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Pilgrimage, photo leads to reunion |
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On July 19, 1997, we buried our only child, William James, who was stillborn on July 7 at 24 weeks. The day after the funeral (July 20) was our first anniversary. During Julie's pregnancy, we had prayed a novena for a happy and healthy baby, imploring the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower). Her feast day is Oct. 1 and also happens to be Julie’s birthday.
left, Kathleen Ziegler of St. Ambrose in Woodbury, and sisters Alexandra and Maria Post of St. Paul in Ham Lake reach out to the relics. Photo by Dave Hrbacek
On June 20, just a few weeks before William’s death, we received a
bouquet of a dozen roses in at least three or four colors. So, at first
we did not understand our heartbreaking loss. Later, Julie's father told
us our prayer had indeed been answered, just not in the way in which we
expected. William James was happy and healthy in heaven.
Some time before Blessed Mother Teresa passed away, a friend who at one
time happened to serve as the head of the Missionaries of Charity
priests shared with our family that Mother Teresa was named for St.
Therese the Little Flower.
Ever since our first anniversary, we make it a point to travel somewhere and be together. This year was no different.
On Friday, July 16, we had not yet decided as to this year’s destination.
We both work full-time jobs. Marc was at work and heard a political
commentator on the radio. He was quoting Pope Benedict. At break, Marc
went online to EWTN’s web site to research the authenticity of the
pope's statements. Marc could not find that information but instead
learned Blessed Mother Teresa’s relics would be in St. Paul on Monday,
July 19. Given our St. Therese-Mother Teresa connections and that fact
that his middle name is Paul, the destination seemed a logical choice.
Later that night, we decided to make the trip. We already had approved
vacation time for Monday and Tuesday. However, we were not sure if we
could afford the trip. We prayed about it and decided if God, St.
Therese and Blessed Mother Teresa wanted us in St. Paul to venerate the
relics, the next day we would receive our payment from our second job
(we serve as freelancers for The Leaven, the official newspaper of the
Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas) for a recent story. In the
meantime, we made hotel reservations. We received the check in the mail
the next day, July 17, the anniversary of the day we met 20 years ago.
On the afternoon of Monday, July 19, we planned to tour another site in
St. Paul, but we could not find it. Instead, we headed to the cathedral,
hoping to figure out the parking situation for the evening. We had
planned to stay for veneration and the 7 p.m. Mass.
Once we got to the cathedral, a woman in the information/gift shop area
in the basement informed us of a tour of the cathedral occurring at that
exact minute. She also recommended that we return to the cathedral no
later than 5:30 p.m.
We took the tour and returned to the gift shop to purchase postcards.
The same woman casually suggested we attend and participate in the 5:15
weekday Mass.
So, we left the cathedral, ate an early supper and returned around 4:45.
We sat off the main aisle somewhere about 15 to 20 rows (at most) back.
After Mass, we got in line.
We left the cathedral at 6:40 in the evening. Only moments before, we
venerated the relics and then watched as a photographer from The
Catholic Spirit interview the girl in front of us.
When we left, the line extended all the way down the main aisle, out
the cathedral, down the steps and curved around the sides of the
building.
While at lunch on July 28, Julie reviewed The Catholic Spirit’s web
site. She discovered the sixth slide in a series of eight slides about
the relics was the very photo the reporter snapped of the girl in front
of us in line. And we were in the picture! Having run out of time, she
waited until afternoon break to call the newspaper office and requested a
copy.
Our story gets even better though.
Julie later shared with her parents and sister that our picture was on
the web site. That sharing led to a reconnection with some friends with
whom we had lost contact with in 2002.
In 1998, we became friends to a family who had three children. The
family had just moved to Topeka and was trying to find a Catholic
parish. While in the process of purchasing a suit at JC Penney's (where
the father worked part-time), the father struck up a conversation with
us. One thing led to another, and we eventually became Confirmation
sponsors to two of their children.
In 1999, the entire family moved to Cullman, Ala. We kept in touch for
three more years until 2002. Around Christmas, we talked with the
father. That was the last we heard from them and vice versa. Less than a
month later, we moved from our apartment. As our phone number is
unlisted, the family had no way to track us down. So, we tried to track
them down, even ending up in Cullman, Ala. in 2006.
The evening of the same day Julie spotted our photo online, she received
a call from her mother. Julie's mother was at church working on the
parish pictorial directory. She said, "Julie, I have someone here who
wants to talk to you."
Imagine Julie's surprise when the voice on the other end of the phone
was the son in the family we had lost contact with, our friend and
godson, so to speak, Andrew.
In an effort to find an adoration chapel, Andrew had wandered into our
parish church. He was on his way to Kansas City (about an hour away to
meet with someone at the Catholic grade school for which he just
accepted a job. As he seemed lost, Julie's mother asked him if he needed
help. Learning he was from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, she mentioned
how we had just gotten back not from St. Paul where we had the honor of
venerating the relics of Blessed Mother Teresa. Eventually, the two
figured out they knew someone in common. Mom decided to surprise us by
calling us and putting him on the line. We had dinner with him that
evening and are once again connected with him and his family.
If it had not been for the Minnesota trip, Julie's mother would have not
talked with Andrew at such length. So, thanks to God, St. Therese,
Blessed Mother Teresa and the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul for
making so much possible. We cannot wait to see what happens next in our
lives!
Marc & Julie Anderson
Topeka, KS
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