I had been away from the Catholic church for 32 years. I live in Duvall and had been living there…read moresince 1983. I was 50 years old and had just about everything in life but a, "spiritual core". Having left the catholic church in 1970, I had been the gauntlet, I became a Buddhist in college and was, "all in" for a few years, I dropped out of W.W.ST. College and became a vagabond, during my travels, I spent time in a Moroccan Prison, (Prison Civil De Fez), I went in chanting, "Nam Yo Ho Range Quo" and came out saying the Lords Prayer.... It didn't take long before I was back to my pagan agnostic lifestyle. I'd went to check out "Ramtha" & virtually all the Nouveau, spiritual, "B.S"; (DMA, The Persuit, Holy order of Man, met "Jim Jones", when his church was in Seattle. Read the Book of Mormon, x 3 ( a whole new meaning to ZERO critical thought), I was a friend of Love Israel, hung out at communes, (back in the day) w/ many a Guru. I still have a beard and grow my own vegetables.
I noticed a big new church being built, on Cherry Valley Road, found out it was "Holy Innocents" the new catholic church. On Easter Sunday day 2002, my wife and I attended mass. We giggled and poked each other during the service.Things had changed; no more Latin and "alter girls". I had never felt more at home in my life. I was shocked at my outpouring of emotion. I went to confession, (after 30 years) the ground didn't shake, nor did I hear the howl of the beast in the distance......
The very best part was "Church Lady". The closest I have ever been to an enlightened Saint. Gail is this church! A whole new meaning to "miraculous". I started to look "hard and critically" at the Catholic miracles. I was very drawn to the Miracle of the sun". I began praying the Rosary. Church Lady informed me, "next week is the 90th anniversary" and there is a special service at Marymoor park. I expected to crank out one decade, but they did all four. It was October 17, 2007.
I got home, it being cold, I got in bed & pulled out my old and "burned out" phosphorescent Rosary, (the ones girls got at their 1st communion, circa 1960). It was a bit dirty and had never glowed. I went upstairs, it was dark and I proceed to pray the sorrowful mysteries. My eyes were closed and when I opened them, to my complete shock & amazement.... my dirty old Rosary.... Glowed with the luminesance of a 100 watt light bulb, I screamed, "Val come up here!!". (Val is my highly educated and very grounded wife) She concurred, your Rosary is glowing "white Hot". I was stunned, could not believe my eyes. If Valorie had not been a witness to this event, I would have written it off as some hallucination or a flash back. After a few minutes I turned on the lights. Trying to figure out, "what the hell was going on?". I turned the lights back off...... nothing; It went dark on me. I tried to put it under a light bulb, again;... nothing. It never as much as flickered again. I could not explain what had happened, maybe it was some weird chemistry in my hands? No matter what I tried, it never glowed again. I really fell in love with this incredible Rosary, w/in a month it simply disappeared, I probably lost it, but maybe...... it's off to another "doubting Thomas". Like the tides, my religious ferver, came and went. I made a promise to go to Fatima, for the 100th anniversary. Being a procrastinator, come September 2017, I had not booked a flight nor a room. I checked it out on the web and was informed, over a Million people were going and if you hadn't made arrangements... you were out of luck. I thought about flying to Lisbon and walking, sleeping under bridges, as I had as a young Vagabond. By this time I was deep into my 60's and didn't have the time or money to go. September 3rd, 2017 was my 65 birthday. To my complete delight, Val had booked me a flight and a place to stay in Tomar, (a town 15 Km from Fatima). I was pumped, I figured the Blessed Virgin Mary would Make the Sun spin, "crazy" miracles would happen. "Wrong", nothing happened. But I will admit, hearing 1,000,000 people singing Ave Maria was beyond anything I had ever heard. On the way home I visited Lourdes, Garabandall. I wish I had the time to visit Majagori, (sp...?).
I came home with the belief, it would be impossible to "fake" this apparition, 80,000 people, (mostly non believers) witnessed it, Swore it happened, right down to the minute, Lucia predicted it would, (as per the Blessed Virgin May). Coupled with the profound prophesy's, that happened...... I'm a true, "intellectual" believer, only a complete fool, could deny the divinity. I will debate/defend and witness to anyone, most particularly; all the agnostics & athiest's 24/7 365.
All thanks to this amazing Church, the Priests, our members and best of all St. Gail.
The doors are open, all you have to do........is take the first step. Don't let today's Godless, "politically correct" , (AKA; brainwashed) society get in your way.
Andy Weiss
Duvall USA