C.R.C & I Meet Unexpectedly At The Grotto In Emmitsburg

Sunday October 23, 2016

 

A couple of weeks ago on October 9^th C.R.C told me that Fr. <name withheld>, during his homily at <home parish> talked about his recent pilgrimage to Rome and Fatima. He also said that you do not have to travel half way around the world for such a spiritually uplifting experience. He then said you need not go any further than Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Fr. <name withheld>  suggested to the congregation that a pilgrimage to Emmitsburg, Maryland was a spiritually and uplifting experience that can be done in one day. Fr. <name withheld>  suggested that people go and jokingly said that if you did not find the experience uplifting he would reimburse you for your trip. I wish I had been there to hear that but I had already attended the 8:30 mass earlier the same morning because I was scheduled to be a Eucharistic Minister.

Today (October 23) I attended the 8:30 AM mass and Fr. <name withheld>  was the celebrant and during his homily he again brought up Emmitsburg by saying “With the fall colors today would be a perfect day to go the Grotto in Emmitsburg. When he said this I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13. Again later in the mass I had a CRASHING thought that I should go to Emmitsburg today. It was so sudden I knew to glance at my watch and the time was 9:13. Mass ended at 9:33.

Mass ended and I taught my CCD class and when that was completed I had a sudden thought that the class went very well. I glanced at my watch and it said XX:XX:13.

I drove home and had plans to go metal detecting with my friend Freddie Johnson. I wanted to go metal detecting but I also knew and felt like I should go to Emmitsburg. Freddie showed up at my house at 11:33 and I told him that I had to cancel. Freddie was fine with that.

I got in the car and drove to Emmitsburg with the intention of going to the statue of Our Lady of Fatima and praying the rosary for C.R.C.  however my first stop when I arrive in Emmitsburg is always St. Joseph’s. I arrived at St. Joseph’s and like usual the door was locked. I had the sudden urge to pray for C.R.C.  at St. Joseph’s while just sitting in the car. I glanced at my watch at the INSTANT I started the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary and the time was 3:13:13. I completed the rosary and the time was 3:33.

I then drove straight to the Grotto so I could pray another Rosary for C.R.C. who is considering the Priesthood. It was the first time I had been there in a few years. I took the complete walk through the Grotto saying a prayer at each statue. I had lost all track of time and when I arrived at my original destination which was the statue of Our Lady of Fatima I glanced at my watch and the time was 4:13. I started the Luminous mysteries of the rosary and was in the 2^nd decade when I noticed someone walking up and taking a seat next to me. IT WAS C.R.C who stopped at the Grotto on his way back from a friend’s wedding in Maryland.  After a few minutes of us talking C.R.C. said we needed to leave because the Grotto closes at 5. He suggested that we go to St. Joseph’s and pray a rosary. We did and when we arrived the time was 5:13. We prayed the rosary and completed it at 5:33. After the rosary we went to Stavros restaurant and ate dinner. When we finished and left the time was 6:13.

 

R. C.

Oct. 26, 2016

11:33 AM

 

Post Script

C.R.C. told me that he arrived at the Grotto and was parked next to my car and knew he would find me at the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. He said he arrived at 4:13 which is precisely when I arrived and started the rosary for him at the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I have included this as a post script because it happened to him, not me.