14 Nights with the Security Guard

 I went to St. Stevens in Hawaii for priesthood training in the 1970’s. There I experienced something I never experienced in my entire life. 

I arrived during a summer break for all the seminarians. When the place was empty. I was accompanied there by some nuns who walked past me at the airport and offered to show me this place because I had no ride and nobody came for me. After I settled in, they went home. I was left there all alone. In a huge place that looks more like a European castle....located in the mountains, isolated from people and town.

I spent fourteen nights alone up there. In a huge room on the top floor. And for fourteen nights, I heard strange noises and felt weird things around me.

On the first night...….

The clock ticked eight. The large chain-door downstairs opened with a huge crack. A large thunderous sound. Oh maybe they have a security guard, I thought. With this good thought, I picked up my Bible and read. Then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs to my floor, toward my room. Stopped at my door. I waited for a knock so I could open and say hi, but there’s none. Just footsteps. Pauses. Then proceed upstairs to the next floor, to a room above mine. I peeked through the curtains and saw that the light in the other room was on and it was red.

The next morning, I waited for him to come down to the kitchen for breakfast so I could meet him but nobody showed up. ”Oh, maybe he’d gone home at dawn time” I said.

On the second night.....

The same incident continued - the cracking sounds, the footsteps, pauses - 8pm. After the RED light turned on in the other room, I fell asleep. Then I heard the light string in my room being pulled. I opened my eyes in extreme darkness. I extended my hand to pull the string and turn the light on. Suddenly I felt the string rope swinging in the air. Someone had just pulled the string! I turned on the light as fast as I could and immediately switched my attention to the door to check if I locked the door. Yes, it was locked, even tied with large chains. But who would have pulled the string? 

Well, I'm reading a Bible. This is a holy place so yeah the Holy Spirit is just entertaining me to make sure I'm get bored.

From the third night and on...…..

No changes with the footsteps and red light. I wasn't even scared at all. Just impatiently waiting for the day I'd shake my neighbor's hand and introduce myself.

Summer break's over.....

Priests and seminarians returned to campus. I met this Hawaiian, John, on the first week. “So how long have you been here?”, he asked. “Two weeks”, I said confidently. He went silent and looked a bit shock at what I just said. 

"Oh no worries, the security guard was here for the rest of the two weeks, too", I convinced him.

To my surprise, he laughed. "Brother, there is no such thing as a security guard here. The place has been empty the whole summer", he said.

"Wait...….then who's been stopping at my door all those nights?” I asked with a curious look.

He told me the real story of St. Stevens: 

It was once a home for a Hawaiian prince and his family many years ago. The family wasn't comfortable nor happy in this huge home because it's haunted. Below St. Stevens library, which is on the lowest floor of the castle, were too many graves of ancient people. The ghosts or spirits of these dead people roamed in the castle every night, but only when one was alone. The royal family sold the castle. People after people purchased it and sold it in the end. Finally a bishop of Hawaii  purchased the place for a priesthood training center where boys throughout the Pacific were trained to become priests. The Catholic Church had been praying and trying to chase the dead dead spirits out of the castle, but it was still no use. 

I could feel myself shaking in disbelief then fear after John's explanation. “You were lucky to be alive, Ben. "

"Nobody survives alone", he added. 

He's right. I was very lucky to be alive. God was with me all the time. Never stop believing in Him. Read your Bible and pray before you sleep.