Evangelization Ministry

My Dad was Dr. James D. Thorne, retired Chair of the Department of Education at Grove City College (GCC) in Pennsylvania. At the time, GCC was affiliated with the United Presbyterian Church. I was raised a devout Protestant, and as many of you know, converted to Catholicism and was confirmed in 2019.

My Dad suffered a long battle with cancer. He was in hospice during my 2018 RCIA journey. My Mom knew I was converting and was supportive, but she asked me not to tell my Dad because in the late stages of his illness anything new or different would cause him to become agitated. I respected my Mom’s request and did not tell Dad.

When Dad was in hospice, it was difficult for him to speak on the phone because the cancer had entered the bones in his face. He was also weakened to the point that he had trouble emailing me.

I wanted to pray powerfully for my Dad – for his healing or for a peaceful passing. I asked Mary Beth Schoeler, my RCIA teacher, if it was okay for me to pray the Rosary since I was not yet confirmed. She said I could, and my husband Ray got one of the “How to Pray the Rosary” booklets for me from the church.

I set aside a quiet time to pray my first Rosary. I know I stumbled over the process since it was unfamiliar to me, but I strongly felt the presence of God in the room as I prayed.

Later that afternoon I was very surprised to get a phone call from my Dad. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him. He told me that a few hours previously he was amazed by the presence of a bright light in his room. He said it was a lady in the form of a beautiful ruby. He said God impressed on him that he should call me and ask who she was. I told him I believed it was a visitation of Our Lady and he agreed with me. He had no idea that would have been when I was praying the Rosary for the first time.

Dad died a few months later, but I am still awed, blessed, and thankful that the Lord allowed me to share this experience with him.

The day was Saturday, October 21, 2017.  

We had just finished a group consecration (about 40 people) to Jesus through Mary in Read Hall. It was based upon the book by Michael Gaitley entitled, “33 days to Morning Glory”. We had moved the statue of Mary from the Marian Chapel to Read Hall and everyone recited this consecration out loud and in unison. You could almost feel that Mary was in our midst.  

When we finished the consecration and started cleaning up someone asked me to take Mary’s statue back to her chapel.  So, I picked it up and, wow, I never realized how heavy it was! I put both of my arms around the statue with Mary’s face toward me and started walking back into the church.  When I got to the steps, I noticed that the statue no longer felt heavy. It was like I was carrying a statue made of balsa wood! Then, suddenly I felt this gentle warmth, like a blanket, around my shoulders and back. Then, this incredible peace and comfort started to radiate around me and somehow, somehow, I sensed Mary’s presence. This may be hard to believe but I got the clear sense that… 

Mary was wrapping her arms around me!!!  

Well, I don’t remember anything about the rest of my walk back to the chapel because I was in tears the whole way. It was almost as if I was walking on air. Honestly, I have never experienced such peace, love, and joy in my entire life. 

After I placed Mary’s statue back on the stand in her chapel I knelt before her and pondered what just happened. I prayed for quite a while, thanking Mary for this beautiful experience. I left feeling truly aglow in her love.  

Later, in retrospect, I think Mary may have been showing me, and all of us, her appreciation for our efforts in making this consecration to her Son happen here at St. Hubert Church. It was truly an experience I will never, ever forget.