Trip to Garabandal, Spain & Lourdes, France
September 8 – 19, 2024
This is going to be a very difficult paper for me to write. There are so many moving parts that had to come together in perfect order over the course of my life time to make this paper possible. I have always thought that these events started happening to me at St. Joseph’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland back in 1998 when I first arrived at the Thursday Night Prayer Group. In retrospect I now realize my entire life has been leading up to these magnificent events with Our Lady and Our Lord.
I don’t think this paper would be complete without me including a childhood event that happened to me when I was about 5 or possibly 6 years old. I was in my bedroom with my little sister Barbara Ann. Our mother and father called us to come and see something on television. Barbara and I ran into the family room where they were sitting. On the television there was a news report of the events currently taking place in Garabandal, Spain. This news report showed the four girls seeing The Blessed Virgin Mary. I remember being amazed. The news report ended and I clearly remember my mother saying to my father “Dan, you know this must be real because there is no possible way those babies could make this up.”
I am 69 years old as I write this paper and I remember that taking place like it was yesterday. I feel it is an event that is critical to this paper and that is why God never let me forget it.
Also to understand this paper it is imperative that I mention (as I have in many papers) that once I arrived at The apparition of Our Lady of Emmitsburg during theThursday Night Prayer Group at St. Joseph’s I began to experience a very unusual pattern of numbers that coincided with my arrival at the prayer group in Emmitsburg and my arrival home in Culpeper, Virginia. These numbers were 333 to start off with then expanded later to include 33 and 13. This phenomenon continues to this very day.
I was stunned to learn that Our Lady talked about the 333 sequence to Fr. Stephano Gobbi:
The number, 333, indicates the divinity.
Lucifer rebels against God through pride, because he wants to put himself above God.
333 is the number which indicates the mystery of God.
he who wants to put himself above God bears the sign, 666, and consequently this number indicates the name of Lucifer, Satan, that is to say, of him who sets himself against Christ, of the antichrist.
333 indicated once, that is to say, for the first time, expresses the mystery of the unity of God.
333 indicated twice, that is to say, for the second time, indicates the two natures, that of the divine and the human, united in the divine person of Jesus Christ.
333 indicated thrice, that is to say, for the third time, indicates the mystery of the three divine persons, that is to say, it expresses the mystery of the most Holy Trinity.
thus the number, 333, expressed one, two and three times, expresses the principal mysteries of the catholic faith, which are the unity and the trinity of God, the incarnation, the passion and death, and the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ.
333 is the number which indicates the divinity.
So with this happening EVERYTIME I arrived at St. Joseph’s I could not ignore it. Then back in the year 2000 I made my first trip to Medjugorje. I was stunned to find the 13, 33 and 333 happening to me EXACTLY the same way as it did in St. Joseph’s but now it was happening at St. James in Medjugorje as well.
At this point I can now associate the occurrence of numbers happening at Emmitsburg and Medjugorje to me as explained by Our Lady to Fr. Gobbi as a seamless connection between the two apparition sites of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
Now I am going to mention something that I never mentioned before. Other than the childhood memory of Garabandal on the television news report this apparition site never really seemed to get my attention. I was a little surprised by this because I had watched the videos that are available of when the apparitions were taking place. I had watched the documentaries and I was absolutely convinced they were genuine. BUT I did not develop a real interest in these apparitions because they did not produce the 13, 33 or 333 patterns that Emmitsburg and Medjugorje did. Because of this I did not think God was directing my attention to them. But make no mistake, somehow I believed and knew in my heart they were real and if God wanted to direct my attention to them, he would in His own good time.
I think this is a good point to start to describe how it came about that I visited Garabandal and Lourdes along with other points along the way.
Spring 2023
I’m not sure of the exact date but every now and then I would go to _________burg, Virginia to visit a Civil War relic shop in Falmouth, Virginia. After I left there I would often stop by St. ________’s Catholic Church on ___ ____ Road just outside __________burg to pray my rosary. As I was praying my rosary Fr. _____ _______ who is the pastor cam e in and began to pray. I personally knew Fr. ______ from earlier conversations, confessions and we metal detected St. _______ for Civil War relics once construction of the new church began. We also went out to dinner on numerous occasions. This particular evening we went to a burger restaurant in _________burg. The topic of Garabandal came up and Fr. _______ said he had been there a number of times. He said he would like to go back. I told Fr. _______ that if he goes back I would like to go to Garabandal too.
