The Reason I Believe Our Lady Cried Tears of Blood At St. Joseph’s on June 15, 2000

November 25, 2006

Of all of the Thursday Night Prayer Group evenings I ever spent at St. Joseph’s the evening of Thursday June 15, 2000 will always standout in my mind as the worst one I ever attended. On the other hand it was one of the best because that was the night a picture of Our Lady that was given to me earlier that day wept tears of blood. I wrote a paper back in 2000 about this event and it said:

On Thursday June 15, 2000 shortly after I arrived at St. Joseph’s that day I saw
Sister Claire and a few other people standing and talking in the parking lot. I walked over to say hello to them and joined their conversation. Sister Claire then asked me to walk over to her car because she wanted to give me a picture of Our Lady to hang in my house. Sister Claire opened the trunk of her car and gave me a beautiful picture of Our Lady. Sister Claire pointed out that this picture shows The Virgin wearing a scarf very much like the one pictured in Our Lady of Emmitsburg’s picture.

I clearly remember looking at the picture she gave me and thinking how nice it was. The picture had a creamy texture and was absolutely perfect in every way. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. If there had been anything out of the ordinary I would have noticed it right away.

I thanked Sister Claire and we walked over to the church a few minutes before 3 PM for the Chaplet of Devine Mercy and I gave the picture to the usher to be placed on the altar to be blessed by Our Lady of Emmitsburg that evening. When everything was over that night I went up to the altar to get my picture and I was STUNNED to find that the picture of Our Lady had wept tears of blood from the left eye. There was also blood on Her face and blood was dripping out of Her Immaculate Heart directly under the entrance wound of the dagger.

This goes far beyond my comprehension and trying to understand it is nearly impossible. I can only say that I am grateful beyond my ability to describe and I thank God constantly for this picture and for what He has done for myself, my friends and my family all because of being at Saint Joseph’s in Emmitsburg during the apparitions to Gianna Talone Sullivan.

In addition to what I have told you here I have smelled the roses at St. Joseph’s about 30 times and Our Lady has appeared while I was leading the Rosary twice. The first time as I mentioned earlier was July 8, 1999 and the second time was March 23, 2000. I feel very privileged to have experienced all of this and I thank God for it.

Today, that Thursday Night prayer group that took place more than 6 years ago resurfaced in a very unexpected way which has resulted in me writing this paper.

I woke up this morning and looked over at the clock and the time was 6:33. I got up a few minutes later and had coffee. Later in the morning I left to go to mass at St. Joseph’s and when I arrived the CD flashed either 13 or 33.

Fr. Paul Murphy was the priest. It is always a special treat when Fr. Murphy says mass because of a special peace about him that everybody notices and talks about. Mass ended and as I was walking back to my car Mike Sullivan asked if I was going to St. Peter’s for coffee. I said yes. Mike said he would be stopping by in about an hour after he and Ivan Pare did a little work on the Mission of Mercy van. I went to St. Peters and when Mike arrived I glanced at my watch and the time was 10:33.

Mike and I got into a conversation about the fact that every single Thursday Night Prayer Group was recorded on VHS tape and were almost thrown away after the closure of the prayer group. We talked about how the tapes were saved and are now in a safe place.

While Mike and I were talking about this I mentioned that he should go back and watch the tape from June 15, 2000. Mike asked me what stood out about that night and I told him that I thought it was a very bad night for the prayer group because none of the regular priest were there and a visiting priest named Fr. B________y officiated and rushed through the entire prayer group with little or no reverence towards the apparition of Our Lady. I told Mike that I thought that night was the beginning of the end.

Mike vividly remembered that evening and said “That was the worst Thursday Night Prayer Group that ever was.” I did not mention it to Mike but that was the night the picture that was given to me wept tears of blood. Looking back on things, Our Lady had good reason to be sad that night. Mike and I finished our conversation and he got up to leave. I looked at my watch as he walked out the door and the time was 11:13.

I left a few minutes later and went home. I found plenty of things to keep me busy most of the day. When I finished everything I suddenly felt like going to the Grotto to pray my daily rosary. I never looked at the time. I left and stopped at St. Joseph’s on my way to the Grotto and arrived there at 4:13.

I considered going to the 4:30 mass but I did not. As I pulled out of the parking lot to go to the Grotto another car was pulling in and it had the license plate of 13. I drove to the Grotto and when I arrived the odometer was 3.3.

I walked through the entire Grotto. When I arrived at the statue of Our Lady of Fatima I sat down on the bench and prayed the Glorious and Luminous mysteries of the rosary. About ½ way through the rosary the alarm went off signaling that the Grotto was getting ready to close. I glanced at my watch as I got up to move closer to the gate so I would not be locked in again and it said XX:XX:13.

I walked to the statue of St. Faustina and completed my rosary there so I could keep an eye on the gate. I finished the rosary and glanced at my watch as I walked out the gate and the time was 5:13. I got in my car and left and on my way home I rode by St. Joseph’s and when I arrived the odometer was 1.3.

Later while I was sitting at my kitchen table I had a strong, sudden thought that I should write a paper about today’s events. It was so sudden and strong I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. I finished what I was doing and then sat down to write my daily notes for today which will be used for the creation of this paper. As I did so I glanced at my watch and the time was 7:13.

Just as I was nearing the completion of writing the notes in my notebook I suddenly remembered all of the times I felt the urge to go to St. Joseph’s and pray the rosary. I thought about all of the times I just walked around the church in the cold winter nights praying the rosary. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:33. A few minutes later the same thing happened and I knew I was being called to go to St. Joseph’s to pray. I looked at my watch again and it said XX:XX:33. I drove straight to St. Joseph’s and glanced at my watch as I arrived and the time was 8:13:13.

I prayed the Sorrowful mysteries of the rosary as I walked around the church like I have done so many times in the past. I completed the rosary and as I was going back to my car I kissed the corner of the church as I walked by. I felt the peace run through me. I glanced at my watch and the time was 8:33.

As I was walking back to my car I was again struck with a sudden feeling of peace. I glanced at my watch and the time was now 8:33:33. I drove home and when I pulled in my driveway the odometer was 13.

R_____ C___

Nov. 26, 2006

9:33:13 Pm