Sunday 6 October 2013

THE EARTHQUAKE AT ASSISI IN 1997 AND OUR CAT CHARLIE

In 1997 Ann and I went into the Church of St. Francis of Assisi at Barkingside where I was the Vicar. We left the church door open and our cat, Charlie, came into church something she had never done previously. She walked up the aisle of the Lady Chapel, crossed by the main altar and walked down the other side aisle to where the statue of St. Francis was situated. She then proceeded to howl; I can only describe it as a howl as I have never heard such a bloodcurdling noise before. I picked her up and took her out of the church; a few moments later she came back in and did exactly as she had before; up the Lady Chapel aisle, across by the main altar, down the other side aisle stopping in front of St. Francis and howling for all she was worth. I took her out of church and made sure the door was tightly closed. Later that day we discovered that Assisi had been the victim of a terrible earthquake and substantial damage had been done to the Basilica. Somehow our cat knew what was happening. After that she never came into church again nor did she try to do so.

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