Wednesday November 8, 2023
I received an email from Fr. _______ inviting me and my wife S.C.C. to go to Garabandal and Lourdes with a tour group “Give Thanks and Remember” run by a lady named Heidi for this coming September 8 – 19, 2024.
Susan and I talked about this and she decided that she was not going to go because she baby sits our granddaughter, L______ a few days a week. S.C.C. did not want to force C.R.C and H_____ to find another babysitter. S.C.C. insisted that I go and so that’s what we did.
Friday December 29, 2023
Today marks the FIRST time I have ever experienced the 13, 33 & 333 with Garabandal and with this I knew with 100 percent certainty I would be going to Garabandal & Lourdes.
I have been thinking a lot about this upcoming trip to Garabandal and Lourdes. I really want to go but something pulls at me to not go. My passport is expired and I knew I needed to get that renewed before anything else could move forward. This particular day I did not have a lot to do so I decided that I would ride to the Taneytown, Maryland Post Office which is the closest place to renew a passport and get that taken care of. I gathered all of the paper work and walked out of my front door to go renew my passport. As I walked out of my front door I noticed the time on my iPhone that was in my hand was 10:13.
I drove to Taneytown and arrived at the Taneytown post office where they process passports and the time on the dash was 10:33. I parked my car and instantly as I got out of my car an oncoming car coming from the opposite direction approached and its license plate was 13. I got all of the paper work for the passport submitted and then I left. I drove back to Emmitsburg and I decided to stop at St. Joseph’s to pray the rosary for this upcoming trip to Garabandal and Lourdes. I arrived and the time on the dash was 11:13. I prayed the Joyful mysteries and glanced at my watch as I finished and kissed the crucifix and the time was 11:33.
For the next number of months leading up to our departure there were numerous times that something random would happen pertaining to Garabandal & Lourdes and would be accompanied with an out of nowhere 13, 33 or 333. An example would be something like a RANDOM video coming on YouTube about Garabandal or Lourdes. Each time it would begin or end at 13 or 33 minutes after the hour. This happened many times.
Departure Day Sunday September 8, 2024
I find it somewhat amazing that I am leaving for Garabandal and Lourdes on the 24th anniversary of Our Lady of Emmitsburg Prayer Group at St. Joseph’s being shut down by the Archdioceses of Baltimore. I finished the last of my preparations to leave and S.C.C. suggested that we sit down and pray a rosary for my trip. We prayed the Luminous mysteries and I glanced at my watch as we finished and kissed the crucifix and the time was 11:33:33.
My good friends Peter and Mary B________ picked me up and drove me to Dulles Airport where I met up with the rest of our group going to Garabandal and Lourdes. After going through all the passport and legal requirements they called for us to board our plane. As I boarded the plane I glanced at my watch and the time was 4:33:33. We flew all night and when we landed I glanced at my watch and the seconds were 33.
Monday September 9, 2024
After getting off the plane in Madrid we boarded a bus to Avila, Spain. As the bus departed I glanced at my watch and the time was 9:13. When we arrived in Avila we visited St. Theresa of Avila’s cell at the Transverberation Chapel of the Incarnation Monastery. Fr. ______ celebrated mass in a small chapel just outside of St. Theresa’s cell. Mass ended and we continued our walking tour of Avila. It was very nice but I was very tired. We checked into our hotel and got a nights sleep.
Tuesday September 10, 2024
I suddenly awoke in the middle of the night. I just laid there in bed and I prayed a few Hail Mary’s. Then surprisingly my roommate, John G_______ also woke up. He noticed I was awake and he asked me for the time. I told him I did not know. He then grabbed his cell phone, looked at it and said out loud “It’s Three Thirteen”. I prayed a few more Hail Mary’s and went back to sleep.
I woke up the next morning and surprising to me the hotel had a chapel with The Blessed Sacrament. I walked in and Fr. ______ was already there. I sat down and I prayed the Joyful mysteries. I finished and glanced at my watch and the time was 7:33.
We ate breakfast then we boarded our bus to travel to Segovia, Spain. As we were riding to Segovia Fr. ______ told us that he was able to obtain a 1st class relic of St. Theresa of Avila and that he was going to pass it around. I was sitting in the very back of the bus and I had fallen asleep before the relic got back to me. The person in front of me woke me up by tapping me and then handed me the 1st class relic of St. Theresa of Avila. At the instant it was placed in my hand I had a sudden feeling of peace. I knew to glance at my watch and the time was 9:13.
