A year ago: Lourdes Day 6

April 6, 2011

This morning we were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to serve in the baths. My Madame (the lady in charge of the individual piscine) was Dutch and spoke so many different languages. I was also able to go in the baths as well when our shift was finishing.

Then we went directly to the Aceuil to serve at the lunch shift before we ate our own lunch. Then we went to the bookstore to look around and then we hung out around the river and played Pooh Sticks (you throw your stick into the river on one side of the bridge and then run to the other side of the bridge to see whose stick got to the other side first) before French Rosary.

After Confessions, I met with Regina to go to the Eucharistic Procession. Sr. Carrie Ann now has an Italian fan club and they are calling her Sr. Clare!!

Hanging out by the river in my nurse outfit! At  one point, someone
actually asked me if I was a nurse (in French, so fortunately, I remembered
what an infermiere is!). The sign on the tree says that fishing is forbidden.
I find it very amusing that the French word for fishing is the same for sinning.
So, no sinning allowed!!!!

A year ago: Lourdes Day 5

April 5, 2011

 Today Jeanine and I served a bit for breakfast, cleaning dishes with our Spanish friends. Then we had a tour of the Sanctuaries for formation followed by group photos.

Kimmie, Regina, Sr. Carrie Ann, George, Jeanine, and me

Kimmie, Regina, Sr. Carrie Ann, Jeanine, and me

Then we served at lunch before we ate and then went to the adoration chapel. Then we learned how to move people using wheelchairs, stretchers, and transferring them from each kind of equipment. This was with Soeur Chantal who did the meeting in French, and translated by our formateur Michael.

Then Regina, Jeanine, and I hung out around the river until it was time to serve for dinner again. After that, we had dinner and shortly after we had Mass. But the sacristan didn't come, so we had Mass at the Maison des Chapelains. And there are a ton of Bishops here-- I don't think I've ever seen so many at once before!!!

A year ago: Lourdes Day 4

April 4, 2011

Today we had our first formation meeting with George from Malta and Michael from England. We learned about Ste. Bernadette and the theme this year: "Saying the Our Father with Ste. Bernadette." Then we went on a short tour of Lourdes to see her museum, birthplace, home, site of her old parish church, and hospital where she volunteered and received her First Communion.

Then the Acceuil women rushed off to serve, but they did not need us yet on second floor, so we ate lunch and looked at the Underground Basilica (which was modern and shaped like a boat) before we met up with the 3rd floor Acceuil and went back into town.

The underground Basilica

Then we said a French Rosary at the Grotto and had our meeting for the Acceuil with Noel, who only spoke French. So I was asked to interpret the entire 45 minute meeting for the Anglophones, and fortunately some of the French speakers were able to help me out in a couple places where I got stuck. It took a lot of discipline and it was really difficult towards the end, but we made it through and understood what they were saying!!

Then we had Mass in the crypt church again and then dinner followed by serving in the Acceuil. We washed dishes with Veronique, who speaks French and English, as well as two ladies from Spain (Ignatia and Maria) who only spoke Spanish.

Then on our way back, we ran into Regina who was going to choir rehearsal for the procession and I joined her. Also joining us in the Anglophone section was an Irish priest. It was neat seeing the Rosary procession from that point of view and leading it.

Regina petting one of the Bishop's horses. We named them:
the brown was is Philippe and this white one is Jean-Claude.

A year ago: Lourdes Day 3

April 3, 2011


Today we began our day with a French breakfast of bread and jam before we headed for Mass at the side chapel of Ste. Anne's in the main chapel. Then we went on a very brief tour followed by some free time. Julie and I went shopping in the town in the souvenir shops.

Then we went to lunch and had our orientation meeting before we registered at our respective services. All of us in room 105 were give the honor of serving in the Acceuil Notre dame, which is where the sick pilgrims stay. The lady registering us (Maria-Luz) was from Spain, so fortunately Pam was there to help us translate. However, she had to register for the Piscinces, so Kimmie and I were left to translate for Regina, Jeanine, and Sr. Carrie Ann when we went to see where we would be working.

Me, Regina, Katie, Jeanine, and Julie modeling with
our North American Lourdes volunteer bags!

Jeanine and I will work on the St. Nicholas floor. Kimmie and I worked later that night after dinner to help with dishes. We were going to go to dinner, but it wasn't open yet, so went into town to shop a bit.

Then we looked at the gorgeous ground floor Basilica. After praying by the Grotto, we went to serve in the Acceuil, and it was great fun conversing and translating in French. Then we ate dinner and went to the International Rosary procession. Then we came back to the Maison and got our nurse outfits and got ready for bed.

The main Basilica. Can you see the fireworks?
Welcome to Catholic Disneyland!

A year ago: Lourdes Day 2

April 2, 2011

Today we took our train to Lourdes and picked up/bought our reservations. On the train through the beautiful French countryside, we were discussing our philosophy paper.

Bienvenue a Lourdes!

The Basilica

When we got off the train we started to find our way, but there were no street names, so we stopped at a hotel to ask for directions (in French!), which was very helpful. At the Basilica, we asked for directions again and followed the road to the Maison St. Pierre et St. Paul where Pam from the North American Lourdes Volunteers met us. It is a gorgeous building that used to be a seminary.

The Maison St. Pierre et St. Paul

After settling down, we went to Mass at the original shrine built at the request of Our Lady. Then we had a delicious dinner in the cafeteria and stopped at the Grotto on our way back, taking the path that Bernadette did. Then we got more settled in and did Evening Prayer and some reading for my Christian Spirituality class. I'm rooming with Regina, Jeanine, and Kimmie.

