My Blessed Encounter with NFL Great, Franco Harris

My Blessed Encounter with NFL Great, Franco Harris that Occurred Just 33 Hours Before He Died

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us".  ~ Hebrews 12:1

In this race called "LIFE",

I very much believe in the "cloud of witnesses"

who help us to run with endurance, the race set before us. Amazingly, God inspired my favorite, Scripture passage as one of the topics I discussed with Franco at our encounter on Dec. 19, 2022.

I wish to share some of the back story that led to my nearly 2.5 hour meeting with Franco Harris, to gift him the gold medal of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant just 33 hours before he passed.  

My Mom

It was Aug. 11, 2022, and my mom's 3rd anniversary of her death was approaching - Aug. 13th.

I was asking my mom to help me write an article about the Blessed Mother for the upcoming Aug. 15th Feast of Mary's Assumption. (Especially since the liturgical readings for that Feast Day are to honor Mary as the Ark of The New Covenant, one of Her titles under which I recently had a gold medal designed.)

I read that the 8/13/22 Steeler preseason opening game was to be played on the Anniversary of my mom's death. Then, I came  across an interview by Pittsburgh news reporter, Andrew Stockey, of WTAE Action News 4, and was astounded to learn what Franco Harris revealed during that July 27 interview.

During that interview, Harris revealed something, that in my opinion, was overlooked in the highly debated "Immaculate Reception"- a little known piece of history that’s seemingly been missed by millions of people for a half-century. Harris shares what was happening the very moment the football ricocheted toward him, when he miraculously caught the ball before it hit the ground scoring a 60-yard touchdown. As Harris relived the game that took place on December 23rd, 1972, just two days before Christmas, Franco tells Stockey what was also happening, off the field.

According to Harris, his mother Gina was gathered with his siblings at her New Jersey home watching the game on TV. Harris stated, his mother knew something was wrong, “So she went and got one of her Italian albums and put one of her Italian albums on.” Harris said, ”To this day, my brothers and sisters verify this and say, yes, this happened, this is what was going on.”  During the very moment of the Immaculate Reception Harris said his mother was playing “Ave Maria” on that Italian music album. When shortly thereafter, his siblings came running to her shouting, “Mom, the Steelers won!” Harris said his mother looked at them and said, “I know.’" Reporter Andrew Stockey ends the interview with Harris saying, what we all know in our hearts to be true, "Mother always knows best!"

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1841742286192328

And there you have it! I had the "Immaculate Reception" subject for my August Preborn Jesus News article that unknowingly, would unfold into a story that would touch Pittsburgh and beyond!

https://prebornjesus.com/news/unveiling-the-mystery-of-the-immaculate-reception

Immediately, my research began. I learned that Franco's mom, Gina had passed but incredibly, she and I shared the same birthday, and not only that, but I also learned that his brother Peter, died on that August 15th Feast of the Assumption date years ago!

I reached out to reporter Andrew Stockey and on the evening of Aug. 22, 2022 (the Queenship of Mary), we discussed the upcoming Dec. 24, 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception and my desire to gift Franco the gold medal of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant in honor of his mom, Gina playing the Ave Maria when the Immaculate Reception took place.

2 significant things occurred before I called Andrew that evening.

1.   God put a rainbow in the sky above the Church I was praying in prior to our phone conversation.

2.   Secondly, that same morning my friend, Stephen who was praying for my upcoming phone call to Andrew, stated that a yellow and black bird startled him when it nearly hit his windshield of his car! Not only that, but he saw an entire flock of those black and yellow birds fly up into a tree.  So intrigued, was Stephen, that when he arrived home and researched what kind of bird it was, he astoundingly discovered that it was a Goldfinch, the state bird of Franco's home state of NJ!

Andrew Stockey was kind enough to attempt to connect me with Franco, especially after the announcement that Franco's # 32  jersey would be retired, but months passed and I still had not heard anything.

In the meantime, I wanted this special gold medal to be blessed for the 50th Anniversary of Franco's Immaculate  Reception play, and in anticipation of gifting it to Franco, I asked our bishop to bless it. When I left his office that day after the blessing, I saw yet another rainbow!

Franco's Italian Army Connection

Fast forward to mid December and the turn of events that permitted me to meet Franco Harris.

Most Steeler fans who know of the Immaculate Reception have heard of Franco's Italian Army, and so I received the inspiration to possibly reach out to a member and amazingly I found one! In my google search, a video of Al Vento of Vento's Pizza came up and after watching the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--wxd7MDHTw), and seeing Al Vento, I immediately reached out to him, discovering that he was the last surviving member of Franco's Italian Army.

On Fri. Dec. 9, at 2:00 I called Al and shared my story with him, stating my desire to gift Franco the gold medal in honor of the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, and the connection to Franco's mom playing the Ave Maria, when that famous play took place.

