Another Miracle

A MIRACLE

Denver, Colorado was the host city for World Youth Day on August 10-15, 1993. Reports were that 800,000 persons were in attendance to see Pope John Paul II! My friend Phyllis had volunteered to house folks coming from out of the country and/or to interpret for Spanish speaking people arriving at DIA. She was at the airport when six young people arrived from Mexico. They did not speak English, and they did not have any information as to where they would be staying while they "came to see the Pope." Somehow, Phyllis and Skip Telgenhoff ended up taking the six to their home and they stayed with them for the time they were here. The four girls and two boys were from Guadalajara, Mexico and fell in love with the Telgenhoff's! Phyllis told me, "These kids became like family to us and we transported them to many of the activities. We prepared some meals, Spirit of Christ Catholic Community also fixed food for the kids and a parish family took them to eat dinner at their home. It was a week of interacting with the young people and when it was time for them to leave, we missed them."

Like all good intentions, the plans of keeping in touch faded and they lost touch with the kids and their families. Phyllis told me that they often think of the youth and wonder how they are doing. It's amazing that this year, 2021, it will be twenty-eight years since the Pope's visit.

When Phyllis found out that Spirit of Christ Catholic Community was planning a celebration for Our Lady of Guadalupe, she volunteered to help in making it a wonderful Fiesta! There were other volunteers, but it was special to her because the kids she had hosted had given her a beautiful picture made with nails and string of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She brought the picture so it could be displayed at the fiesta of Our Lady on December 11, 2021.

A few days after she brought the picture in, she received a phone call from Adriana, one of the persons that had stayed with the Telgenhoffs in 1993. Adriana put her in touch with Ava, another of the visitors who explained that she still lives in Guadalajara, has kept in touch with some of the families and was getting some books ready to donate. As she flipped through one of the books a piece of paper flew out with the phone information of the Telgenhoff's.  Adriana and Ava are now in touch with Phyllis. Phyllis remarked, "It's a miracle that after so many years, a slip of paper was found with our phone number. The book could have been donated and we never would have connected!" Phyllis found out that one of the boys had died of cancer, two married Americans and lived in the United States. One couple lives in Nebraska and the other one lives in Utah.  Now that they are in touch with each other their conversation turns to having a reunion and re-meeting with the young man and women who had lived with them for a few days. She mentioned that it is hard to believe that those kids are now married with their own families!  

Phyllis once told me, "I could not have made it through my illness without prayers and especially to Our Lady."  As I blog about this fascinating story, I recall that even though Phyllis was still not feeling 100% she went on a pilgrimage to New Mexico where we stopped to visit a small chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Phyllis told me that she felt very close to Our Lady in the small chapel.

Receiving the phone call from Guadalajara, not only surprised her but made her exclaim, "I firmly believe that this is one of Our Lady of Guadalupe's miracles!" I agree with her!

"Where there is great love, there are always miracles."

Willa Cather