We arrived at Segovia at St. John of The Cross tomb. The time we arrived was 9:33. We took a short tour and Fr. ______ said mass there. Mass began and I glanced at my watch and the time was 10:13. Mass ended and we took a walking tour. We finished the tour and just as we were ready to board the bus a small red car pulled up with the license plate of 33313. The bus pulled out and it was 11:33:13.
We took the bus to another part of town and ate lunch. We finished lunch and pulled out for our long ride to Garabandal. I glanced at my watch as we left for Garabandal and the time was 2:33.
During the long ride to Garabandal Fr. ______ gave a very informative and scholarly talk covering the apparitions of Garabandal. His talk lasted more than an hour and it was excellent. I was sorry when he finished talking. When he finished talking I glanced at my watch and the seconds were 33.
We still had a ways to go before reaching Garabandal so Fr. ______ led the Glorious mysteries of the rosary. Just as we finished the rosary we arrived in Garabandal. I looked out of the bus window and I saw the sign that said “San Sebastian De Garabandal” it was then I received a sudden and very sharp pain in my nose. We got off the bus and I noticed the bus we were riding in had the license plate of 13.
We ate dinner and then walked around the very small town of Garabandal before returning to our hotel and going to bed.
Wednesday September 11, 2024
I got up this morning and took a shower. The pain in my nose has grown worse and now my nose is swollen and red. It is very painful to the touch but not making me feel sick. I question the origin of this problem because it came on me so suddenly and at the precise time we arrived in Garabandal. I sat in the hotel room and I noticed as I began to catch up my notes for this trip the time was 8:13.
We ate breakfast then our group walked to the small church in Garabandal and Fr. ______ suggested that we pray a rosary there. Fr. ______ checked with the parish priest and now was not a good time to pray the rosary in the church because people would soon be coming in for mass. We decided to walk to The Pines where God will perform the miracle of Garabandal. As we left the church to start our up-hill hike I glanced at my watch and the time was 3:33. Because I have not yet adjusted my watch to the local time. The actual time was 9:33.
We arrived at The Pines and it is beautiful. There is a amazing view of the town below. It is truly a very special place. We prayed the Sorrowful mysteries and I glanced at my watch as we finished and I kissed the crucifix and the seconds were 33. We then made the steep climb down and arrived back in the small town. I was a little tired and I sat down on a bench near the church in Garabandal and prayed the Joyful mysteries. I finished and glanced at my watch and the time was 11:33.
A little later our group boarded the bus for a side trip to visit the “Lignum Cross”. This is a relic of the True Cross recovered by Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Fr. ______ said mass in the chapel that houses the True Cross. After mass we venerated the cross and as we did I glanced at my watch and the time was 3:33.
Later we boarded our bus and rode back to our hotel in Garabandal. We arrived and I noticed out the window the sign that reads “San Sebastian De Garabandal” and I glanced at my watch and the time was 7:13:59.
Thursday September 12, 2024
We have a side trip this morning to Cucamonga where a hidden statue of The Virgin Mary is credited with defeating the Moors in about the year 720 ensuring a Christian victory over the Muslims and driving them out of Spain. We arrived there and I glanced at my watch and the time was 11:33.
Fr. ______ said mass in the Crypt Church at 12 noon. Mass ended and I walked upstairs to the upper level and prayed the Joyful mysteries. I finished the rosary and glanced at my watch and the time was 1:13.
We ate lunch then boarded the bus for the ride back to Garabandal. Once we were back in Garabandal I walked to the Information Center. I met Michael Hottinger who I have seen before on YouTube with Robert Moynahan discussing Garabandal. I told Michael about my first encounter with Garabandal when I was 5 or 6 years old. He thought it was an amazing story with a purpose. He was so impressed that he gave me a relic of a piece of a veil that was kissed by Our Lady of Garanandal. After he gave it to me I had a sudden thought that I should get Fr. ______ to bless it. This thought caused me to glance at my watch and the time was 6:33:33.
Later in the evening I was standing in the hotel lobby catching up my notes. Fr. ______ came in and we talked for a few minutes. He gave me his priestly blessing for me and my family. He left and I finished catching up my notes and glanced at my watch and the time was 10:33:33.
