Photo above is the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

There were two more important psychic events that happened to us before Tom passed away. I was no longer completely skeptical, but I was still trying to figure out how the two worlds fit together. The first event happened to Tom. He was visited by an angel.

Tom didn’t seem to take very seriously the unconventional occurrence that happened to him in his very traditional church. He had a deep faith in God, but no longer went to church. He’d gone to Catholic schools and loved the rituals of the Catholic church, but his grandfather had been Episcopalian Catholic, which as I understand it, is a church that is not part of the Roman Catholic church, but still preserves all the richly spiritual practices of the Catholic tradition. Tom felt very comfortable in that atmosphere.

Auditions were always held in New York City, and Tom regularly took the bus into the city to go on job interviews. Often finding himself with time on his hands in the city and in the Times Square area, he would spend an hour or so in The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin on West Forty-Sixth Street just off Broadway. This lovely, nineteenth century church with its towering arches built in the classical European style, was open during the week and here he found a welcoming sanctuary that exactly suited his spiritual needs. Darkness, mystery, powerful organ music and smoky incense opened Tom’s spiritual channels to peace and faith. And it was an Episcopalian Catholic Church.

On one particular occasion, he’d sat in a coffee shop and made a list of people who’d passed over and whose souls he wanted to pray for and light candles for. There were about twenty names on his list as he proceeded to his favorite church of Saint Mary the Virgin. He was standing, praying, and lighting candles, when someone approached him from behind. He turned to face a tall, interesting looking stranger very close by. Tom, who still retained his Military police skills of careful and detailed observation, saw a man who looked Egyptian. He was bald, with mocha skin, and striking, almond shaped dark eyes. He wore a beautiful, fine gold chain over his sweater which was woven in mellow autumn tones.

As if he had overheard all Tom's prayers in detail, he spoke very reassuringly and very specifically to him, telling him not to worry. He took Tom's hand in his own, electrifying him with a feeling so deeply moving that Tom was convinced he was in the presence of something extraordinary, in fact, an angel. Then the angel said, "Believe in the Christ." Tom thanked him, and, quite overcome, went to sit down in a nearby pew. When he looked up, the angel had vanished, which would have been impossible in the very large nave of the church in the few moments that elapsed.

Tom came home immediately and was still a bit shaken as he related the story to me. He told me that story so many times over the years, and it always thrilled me and gave me hope. A very dark time was coming to Manhattan, one that would need a great deal of hope and faith to get through. The angel visited Tom in May of 2001, a few short months before 9/11.

I believed Tom’s story completely, because he’d never said anything like that in his life. He was generally a hard-bitten realist and quite often a cynic. 

On a more personal level, however, this visitation was regarded by Tom as somewhat embarrassing. He never told any of his friends. He didn’t think they’d believe him. I forced him to tell our son, because I felt it was important that he hear the story from his father’s own mouth. Now, I am sure the spirit world was reaching out to Tom through the channels that his spirit understood and had faith in, the church and Christ, trying to help him to stay true to the love that had been given to him in this life from his wife and son.