Michael Dubruiel: Annunciations

About four years ago, I was visiting with Father Benedict Groeschel for a week, working closely with him daily to finish up the book that he was co-authoring with the now Bishop of Birmingham, Bishop Baker entitled When Did We See You Lord? On about the third day of my visit, while waiting for Father Benedict to make corrections to a text that I had just handed him, I noticed a flyer–that appeared to be from a wedding. It seemed strangely out of place. “A relative?” I asked.

It was not a relative, but a woman named Diana–the flyer was from a memorial service. Father then told me the “rest of the story.” Which I now relate here in my own words and with some additional facts that I’ve since pieced together.

Diana was a young Puerto Rican woman who grew up in a very faith filled home. Even though they were poor—her mother taught her at an early age to trust God above everything. By the time she was old enough to go to college, Diana found a way—again something that she credited to her strong faith and became the first member of her large family to graduate from college. She then married and was hired by a large investment firm in New York.Even though her job kept her busy, she found time to attend Mass everyday. When her friends would throw parties, Diana would make up goodie bags for them that would include candy, make-up, but also a prayer book and holy water.

When a member of her family couldn’t pay their bills, Diana would secretly pay them for the relative. When someone in the family got into trouble she would bail them out of jail.

One night Diana had a strange dream. In the dream Jesus appeared to her, dressed in a white robe—standing on a cloud.  He was beckoning her to come to him, telling her not to worry, that he was going to take her with him. Then it seemed to her that the whole world disappeared from beneath her—and she awoke. She told her husband about the dream the next morning, but he didn’t want to hear about it—it scared him.

The next few nights, the dream repeated itself. She told her mother, who wondered what it could mean.

A month later on September 11, 2001, Diana was at work at her investment firm in the World Trade Center on one of the top floors. She phoned her husband and mother on her cell phone after the second plane struck the tower below her. She reminded them of the dream. Then the phone went dead.

Filed under: 9/11, Benedict Groeschel, Michael Dubruiel | Tagged: Michael Dubruiel |