The Grotto

A year ago: Lourdes Day 1

France 10 day previous update


April 1, 2011


Last night we left Gaming right after our classes ended and headed for Paris (our stops included Salzburg and Munich). We (Regina, Katie, Julie, Jeanine, Marianne, and I) had tons of fun-- especially in the 6 person compartment--when we were playing games. Our overnight train was from Munich to Paris and 3 of us were separated, but it worked out. It's super nice when when you can lay down and sleep on two seats. We also ran into Helen and Matt. Fortunately we found Helen's Eurrail that she left on the train.

The house that I think Regina
or Katie wanted to live in.

Julie, Me, Katie, and Regina
in our compartment.

Playing "Honey I Love You" on the train...

And so, we set off to explore Paris-- the one place I've always wanted to visit.


We began with Mass (in French!) at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal (the bodies of Ste. Louise de Marillac and Ste. Catherine Laboure are there) and then walked down the street to see St. Vincent de Paul. When we walked in to this church, someone was playing the organ and we were able to go up right in front of his body by climbing the stairs behind the altar.

Shrine of the Miraculous Medal

St. Vincent de Paul's.

After praying there for a bit, we stopped in a epicerie and bought some delicious bread for lunch. Then we went to the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe for some pictures.

Does this one really need a caption?

This is probably my favorite picture! It was April Fools' Day
when we were in Paris, so I decided that it would be appropriate
to participate in the French custom of putting fish on people's backs.
It's a good thing that I know this innocent tourist!

Me by the Eiffel Tower. If you look closely in the
background, you'll see King Tut!

Then we went to Notre Dame at 3pm for the Veneration of the Crown of Thorns. The line was long to get in and to venerate. It started at 3pm and we weren't done until 4:40pm! But it was some good prayer time before we were able to venerate the Crown, which was in a class/plastic box/ holder.

Notre Dame de Paris!

Then we ran into Joe and Joey and went to a cafe and had crepes (mine was chocolate and coconut). (And they spoke to me in English when I spoke to them in French-- sad day!) Then we went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa (and ran into Casey), Venus de Milo, and some French painting, some of which were very familiar to me from classes I've been in.

Me at the Louvre!

Katie, Jeanine, and me taking a break in the Louvre-- finally!!

Me and Casey in the Louvre!

Then we made our way to Sacre Coeur to stay with the sisters-- and I was finally able to use my French to first find out where the entry was and to help interpret when we were checking in. They had beds for us and our roommates were all Franciscan women-- yay! We had our holy hour at 11pm which was in the main Basilica.

Me in front of the Sacre Coeur

A year ago: Medjugorje

March 25, 2011

Last night we left for Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina. (At midnight we stopped for a passport check at the Slovenian border.) And at the Bosnian border, I think they gave the guard beer and cereal... but that's a side note... Prof. Cassidy and his almost 6 year old son Johannes came with us. And the roads were really winding.

Markita and me in front of the Castle.

When we arrived at the Castle (which is not like an ancient castle-- it's very new and is built on the model of St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle of the Soul), Nancy and Patrick and the Ukranian doctors greeted us with cheers and applause. She is so joyful and charitable and loving-- it is beautiful how much joy she has!

Sheep in a vineyard!!!

After we got our rooms (I was in the large dormitory with 30 other women-- all Franciscan students), we went to the parish church (St. James) and saw the statue of the Risen Christ. There is a miraculous flow of water coming out of His knee and it's the consistency of human tears (and it's also about the height Mary would have been at as she embraced Him on the cross). We were told of this phenomenon, but you don't realize it until you touch it.

The Risen Christ statue

Then I got to sing for the Mass at St. James (Solemnity of the Annunciation) and then we had lunch. Then we went to Cennocole, a men's rehab for drug/substance addiction and heard 2 men give their testimonies of what this place has done for them.

Then we climbed Apparition Hill where Our Lady appears as we prayed the Glorious Mysteries on the way up. At the top, we had some good prayer time by a statue of Our Lady.

Statue of Our Lady outside the parish church

Then we walked back to the church for evening services. JoBob and I didn't end up going there, but went to the Bookshop, Luminous Mystery mosaics, Stations by the Risen Christ statue, and then dinner before we had a holy hour. Markita and I walked back in the dark together. We were going to walk through the field, but just as we were about the walk through I decided that I couldn't walk through a pitch dark field without any light. So we started to turn back, but then we ran into some other Franciscan students who had lights, so we walked through with them.


March 26, 2011


Today, we ate breakfast and then hurried off to hear the visionary Vitka speak. She was always smiling! She also talked about in order to blossom, we need to water our flower with prayers or it will wither and die.

Then we went to Mass and a talk by Fr. Svet and he talked about the need to be adventerous-- risky. On the way back to the castle, Markita and I stop by some shops. The vendors were really nice and gave us free prayer cards and a piece of candy.For lunch, the men from Cennocole made us pizza and spaghetti.

Then we climbed Cross Mountain-- a real mountain. It has the same Stations of the Cross that we have on main campus.

Then we rushed off to get to the Sunday Vigil Mass, which was backed and we stood most of the time. After the holy hour, Nancy and Patrick let us pile in to their van to get a ride back to the Castle.

St. James, the parish church

March 27, 2011


Today we had the time change and woke up very early for 6AM breakfast. While we ate, Patrick gave a beautiful testimony of how he went from money being his god and how sinful he was until his wife gave him the book of messages from Our Lady and he, and later his family, turned to the Lord.

We prayed morning prayer on the bus while we waited for people who forgot their passports. Then after stopping in Split, Croatia where we saw a Franciscan Church and Diocletian's former palace, we prayed a Rosary and told glory stories from Medjugorje, which was a great time to reflect on our experiences.

Markita and me next to the Adriatic Sea in Split, Croatia