Colorado Ghost Stories. Antonio Boone's Garcez

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СКАЧАТЬ and settled in Breckenridge for two years. They moved to Boulder, then to Pueblo, and finally established themselves in Cañon City in 1924. In 1925, the community of monks became an abbey. The Abbey also developed a winery on the east end of the property.

      Abbey — A monastery or convent governed by an Abbot or Abbess; also the community of monks or nuns numbering at least twelve in a canonically erected monastery or convent. Generally refers to the entire group of buildings, but sometimes only to the church building.

      Monastery — The place of residence of a group of monks; the building wherein monks live and carry on their religious life.

      Monk — A name given to a member of a community of men living apart from the world under the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and according to some rule of religious order. In particular, it became associated with those following the Benedictine Rule.

      Priest — One upon whom the sacrament of Holy Orders has been conferred and who is thereby a minster of divine worship; one upon whom the power of offering sacrifice, of blessing, of giving absolution, and of preaching has been conferred. The power to consecrate, thus to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass; the priest- hood has the power to administer sacraments, forgive sins, and to bless.

      Brothers — Members of a male religious community who have not taken priestly Holy Orders or who do not aspire to Holy Orders, but live a religious community life and devote themselves to various works of a religious nature.

      At of the writing of this story, the Holy Cross Abbey is sadly being put up for sale. Due to the overwhelming costs of its up- keep and lack of new initiates to the Benedictine Order, the Abbey officials have finally made the painful decision to close it. As I met with and interviewed the Abbey’s last remaining priest, Fr. William Thompson, I was impressed with this gentle and spiritual man’s pleasant personality and candid manner. It was obvious to me that he was saddened to leave the abbey, but that he was nonetheless realistic in his out- look. The following is my short interview with Fr. Thompson.

      Father William Thompson’s Story

      Our interview took place in the basement of the abbey during the time that the last items of furniture were being packed all around us being prepared for moving. A atmosphere of melancholy hung heavy in the room with the knowledge that these were the last days of the abbey’s once busy life. A few months after the interview was conducted, the abbey was in fact sold.

      — Antonio

      “I was born in northern Colorado in a small town near Greely named Eaton. I arrived and soon began my schooling at the abbey in 1931. I started the 8th grade and attended school for seven years, with a couple of years spent in college. After college, I decided to enter the religious life as a novitiate in the fall of 1938. In 1939 I took my vows. In 1944 I took my final vows and was ordained a priest.

      I am not aware of any ghosts at the abbey, but it is an old building with a lot of history. The building itself looks very old and stately. Many things are stored here in the abbey’s basement some hold much special significance to Native American Indians. Who can say what these items have that is attached, spiritually, to them? I’m sure there are some people who can say they have experienced a ghost or two on the grounds, but I have not experienced anything.

      I’ve been at the abbey for a total of 73 years. That’s a long time. After the abbey is sold I’ll be relocating to Kansas.

      My attitude regarding the sale of the abbey is simply put this way: as things are born they ultimately will die. Some things are resurrected, and some are not. That is all.”

      Fr. William Thompson, O.S.B.

      Paolo Paschal’s Story

      I met with Paolo at the local senior center. Our interview lasted approximately two hours, but in this time, I was given a personal story of fear and faith. Paolo was very descriptive when mentioning periods of time in his life, and although these were helpful towards understanding who Paolo the man is today, I was most interested in his personal story of ghosts. Paolo was very aware of this, but as he stated, “I want you to know about my story growing up as a boy too!”

      Having told his boyhood story, he began to describe his personal experiences with the paranormal. Our interview continued as I personally drove him to his house, along the way stopping at a grocery store where he had me pick up a phoned-in prescription order. Although I knew Paolo was using me as his personal taxi, to do a few “other” unrelated tasks, I felt very confident knowing this elderly man’s story would be well worth my time. And worth my time it definitely was.

      — Antonio

      “My parents, along with my two uncles, who were my mother’s brothers, moved to Cañon City in 1933. I was born three years later. My sister and I were the only children in my family—all Italian immigrants.

      When I was 10 years old, one of my uncles, Paolo who I was named after, died in a work accident when the large landscaping boulders that had been loaded upon a parked company truck gave way. Unfortunately, my uncle Paolo was crushed by one of the rocks, as it rolled across his chest. Although his fellow workers quickly assisted him, I was told he died within a few minutes after.

      As much as I can remember of our relationship, my uncle never displayed much affection, or sentiment on any level, toward me. Although he never mistreated me, I regarded him as simply a distant person in our household. So at the time of his death, when others around me were emotionally distraught, I personally was saddened, but did not display much grief for him.

      Uncle Paolo’s funeral, 1946.

      I remember years earlier, my mother’s words to me regarding her and her brother’s relationship. Theirs was also a strangely distant one, unlike the typical Italian family relationship where hugging and kissing played a major role—quite the opposite. There was even a time when he actually slapped her in the presence of a boyfriend she was dating. Apparently he did not approve of their relationship. And he very obviously made it clear to both her and her boyfriend that the relationship was to end. My mother never forgot, or overcame, the embarrassment she felt that day. Times were different years ago as families were structured more clearly, and ideas of what was morally correct ruled with an iron fist. A lot different than how we behave in today’s society.

      Well, the day of my uncle’s funeral arrived, and my uncle was laid to rest in Cañon City on March 31, 1943. Before being buried, a relative took a picture of him at the funeral home as he lay in his casket. I still have it, and can show it to you if you’d like to see it. Although I was only 10 years old, I have a very vivid memory of that day, and most of my years as a young child.

      About five to seven days after he was buried, I began to have visions of my uncle walking about the house. At different times of the day, for no apparent reason, I’d begin to “feel” his presence СКАЧАТЬ