Friday September 13, 2024
After breakfast this morning we went to the Information Center and Michael Hottinger gave a 10 AM talk and showed a video about Garabandal. It was very well done. When that was over we walked a few steps to the church in Garabandal where the local priest said mass at 11 AM and Fr. _______ concelebrated the mass. Near the end of mass I saw something I have never seen before. I am not even sure if it was intentional or not. Near the end of mass most of the lights in the church went out as they began to sing a Marian hymn. As this began I glanced at my watch and the time was 12:13. Upon completion of the hymn the lights came back on and I glanced at my watch again and the time was 12:13:59. Mass ended and I walked back to the hotel for lunch.
We had a very good fish dinner for lunch. After lunch I decided that I wanted to go to The Pines and pray the rosary. I was well on the way to The Pines when I started to reach the steep areas. I wished I had picked up one of the walking sticks but I had not. Just at that instant a man came walking down the hill and had a walking stick and gave it to me. I took the stick and knew to glance at my watch and the time was 2:13. The stick was a huge help getting up to The Pines. Once I arrived I sat on a bench and I prayed the Joyful, Luminous & Sorrowful mysteries. While praying the Luminous mysteries three Spanish women walked up to me who spoke no English and gestured for me to take their picture with their camera. I was happy to do so. I took the picture and resumed my rosary and glanced at my watch as I completed it and the time was 3:33.
I then made my way down the hill and ran into my roommate, John G______just outside the Garabandal Information Center. We decided to go in and buy some gifts for people at home but it was closed. A woman told us it would reopen at 5 PM. I then decided since I now had unexpected spare time to walk to the local Garabandal church and pray the rosary. I completed the rosary by praying the Glorious mysteries. I finished and glanced at my watch as I kissed the crucifix and the time was 5:13.
We ate dinner at the hotel and it was very good. We are leaving Garabandal early in the morning so I decided to pack up all my luggage so it would be ready. I finished and at that instant I noticed the time on my iPhone was 9:13.
Saturday September 14, 2024
Our trip to Garabandal has been wonderful. It was exciting for me to see that what Our Lady started with me in Emmitsburg with the 13, 33 & 333, extended to Medjugorje and now continues to Garabandal. Based upon my experiences Emmitsburg, Medjugorje and Garabandal are a seamless continuation of God’s Love and Mercy.
A very strange thing happened this morning after I got up. After taking my shower I looked for my watch and I could not find it.I knew exactly where I placed it but it was not there. I looked all over the place. My roommate, John found it under his bed and handed it to me. The time on the watch as he handed it to me after 20 minutes of searching was 7:13.
We ate breakfast at the hotel before departing for Loyola. We arrived in Loyola at the Conversion Chapel where Fr. ______ will say mass. We arrived and the time was 2:13. Fr. ______ said mass and when mass ended we looked around a little before boarding the bus to begin our trip to Lourdes, France. The bus pulled out for Lourdes and the time was 4:33.
We arrived in Lourdes and checked into our hotel which was St. Sauveur. We ate dinner and then my roommate John and I walked down to the Lourdes Sanctuary where there was a rosary procession already in progress. There were thousands and thousands of people in procession with lighted candles. The rosary was in French. With that I got out my rosary and started my own in English. I glanced at my watch as I began the Glorious mysteries and my watch said it was 3:33 but the actual local time was 9:33. Everything was so beautiful that when I finished the Glorious mysteries I continued with the Sorrowful mysteries. I glanced at my watch as I finished and kissed the crucifix and the time was 10:13.
Sunday September 15, 2024
I woke up this morning and picked up my iPhone to see the time. It was 6:33. I took a shower and then walked downstairs to eat breakfast. After breakfast we walked to the Chapelle Saint-Gabreil where Fr. ______ was going to have mass. Before mass began Fr. ______ asked me if I would read. I told him I would be happy to. Mass began and the time came for me to go up and read. I completed the readings and it was then I realized that I had completed the readings at 9:33. Mass ended and I noticed the time on my iPhone was 10:13.
We then went on a walking tour of Lourdes. Marie was our guide. We toured the nice house the Soubirous family lived in before they were evicted. They were forced to move into a 1 room house after the eviction. We arrived at the 1 room house and its street number was 13. When we arrived at the single room the Soubirous family lived in, our guide, Marie stopped us and requested that Fr. ______ lead us in prayer. Fr. ______ said “Lets pray 3 Hail Mary’s” We began and I KNEW to glance at my watch and the time was 11:13. We finished the last Hail Mary and it was still 11:13.
