First Saturday and Public Apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg

and Dinner With Dr. Thomas Petrisko

July 1 & 2, 2006

This is another one of those papers where the unexpected sequence of events almost leaves me numb. I have said it before and I will say it again, I never know what to expect from one minute to the next. When special unexpected events take place I just pray and write it down.

Dr. Thomas Petrisko is an author who has written 20 books on the apparitions of Mary around the world. He also goes around and gives talks about Our Lady. Tom was here in Emmitsburg and gave a talk sponsored by St. Peter’s Lecture Series back on April 29, 2006. Tom was not here to promote Our Lady of Emmitsburg.

Tom was back in Emmitsburg this past weekend to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield with two of his children. The sequence of events I am about to describe could only have been orchestrated by Our Lady and Her Son. There is no other way it could have worked out this way.

First Saturday July 1

Last night I had a very vivid dream that only lasted about two seconds. The only reason I am mentioning it is because it was the vivid type with a reach out and touch texture.

In this dream there was a young man who suddenly appeared right in front of me. He was about 30 years old and had a wide beaming smile on his face. He was well dressed with velvet type clothes that looked like a style from 200 years ago. He was wearing a wide brim hat with a rounded dome and thin leather shoes that looked like something the pope would wear. I did not recognize this person but I had the feeling he was a saint and I still do.

Later in the morning I got up and S.C.C. and I went to St. Mary’s for 8 am mass and our monthly LMC meeting. Fr. Bob McDade was the priest because Fr. Mike is recovering from minor surgery. During mass I suddenly felt the peace hit me just as I got up to go to Holy Communion. It caused me to glance at my watch and the time was 8:33:13.

After mass we prayed the Glorious mysteries of the rosary and the LMC meeting followed. We did not have a priest this month like we usually do because of Fr. Mike’s recovery from surgery.

Our new members, Jeff and Joan B came. During the meeting Jeff wanted to get to know everybody better. He went around the room and asked every person there how they came to join the Lay Missionaries of Charity. Every person in the room attributed it to the Thursday Night Prayer group at St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg. Later Dolly K said she needed to leave. We prayed our closing prayer and the meeting ended at 11:13.

S.C.C. went home and I went and did a few things. I stopped at St. Peter’s for a cup of coffee. While I was there I gave the 1st decade of the rosary to a lady named Marilynn because Phil C called the other night asking me to line up the people because he was going to be in Delaware. As I offered the 1st decade to her I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. I finished my coffee and left and as I walked out the door I glanced at my watch and the time was 2:13.

I started driving home and SUDDENLY felt the need to pray for Fr. Vincent O’Mally who is the pastor of St. Joseph’s. Fr. O’Malley has been transferred from the Gettysburg hospital to the intensive care unit of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for complications from an unknown infection. I glanced at my watch as this thought hit and it said XX:XX:33. I arrived at St. Joseph’s and the odometer was 1.3 and the instant the car came to a complete stop the CD flashed 33. I prayed the rosary for his recovery and that Our Lady of Emmitsburg let him know it was She who interceded on his behalf. This was my prayer. I finished the rosary and started the car to leave and it was the last second or so of 2:33. As I pulled out I met a car with the license plate of 333.

I drove home and later in the afternoon S.C.C. and I talked again about selling the house in "hometown". We had this discussion and when we finished talking I looked at my watch and the time was 4:13.

Later S.C.C. drove C.R.C. to St. Mary’s because he was scheduled to be altar server at the 5:30 mass. I stayed home and was working on my notes for today. Later when it was time to pick up C.R.C., S.C.C. asked it I would do it. I stopped working on my notes and glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. I drove to St. Mary’s and as C.R.C. got in the car I glanced at my watch and the time was 6:33:33.

We drove home and I continued working on my notes. When I got to the part this morning of having the dream of the young man I understood to be a saint the time was 7:13. When I completed all of the notes the time was 7:33.