Al said he wanted to witness me gifting the medal to Franco because over the years of their long friendship, he had heard him tell the Ave Maria story before, and Al said the medal would touch him deeply.

Astoundingly, after that call, less than 5 minutes later I received a text message from Al stating,

"Bernadette, I just got off the phone with Franco, he told me he would love to meet you, but it will be at my pizza shop in East Liberty sometime next week. I told him to look at his schedule for next week and let me know. Finding out the date, I will immediately text you or call you to tell you to come to our shop

God bless you
Al Vento"

Within days, I received the finalizing word from Al. The anticipated meeting would take place on Mon. Dec. 19, at 2:30. Franco would be coming directly from a luncheon to greet us!  

Meeting Franco at Vento's Pizza

When the day finally came, my friend Betty and I arrived at Vento's Pizza in Pittsburgh in plenty of time to meet Al. I thanked my new friend for arranging the meeting and in appreciation, I gifted him a duplicate of the medal I was gifting Franco. We enjoyed each other's company, and were filled with joy when Franco arrived a little before 3:00 as I tippy toed to greet this gentle giant with a hug!

We sat in the booth under the poster of Al's father who started Franco's Italian Army,  with Franco pulling up a chair to the booth. As our conversation began and we reminisced about the miraculous Immaculate Reception play, something stopped Franco in his tracks when I asked him how old he was when the play took place. He said, in 50 years it never occurred to him til that moment, but there were 22 seconds left on the clock and he was 22 years old!

Looking back at our 2.5 hour meeting it delighted me to consider how, in addition to football, our conversation covered topics like our families, his vegetarian diet, his Catholic upbringing, and his love of Christmastime, with Franco adding, "It's about Jesus's birth".

The conversation got deep as we then talked about our moms who have passed, and God's design on Motherhood. He was charmed to hear that I shared the same birthday as his mother and at that moment, I felt such love pouring out of his eyes, it was as if I was looking into the eyes of Jesus! We talked about that special "Ave Maria" moment when the Immaculate Reception took place and how his mother "sensed something was wrong" leading us to discuss the intriguing scientific phenomenon called "Fetal Microchimerism" and a mother's intuition.

In total humility he poured out his words of affirmation, in gratitude for the gold medal of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant, connecting it to the Ave Maria and his mom.

When I thanked Franco for our meeting, I boldly suggested one more thing after handing him a bag of blessed replica medals that he might wish to share with others:

I asked, "Franco, what better way to honor your Mom when your jersey's retired at halftime on Christmas Eve, as throughout our nation, football fans honor the 50th Anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, than to have the Ave Maria sung?"

Surprisingly, and the video attests to it, he considered not only that, but pinning the medal to his jersey!

Click here to see video!

In great depth, we lovingly talked about his mom and my mom and that heaven is the true goal in life as I shared much about my favorite scripture passage, Hebrews 12:1,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and Persevere in Running the Race that Lies Before Us".

Franco gave me his permission to share our conversation, video, pictures and quotes from the grace-filled Dec. 19, 2022 meeting. Little did either of us realize that I would be one of the last to spend such a blessed encounter with this true man of humility who in my opinion, helped Pittsburgh, in a time when the moral of the city needed lifted, to become the great city it is, and for this, I thank God.

Stunning the Steeler Nation and beyond, Franco Harris unexpectedly passed into his eternal reward just a little before midnight on Dec. 20, 2022.

Providentially, just 7 hours prior to the time of Franco's passing, as the sun was setting over Cranberry Township, PA, I videoed the most beautiful cross in the sky that Dec. 20th day!

As my testimony comes to a close, and you see the final slide at the very end of the video,

Click here to view video!

I ask you to remember this photo of Franco's twinkle in his eyes, and his beaming smile as you say a prayer of thanks for his life and that his soul may rest in peace.

A Final Thought

After hearing the news of Franco's passing, I thought, how ironic, we all cheered for Franco, and in his heavenly reward, as part of the "cloud of witnesses", Franco will be cheering for us to "Persevere in Running the Race that Lies Before Us". ~Hebrews 12:1

In addition to thanking Stephen, Betty, Mark, and Anna Nuzzo who shared her beautiful rendition of Ave Maria, (https://www.annanuzzo.com/) a special thanks to Al Vento, my new friend and longtime friend of Franco Harris. The beauty of this story encompasses a Divine appointment that God arranged that I will forever treasure, but perhaps Al Vento cherishes even more.

"The gift of seeing a lifelong friend one last time!"

Ave Maria! ❤️

Please keep in your prayers, the making of black and gold rosaries with the gold medal of Mary, Ark of The New Covenant to go out from Pittsburgh and beyond to pray for not only Steeler Nation, but our entire nation!

Thank you!