The tour ended and we had free time. John and I walked back to our hotel and had a Coke Zero. We then met our group again at the Lourdes Information Center and watched a very good video about Lourdes. When that was over John and I walked the short distance to the Lourdes Grotto. I sat on the stone wall looking at the Grotto for the very first time in my life. Without even thinking about it I prayed the Glorious mysteries of the rosary and when I finished I glanced at my watch as I kissed the crucifix and the time was 5:33:33.
Monday September 16, 2024
Breakfast this morning was very good. My nose is still causing me all kind of pain but I can endure it. Whatever is going on with my nose, I have never experienced anything like it before in my entire life. I was walking to mass at the Chapelle Saint-Gabreil and I stepped into a store to see if I could find any aspirin. I could not. As I walked out I instantly ran into Fr. ______ who was walking to mass. He invited to join the rosary he was already praying. I joined his rosary as we walked to mass and the time was 9:33.
Fr. _____ had mass in the chapel and then our group had a free day to go and do anything we wanted and not being tied down with a schedule. Mass ended and John and I took a walk. We stopped and sat on a bench and we prayed the Glorious mysteries. We finished and I glanced at my watch and the time was 11:33.
Later I walked back to the hotel and as I was walking in Fr. ______ was walking out. He said there was a 3 PM English rosary at the Lourdes Sanctuary. I decided I would like to go to that. I arrived and somehow I was late and the rosary was already in progress so I just sat down and prayed my own and when I finished glanced at my watch and the time was 3:33.
I then went and filled some Virgin Mary bottles with Lourdes water to take home to S.C.C. and C.R.C. I walked back to the hotel and again I met Fr. ______ and his 2 sisters at the hotel. He told me about a Eucharistic Procession today at 5 PM. I went to the sanctuary for the procession and I did not see it. I sat down on a bench and instantly I heard the procession coming from behind me. I looked back and there was the procession. I glanced at my watch and the time was 5:13. I joined in and SUDDENLY a choir began to sing Alleluia. This caused me to look at my watch and the time was 5:33:33.
I then went back to the hotel and ate dinner. Later in the evening I went back to the Lourdes Sanctuary for the evening rosary procession. I prayed the Luminous mysteries and glanced at my watch as I began and the time was 9:13. I finished and it was 9:33.
Tuesday September 17, 2024
We packed up and left Lourdes today and are now headed for Zaragoza. We boarded our bus and had been traveling a good while through the mountains. We were in a tunnel when suddenly a tire blew out on the bus. The bus driver called for help. I decided to pray my daily rosary while waiting for help to arrive. The mechanic arrived and got the tire changed and after about 3 hours we were on the road again. The bus pulled out and about 30 seconds later I finished my rosary and glanced at my watch and the time was 3:33.
We missed our scheduled mass at Zaragoza but were able to get another one at 7 PM. Fr. ______ concelebrated that mass. We visited the site of Our Lady of The Pillar. It was very good and I knew very little about this. Anyway later in the evening while we were having dinner in the hotel a lady named Lois D____ came up to me and wanted to give me a picture of me she took of me praying at the Pillar. She showed and gave me the picture and the time on her iPhone as she did so was 9:13.
Wednesday September 18, 2024
Today we took the bus back to Madrid where we will catch our flight back to the United States tomorrow. During the day I stopped and prayed my rosary at the Madrid Cathederal . I finished the rosary and glanced at my watch and the time was 2:33:59.
Thursday September 19, 2024
This morning we ate a bagged breakfast then took the bus to the Madrid Airport. We arrived and later they called for us to board our flight home. As I boarded the plane I glanced at my watch and the time was 10:33:33. Our flight home landed at Dulles Airport and my friends Peter and Mary Blanchard picked me up and drove me back to my house in Emmitsburg. I arrived home and the time was 4:13.
Now for me the most important part of this trip was this and the realization of it all came upon me at once. The 13, 33 and 333 events I have been describing for 26 years started in Emmitsburg. The same, exact thing happened to me when I went to Medjugorje. Now with this trip it has expanded to Garabandal. It SUDDENLY dawned on me that it is very important that it also happens in Lourdes. I believe this is important because Emmitsburg, Garabandal and Medjugorje are all non-approved apparitions. Lourdes is approved and the same exact thing happens to me in Lourdes. This tells me that all of these apparition sites are of the same source.
Sunday September 22, 2024
I started writing this paper yesterday September 21 which is my 69th birthday. I completed this paper today Sunday September 22, 2024 at 3:33 PM.
R. C.
Sep. 22, 2024
3:33 PM