Sunday July 2, 2006

Today is the monthly public apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg at the Lynfield Event Complex. S.C.C. and I started the day off by going to St. Mary's for the 8 am mass because we were scheduled to be Eucharistic Ministers. C.R.C. did not go with us because he served last night at the 5:30 mass. Fr. Mike Messaro was the priest and after mass S.C.C. and I finished our Eucharistic Minister duties before going downstairs for coffee and doughnuts. When we left I glanced at my watch as we walked out the door and it said XX:XX:33.

We drove home and Wayne Warthen had called saying that he would be able to give C.R.C. a haircut this morning. I woke C.R.C. up and waited for him to get ready. When C.R.C. was finally ready we left and rode into Emmitsburg. We arrived at St. Joseph's and the time was 10:33. We said a quick prayer and rode down the block to Wayne's house and got the haircut. We finished and the time was 11:13.

We left Wayne's house and rode to St. Peter's for coffee. While we were there Kerry Kelly came in and I offered her the second decade of the rosary at the apparition today. She accepted. Peter Blanchard who owns St. Peter's walked up and asked if we would pray the Angelus with him. We prayed the Angelus and at the instant we finished I felt the peace hit me. I glanced at my watch and the time was 12:13.

A few minutes later Mary Blanchard said that Dr. Thomas Petrisko was in the area and would be stopping by the store to drop off some of his books. About a half hour later he arrived with two of his children, Maria and Josh. Tom was here to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield with his children. Not for the apparition. Tom was here back on April 29 and gave a talk on Marian apparitions around the world through the St. Peter's Lecture Series.

Peter invited Tom to Our Lady's apparition today but he declined and said he promised his children a visit to the battlefield. Peter then invited Tom to come back this evening for a hamburger and hotdog cookout at his house tonight and Tom accepted. He also invited S.C.C. and I. Tom purchased a statue of Our Lady of Fatima from the book store and asked that Peter take it to the apparition and ask Gianna to have Our Lady bless it. As Tom and his kids were leaving he came up to me and said "I am looking forward to getting to know you tonight". We shook hands and it was at that instant I suddenly knew I was seeing something totally unexpected and totally unplanned fall perfectly together. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

Time slipped past and suddenly it was later than I thought and I knew I did not have time to go home to get Sr. Genevieve's picture of Our Lady of Emmitsburg before picking up Ray Sanders at 1:30 at St Josephs. C.R.C. and I left to go to St. Joseph's and pray a rosary while we waited for Ray but just as we arrived Ray came walking out from between two parked cars and got in the car. It was not until then I noticed the dash and the time was 1:13.

We then rode out to my house and I told S.C.C. that we were invited to Peter and Mary's tonight after the apparition for a cookout with Tom Petrisko. S.C.C. said she was going to the apparition but was to tired to go anywhere else. S.C.C. also said she would take her own car because we also needed to pickup Jim O'Brien at St. Catherine’s when he gets off work at 2 pm. We put Sr. Genevieves's picture of Our Lady in the car and left. We picked up Jim at the Basilica and rode to the Lynfield Event Complex for the prayer service. We arrived and at the instant the car came to a complete stop I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13 and the CD flashed 33.

As I walked towards the front door I saw Corrine K walking towards me. I offered her the 3rd decade of the rosary and she accepted. I then set up Sr. Genevieve's picture of Our Lady of Emmitsburg at the front of the hall. I then ran into Corinne again and this time her husband Frank who is my co-worker was with her. Frank said "I hear Corrine has the 3rd decade. Who has the 4th ?” I told Frank that I had not given the 4th to anybody yet. Frank asked if he could have it and I said yes. The time was 2:33.

A little while later while talking to Mick Major he pointed out a lady who he thought would like to have the 5th decade. I offered it to her and she also accepted. The prayer group was a little late getting started. Mike Sullivan had lots of announcements to make. For the first time Mike invited all of the children to come up and sit around Gianna during the rosary. Lots of children went up front. After Mike finished all of the announcements the prayer group began with Hail Mary, Gentle Woman. It caused a feeling of peace within me and I looked down at my watch and the time was 3:33.

