The Year 2000: A Pilgrimage of Grace
It was the year 2000 when Mike and I renewed our wedding vows in Rome. I had been traveling with our ministry to the Holy Land, and Mike caught up with us in Turin, Italy, where we were visiting the Shroud of Turin at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. From there, our tour bus carried us through the rolling landscapes of Italy—through Genoa, Florence, and Assisi—before we finally reached the Eternal City.
Father Pat Hussey
Father Pat Hussey, a Jesuit priest from Ohio, served as our chaplain throughout the journey. His presence was a profound blessing. He celebrated Mass with us at every holy site in Israel and at the basilicas we visited across Italy. We had known Father Pat for several years; he regularly vacationed in California to visit family and was affiliated with St. Pius V in Buena Park. Father Pat became like family to us—so much so that he officiated the wedding of our daughter Sonja and her husband Russ. He has since passed into eternal rest with the Lord.
Saint Paul Outside the Walls
Saint Paul Outside the Walls is a grand cathedral that once served as the original Vatican and now stands as one of the four major basilicas in Rome. The remains of St. Paul are enshrined within its walls. On the right side of the basilica stands the St. Benedict Chapel, where a towering marble sculpture of the saint watches over the altar. It was here, in this sacred space, that Mike and I were surprised by our team. Joanne, our ministry leader, had arranged everything in advance—a vow renewal ceremony we never expected. Because it was a surprise, we were dressed casually, unaware of the blessing that awaited us.
The Spaniard
As Father Pat began the ceremony, a stranger quietly entered the chapel and interrupted the service. He said he had something he must give me. Father Pat, ever pastoral, gently reminded the gentleman that we were in the midst of our vows. The man did not leave. Instead, he stood quietly at the back of the chapel. I had never seen this man before and could not fathom his purpose. Father Pat resumed the ceremony.
Mike and I were deeply moved, humbled by the grace of renewing our vows before God and His Church, believing our marriage would now receive the Church’s blessing. But again, the stranger approached. This time, speaking in Spanish, he said with quiet urgency: “I must give her something.” Father Pat paused, and the man stepped forward to present me with his gift.
The Rosary
It was the most unusual rosary I had ever seen—ornate and larger than any standard rosary. The Spanish gentleman explained that he had crafted it with his own hands, and that God had instructed him to give it to me. He was a small man in stature, and when he introduced himself, he offered no name, only that he was from Spain. Then he asked me a question that stopped me short: “Do you know anything about Garabandal?”
I had just finished reading about the apparitions that had occurred in that region of Spain, so I answered with some surprise, “Yes.” As he placed the rosary in my hands, he explained its profound significance: it contained a piece of a page from the personal prayer book of Concita González, one of the Garabandal visionaries—a page that had been kissed by the Blessed Mother herself.
Our team immediately asked if he had more rosaries to share. The man simply replied, “No, just this one.”
In the excitement that followed, we took several photographs with the Spanish gentleman. But by the time we finished admiring the craftsmanship of this gift, he had vanished. I turned to thank him again, only to find he was gone. Mike was bewildered. “Do you know him?” he asked repeatedly. “Was the team part of this surprise too?” “No,” I assured him. “I’ve never met him.”
This was before the age of iPhones, so I eagerly anticipated getting the photographs developed when we returned home. I was convinced the man was an angel—surely, I thought, heavenly beings don’t appear in photographs. When the pictures came back, my hypothesis was proven wrong. There he stood, clear as day, unmistakably present in every frame.
Upon closer examination of the rosary, I discovered an inscription on the back: “Besado por la Santa Virgen Garabandal”—”Kissed by the Blessed Virgin Mother of Garabandal.”
Joanne said this was a gift from God because of my service to the homeless. I have no understanding of this event other than it was indeed holy and I love that Mike was there to witness it first hand.
Next week will mark another milestone in our lives. Mike and I will celebrate 45 years of marriage, and he has surprised me with a trip to Rome.
