaving. The time never crossed my mind. I started the car to leave and the time on the dash was 11:13.

I drove to Emmitsburg and stopped at St. Peter’s and bought a coke for the ride. I then left and drove to Walmart in Leesburg to pick up Ted. When I arrived there the odometer was 1.3 and the time was 12:33. We left my car at Walmart and rode back to Emmitsburg in Ted’s car and when we arrived back at St. Joseph’s the time was 1:33.

Ray Sanders was there and got in the car with us to go to the apparition. We rode out to my house and when we got there S.C.C. had pizza ready for lunch. After everyone ate we all got back into Ted’s car to go to the 3 pm apparition. When the car started the time that displayed on the dash was 2:13.

We drove to the Lynfield Event Complex which is about 13 miles south of Emmitsburg and upon arrival the odometer was 1.3. As I got out of the car I saw Larry McLean. Larry was the person who gave me the 5th decade of the rosary back on November 19, 1998 which was my first time at the apparition. I offered Larry the 3rd decade and he accepted. Over the next few minutes I lined up the other 3 people needed to lead the remaining decades.

Michael Sullivan made a few announcements and said Fr. Al Pehrsson offered a mass this morning for everyone attending the apparition at the Miraculous Medal shrine in Philadelphia. He then started the rosary. Attendance was down a little today and I would say there were about 350 people there. Our Lady appeared at 3:44 pm during the 3rd decade while Larry was leading the rosary.

Today was the very first time Our Lady has come in the 3rd decade since the apparitions took place in St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg. A few minutes into the apparition Gianna repeated the words as Our Lady gave them. At the instant she said Little children, praise be Jesus!” I felt the peace run through me. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

During the apparition I could see Gianna very clearly and when it was over I could see the suffering in her face. I don’t exactly know how to explain it but it was almost like I could feel it. It caused me to really think about what she is going through. I then felt the peace of knowing she is telling the truth and glanced at my watch and now it said XX:XX:13.

Our Lady talked about Pope John Paul II and it made me recall the fact that exactly one year ago today we were in Medjugorje when he died. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy followed the rosary. Fr. Simon Ingler then blessed everyone. When every thing was over I stepped outside to make a phone call. When I opened my cell phone it displayed the incorrect time because I had not yet set it for daylight savings time. The displayed time was 3:33. The actual time was 4:33.

Ted was having a wonderful time talking to his old friends from the Thursday Night Prayer Group so I did not rush him because he does not get to come so often. We did not leave until he had finished. When we pulled out the time was 5:13.

We drove back to Emmitsburg and dropped Ray off at Mount St. Mary’s. Ted said he would like to go get something to eat. We drove to the Ott House and parked at St. Joseph’s. We ate and when we finished I glanced at my watch as we were leaving and the time was 6:33:13. We walked across the street to St. Joseph’s and when we started the car to go back to Leesburg the time on the dash was 6:33.

We drove Ted back and when we arrived at Walmart in Leesburg the time was 7:33. We dropped Ted off and got back in my car to come home. The odometer was 1.3 from where I arrived there this morning. We drove back to Emmitsburg and arrived back at St. Joseph’s at 8:33.

R_____ C___

April 9, 2006

10:33 Pm