www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Mysterious priest performs miracle

Saw this posted on another forum:

Mysterious priest performs miracle at site of Mercedes crash

http://www.connecttristates.com/m/news/story?id=930741#.UgQK-m10m2Z

About an hour into the rescue, Katie asked rescue workers to pray out loud with her. That's when a priest appeared out of no where.

"He came up and approached the patient, and offered a prayer," Reed said. "It was a Catholic priest who had anointing oil with him. A sense of calmness came over her, and it did us as well. I can't be for certain how it was said, but myself and another firefighter, we very plainly heard that we should remain calm, that our tools would now work and that we would get her out of that vehicle."

Appearances of holy people out of thin air is something I experienced on Patmos during my honeymoon 33 years ago.

We had just left the Monastery of St John the Theologian with our tour group going on ahead, leaving me behind to admire the facade.

Suddenly, an elderly monastic priest appeared on the stone steps. He was so frail that he held onto the stone railing as he slowly descended. He was beaming a smile and his eyes were so very happy and peaceful - they were like diamonds in the sun.

I went up to him as he spoke to me (I didn't understand him as it was Greek to me . . .). I took him by his right hand and could feel how thin and bony his hand was just before I reverenced it with a kiss.

I again looked up at him from close range and into that smiling face. I thought to myself that my wife should meet this marvelous monk. I turned around to call to her to come and then, in a split second I turned around to the monk - who had disappeared.

A cold chill went up my spine at that point . . . He was nowhere and I ran here and there to see where he might have gone. It was all quite a shock.

His smiling face is in my memory still, just as if this happened last week ... or yesterday.

Alex

Thanks for sharing that, dear Alex!

My husband and I are also married 33 years!

Indeed, I firmly believe that this mysterious priest was an angel.
It does not matter what he looked like or how he spoke (according to eye witnesses, he had an accent), because angels will often take the form of an unassuming person to fit in. I have had one such angel encounter myself which helped me in a frightening situation where I prayed for help. My angel also disappeared.

In the accounts, it was noticed that he was wearing an old style large silver cross with his priestly clothing. This may be a hint. Also, sad to say, but another hint may be that he was actually dressed like a priest, since many priests, Catholic and Orthodox, do not always dress like priests on off hours. Is it not strange that he also had the anointing oil for the sick on hand at that very moment? I don't know if priests all have that with them while they are going about their days.

Another encounter I had that was like Alex's where the angel encounter was one of blessing and consolation, was at my first monastic visit in the United States. A beautiful featured, blue eyed, very tall, straight postured (in other words, absolutely physically perfect in every way) Russian style cassocked monk priest was also visiting. No one seemed to know him. He squeezed behind my chair to get to the end of the table where we were all sitting, and as I turned to smile and move my chair in, his blue eyes suddenly twinkled like something which I cannot describe in earthly terms. They twinkled like stars. After a while, he thanked the monks at the monastery and left. I still remember those beautiful heavenly twinkling eyes that gave me great consolation that day.

Padre Pio?

Yes, of course, if he were not an angel, he could have been a saint as well.

Dear Alice,

So you and your husband have reached the age of Jesus Christ in your matrimonial life! Congratulations!

This reminds me of Pope St Gregory I who, when he first saw Angle slaves in Rome, asked what nationalist they were. When told they were Angles, he famously said, "Not Angles but Angels!"

And an Anglican minister once published a book entitled, "Not Angels, but Anglicans . . ."

Alex

Considering that the "mysterious priest" had oil with him for anointing, it must have been a saint (i.e., an ordained priest). Angels would not be able to administer sacraments.

Apparitions of priests performing sacraments after death are not unheard of. A relative of mine who may have a possible cause for canonization is reported to have appeared after death to hear the confession of a woman suffering from cancer. The woman was miraculously healed.

Another possibility could be that it is a living priest who has the gift of bi-location. You never know!

Mystery priest from serious Missouri accident revealed
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/13/us/missouri-mystery-priest/index.html
[Linked Image]
I had Mass in Ewing MO as the regular priest was sick. As I was returning, I arrived at the scene. The authorities were redirecting traffic. I waited till it was possible to drive up closer. I parked behind a large vehicle about 150 yards from the scene. I asked the Sheriff's permission and approached the scene of the accident.

I absolved and anointed Katie, and, at her request, prayed that her leg would not hurt. Then I stepped aside to where some rescue personnel and the pilot were waiting, and prayed the rosary silently. I left when the helicopter was about to take off, and before I got to my car it was on its way to Quincy.

I was amazed at the calmness of the two Highway patrol men. The sergeant was completely in control, amazingly calm. Everybody worked as harmoniously as a Swiss watch despite the critical nature of the scene. I gave my name to one of the authorities, perhaps to the sergeant of Highway Patrol, explaining that I was returning having celebrated Mass at Ewing. It was the sergeant who, at the Sheriff's request, gave me Katie's name as I was leaving, so I could visit her in hospital -- I assumed she would be taken to Columbia.

I think there may have been angels there too and, in this context, I congratulate the fire team from New London and Hannibal, the Sheriff/deputies of Ralls County, the Highway Patrol personnel, the helicopter team, the nurses and all who worked so professionally. God has blessed your work. I hope the credit goes where it is due.

Thanks be to God, a priest still doing that which priests do. You know, praying, giving comfort and spiritual aid to people who are suffering, in pain, injured or afraid. I know that is hardly miraculous for it should be in every fiber of a priest's being. I truly respect it as I have witnessed it through my father's and brother's priesthood. This story touched me deeply and personally and I suspect other relatives of clergy would concur.

So not a saint . . . yet . . .

Alex

He may be human flesh and blood, but surely the miracle is that God put him in that place at that time, when the girl prayed to God out loud.