Our Lady of Emmitsburg?

In 1988, Gianna Talone Sullivan made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in the company of her pastor and a group of young adults from her church. After returning home to Scottsdale, Arizona, she began receiving messages directly from Mary, or so the fable goes. Sullivan collected these marian oracles, which usually are delivered on Thursdays, into a set of books and other "sacred" things which are, believe it or not, available for purchase by the Catholic faithful.

Seems that Mary's ghost usually visited Sullivan on Thursdays, but not every Thursday. On one of those visits in 1993, she supposedly instructed Sullivan and her husband to move to Emmitsburg, Maryland. Of course, the Sullivans picked up and moved to Maryland, where the weekly visitations continued.

When asked for an opinion concerning the validity of these ghostly visitations, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Baltimore rendered a Pilate-like response. Most Americans are, I imagine, familiar with the concept of the "Blue Wall;" an often-used plot development in detective movies and TV dramas. The Blue Wall refers to the supposed reluctance of members of the tightly-knit law enforcement brotherhood to say anything bad about another cop.

I reckon the RCC operates with a similar "wall," as was manifested in Vice Chancellor Kenney's reply to a request for Cardinal Keeler's position on events connected with Sullivan in Emmitsburg. He wrote:

Be advised that her situation has already been investigated by the Archdiocese of Phoenix, where she lived before moving here, and nothing contrary to Faith was found. Therefore, the position of the Archdiocese of Baltimore is neutral on the matter at this time. -- Msgr Jeremiah Kinney, Letter, Archdiocese of Baltimore, August 30, 1995

Hardly what one could call a courageous stand on the matter. I suppose the monsignor was telling his correspondent that Cardinal Keeler didn't want to get involved and seemed not to want to go on record one way or the other.

So, how did Emmitsburg prepare itself for weekly visitations by Catholic Mary's ghost? Most of the action appeared to take place at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Sullivan's "home base," where a prayer vigil was held every Thursday.

The big day began at 8:30 in the morning with a Mass, after which the cookie god was exposed and remained on view throughout the day until the beginning of the evening Mass.

At two o'clock in the afternoon the assembly prayed five decades of the Rosary, followed by the Angelus and the Chaplet of Mercy. After that, the Rosary was droned through the afternoon.

At seven in the evening, mystic priestess Gianna Talone Sullivan would show up to lead yet another recitation of the Rosary, during which the message of the "Blessed Mother" was given to Gianna alone. Then the group recited the Divine Mercy Chaplet, after which the priest read the message received by medium Gianna. Evening Mass and benediction followed the reading, and this was followed by a healing service.

The day of prayer usually ended at around 9:30 in the evening, when folks were invited to join the parish community at the parish social hall.

Wow! A full day of Hail Mary's repeated again and again in the mantras of the Rosary, the Angelus and the Chaplet of Mercy. Prayrers to Mary and, as a sort of afterthought, to the Lord. Don't you have to wonder how that settles with Him Who taught:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.-- Matthew 6:7-8, KJV

Have you wondered what sorts of great revelations would be so urgent as to require that Catholic Mary's ghost personally whisper them into the ear of an oracle such as Sullivan? Just for the edification of those who have not completely bartered their souls to Rome, I here offer the text of the revelation to Sullivan on July 10, 1997:

My dear little children, praise be Jesus!

Little ones, I have descended from heaven to assist you and guide you to the light of Jesus. I have come to make you aware of the subtle influence of the evil one. I have come to comfort you in your sorrows, yet to encourage you to continue your journey. I have come to tell you that I am your Mother of Joy and of the great hope in the salvation of humanity through the Divine Mercy of Jesus.

Seek refuge in the covenant of Our Hearts and unite in love and kindness.

Humanity has been struck so hard with impurity and perversion that there are many souls who are confused, lost and hypnotized. It is My Motherly plan to intercede for My children and bring them to Jesus so that they may be rescued from the grip of the evil one. My adversary awaits every opportunity to corrupt, through subtle persuasion, the purity of a soul.

It is necessary for you to seek refuge in the covenant of the two Hearts and pray with all your hearts. If you do not pray more fervently, you will not be prepared for what is to unfold in God's merciful plan these next few years. It is your merciful love, generosity and unconditional giving of yourselves which will join us in the Salvation of Humanity.

I love you, little ones, with a motherly love, unconditional and fortifying. I bless you in the name of Jesus who has allowed Me to be with you. Peace to you.

Thank you for responding to My call.

AD DEUM. -- Public Message, Our Lady of Emmitsburg To the World through Gianna Sullivan July 10, 1997, Copyright © The Foundation of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

I do not believe any comments are necessary. This fatuous and blatantly heretical "message" speaks volumes to those who will take the time to compare the Word of God with the statements of Catholic Mary's ghost. In your Berean checking, please look closely at this passage in Deuteronomy:

When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. -- Deuteronomy 18:9-13, KJV

The Archdiocese finally took action:

In 2000, however, Baltimore Archbishop William Keeler suspended the Marian service there and, in a decree finding the matter "clearly non-supernatural," barred it from archdiocesan property in 2003.

The devotion, which the Sullivans say Catholics are free to believe or reject, now attracts hundreds in rented space at Frederick's Lynnfield Event Complex on the first Sunday of every month. -- G.M. Corrigan, Maryland visionary claims Marian warnings, "The Examiner," Houston, Texas, April 21, 2007

Farther down the page, Gianna's husband provided an update on his wife's activities:

In a private message from Our Lady of Emmitsburg given to Gianna Sullivan on April 19, 2007, after the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech, Our Lady said: ....God is not vindictive, but human free will gets in the way and allows destruction, not only personally, but also to others. Those, who do not desire God, have the opportunity through their rejection not only to cause physical harm, but also interior turmoil...My Son desires love, and His Sacrifice was one so that all could be drawn into His Love...All He did was for the greater glory of God the Father so that all could be happy and live in peace, for all to be joyful and to know the Truth...God desires all people to join Him and to live in Heaven with Him. Without Him, humanity is nothing!...God desires for everyone to be free and to live within Him. Peace to you. -- Michael T. Sullivan, Ibid.

Sigh!

In its parish history, St. Joseph Catholic Church of Emmitsburg makes no mention of Gianna Sullivan's mystical activities, though the communnity service work of she and her husband are rightfully (IMO) mentioned: