November 14, 1940, 11:59:50 pm. Air raid sirens bedevil the skies of Coventry, England.
“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.”
Fr. John kneeled right of the altar as smoke from the earlier blaze continued to plague the sanctuary. He prayed earnestly as memories saturated his mind.
“Blessed art thou amongst women,”
He’d been sure of his calling most of his life. At 12-years-old, his tears stained the oak floor before a statue of the Our Lady of Grace. Pleading for help and guidance, the young boy wept.
“And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
11:50:55 pm The ground shakes of Luftwaffe bombs.
The boy recalled the news of his father, struck down by the Germans at the River Somme and the unrelenting agony of his mother. Clinching his father’s rosary, John was overcome by a great sense of comfort and a message he couldn’t shake.
“My son, have faith. Tell the world of our King.”
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,”
Cathedral windows shatter.
“Now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”
November 15, 1940, 12:00:00 am. Coventry Cathedral smolders in ruin.
While this is a work of fiction, Coventry, UK did indeed suffer a horrendous blitz by the German Luftwaffe on Nov. 14-15, 1940 which decimated Coventry Cathedral.