42.

     My mother wanted to go back to the God's Wisdom cross. John Harty, the man who made the cross is, I'm guessing, in his late 80's. He comes out to greet any car that pulls into his yard and tells his story with the same inflections - every time. In 1989, he says that God came to him and told him to finish the pond (as he was building a pond in his yard), level the field, make a cross, plant rye to grow four feet tall all around it, on the cross - put the ten commandments. His says that his daughter Noreen was the chosen one to do the art work. Then he was to cut down the rye and reveal the cross. Later, God came to him again and told him to write GOD'S WISDOM at the foot of the cross, on either sides of the God's Wisdom, he was to put the two flat stones from the field. There was only one problem with this: there were no flat stones. The men leveling the field said there was one big rock from the center of the field - which they tried to break in half, to no avail. One day one of them though he would give the rock one more try and tapped it with the machine. At the moment, the rock broke, against the grain (which is very uncommon, nearly impossible naturally) with a sound louder than dynamite. He then had his two flat stones, on which he wrote bible quotes. In the field there is a spring, over which he made a well & pump - there is a story about that too, I think something about Mary but I am not sure. 

     People come from all over to see the cross and John. And some times, he remembers them. My mom and I are known as the lady that plucks hairs from people's face and daughter from Gorfstown. "You're in my black book," he told my mom with a wink, holding her hands - as he did much of the time. He took us around the field and told us of the story we'd both heard a couple of times now, of the updates since last time and future plans. 

     Whether he is delusional or a prophet, he is the nicest old man and he is very proud of his cross - he keeps it up with adding adornments, decorative plants and benches. He is not very healthy and I fear for the fate of the cross in coming years. He still is very involved in keeping it up but after he passes, I don't know who will keep it up - it's sad, really. It is just as legitimate as any other shrine/place of miracles (as he claims people have been healed there) and I hope that if no one else, God will not allow it to fall into disrepair. He loves it so much - that field and he are one and it would sadden me very much to see anything bad happen to it. 

     I think that, considering some other Catholic saints, he should at least become blessed - and I'm not just saying that because I want to be able to say I have met a saint. He just lives so humbly and seems quite content to do so - he lives for God. 

     I am still very skeptical about the whole thing, but considering other things that people accept as truth, this seems just as legitimate. Meeting and speaking with him adds validity. He said, "It's all for Jesus. It's all for him. He proved to me that God is real...God is real. And God is spirit."