The rosary began and Mike introduced each decade and read the meditation between each. Our Lady came while my friend and co-worker Frank was leading the rosary. At the very instant the apparition began I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. A few moments later at the very instant Gianna started to recite the message as Our Lady gave it to her I again glanced at my watch and it now said XX:XX:13. Our Lady gave a very strong message. After the apparition ended the rosary continued and at the instant it finished I again felt the peace. I looked at my watch and the time was 4:13. Jim O'Brien and Becky Brown then led the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and it finished at 4:33.

Mike Sullivan then made another announcement that Fr. Vincent O'Mally's sister called requesting prayers for Fr. O'Mally at the prayer service today. Fr. O'Malley is in the intensive care unit at Johns Hopkins. Mike then included prayers for Bishop Mulooley who suffered a heart attack last night. We then prayed the "Prayer to The Sacred Heart" for both of them. The prayer service ended and I got ready to leave. Ray said he was going to ride back with Betty McKenna. We put the picture of Our Lady back in the car and C.R.C., Jim and myself left. I glanced at my watch as we did and the time was 5:13:33. We drove back to Emmitsburg and dropped Jim off at his apartment. C.R.C. and I then stopped at St. Joseph's and said another prayer for Fr. O'Malley. We arrived and the time was 5:33.

C.R.C. and I then drove home and S.C.C. was already there when we arrived. She said she was still to tired to go to Peter and Mary's house. Later C.R.C. and I left to go to the cook out and stopped to pick up a bag of ice. We then rode over to Peter and Mary's house and at the very instant the car came to a complete stop I felt the peace. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33.

Dom Forker, who wrote the book "Our Lady of Emmitsburg" was there and we sat out on the deck and had a glass of wine. About a half hour later Tom Petrisko called and said he was lost. Peter and C.R.C. then rode into Fairfield and met Tom at the high school and led him back to the house. They returned and about a half hour later or so I looked up and saw Gianna and Mike Sullivan standing there. I glanced at my watch and the time was 8:13.

Mike Sullivan reminded Tom that they had met once for about 5 minutes about 10 years ago at a Marian Conference in Pittsburg. Tom said he remembered that. Other than knowing that Our Lady was appearing to Gianna in Emmitsburg, Tom's knowledge of the apparitions was very limited. A powerful conversation ensued and at one point I looked up and could clearly see the suffering and rejection Gianna is going through all over her face. It was a powerful moment for me because all I could see in her face was TRUTH. It caused me to glance down at my watch and the time was 8:33.

As I sat there and listened to the conversation between Tom Petrisko and the Sullivan's I thought about the importance of Tom having a favorable view of the apparitions because of the huge amount of influence he can have on people because he is such a highly respected author on this very subject.

The conversation continued during dinner out on the deck. Later into the conversation Tom Petrisko asked me how I ended up coming to Emmitsburg. I told Tom that this is a question that has no short answer. He said he would like to hear it. Suddenly I felt the peace. I then proceeded to tell Tom how I ended up in Emmitsburg. We started at the beginning when C.R.C. was beat up by his baby sitter. I told him how 6 years later I was travelling to Gettysburg and ended up at the Grotto of Lourdes. I explained to him how my life flashed before my eyes that day and I realized the need to have C.R.C. baptised. I told him how it led to me stopping in Emmitsburg to give thanks after C.R.C. was baptised and ending up at The Thursday Night Prayer Group at St. Joseph's in Emmitsburg.

Tom said "This is an amazing story" and Gianna then said "I am hearing this for the first time myself" I ended up talking non-stop for 20 or 25 minutes. I finished talking and I knew I had revealed exactly what I should have revealed. We talked a little longer and Tom got up to leave for the night and when it was all over I glanced at my watch as we were leaving and the time was 11:13.

R_____ C___

July 7, 2006

10:33 Pm