Feast of the Holy Rosary

Sunday October 7, 2018

Today is the Eucharistic Prayer Group for Peace and Unity held at St. Mary’s. The prayer group is usually held on the 2^nd Sunday of each month but sometimes like today, because of scheduling conflicts it is held on another day. The prayer group has been in existence for more than five years now. Today was special because it fell on the Feast of The Holy Rosary. Attendance was up a little and it was a very pleasant day with good weather.

Yesterday I received a call from Brother Paschal O’Brien asking if I could pick him up at the Grotto of Lourdes on my way to the prayer group. I told Brother Paschal that I would pick him up. After finishing up my CCD class I left to go to Emmitsburg. Traffic was bad and there was a lot of congestion from Leesburg until you reached Maryland. It was a miserable ride. I arrived at the Grotto and it was packed full of people. I wanted to find C.R.C. just to say hello but I knew he was very busy because of the huge crowd of people there. Brother Paschal was standing at the entrance waiting for me. He got in the car and we rode straight to St. Mary’s for the prayer group. We arrived and the prayer group began a few minutes late. At the instant Mike Sullivan began the prayer group I glanced at my watch and the time was 2:13:00.

Like always the Blessed Sacrament was exposed on the altar. Mike Sullivan gave his opening remarks and afterwards we prayed the Luminous Mysteries of the rosary. Following the rosary there were more prayers and consecrations then I got up to lead the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. After completing the Chaplet I noticed my watch as I genuflected before the Blessed Sacrament on the way back to my pew and the time was 3:30.

After the prayer group ended several of the people in attendance rode to Taverna’s Restaurant and had dinner. My old friend Becky Brown joined us. We all had a good dinner and a nice time and when we got up to leave and go our separate ways the time was 5:33. I drove Brother Paschal home and Raymond Sanders asked if I would drop his cassock off at his house so it would not get wrinkled on his scooter. I told him I would. I drove back to Emmitsburg and dropped off Brother Paschal and then drove to Raymond’s house. I had to wait for him to arrive since he was driving a scooter. When he arrived he took the cassock and I left.

I stopped at St. Joseph’s which is only 500 feet away and parked. I walked around the church praying the Luminous mysteries for C.R.C. when I heard my name being called. I looked up and C.R.C.’s co-worker at the Grotto, Patrick was signaling for me to walk over to him. Patrick then proceeded to tell me that C.R.C. and another employee had been involved in a golf cart accident at the back side of the gift shop at the Grotto. He told me that C.R.C.s co-worker went in the gift shop and C.R.C. was sitting on the cart in the passenger seat when he dropped a cooler and it hit the accelerator causing the cart to crash through plate glass windows at the rear entrance of the gift shop with C.R.C. on it. I was stunned but very relived to be told that there were no injuries. Patrick then told me that C.R.C. was too shaken up to drive home so he drove him home. Patrick said I should give him a call. Patrick left and I picked up my rosary where I left off and had a couple more decades to go. I finished the rosary and glanced at my watch as I finished and the time was 6:13.

I returned to my car and gave C.R.C. a call. I could tell he was still very shaken up. We talked for a while and I told him that I would ride over to his apartment in Westminster and we would go get something to eat and talk. C.R.C. said that would be good and was a little surprised to find out I was in Emmitsburg. I drove to Westminster and arrived at his house at 7:13.

We rode to an Irish pub restaurant and had a bowl of Maryland crab soup. It was very good. We talked and C.R.C. told me everything that was running through his mind as he was crashing through the plate glass windows. He also told me that lately he has seen himself in his mind elevating the host as a priest. After we finished talking we left the restaurant and the time was 8:33. I dropped him off at his house and rode back to Emmitsburg. I arrived at St. Josephs and I prayed another rosary for C.R.C. and glanced at my watch as I finished and the time was 9:13

R.C.

Oct. 11, 2018

4:33 PM