Blessed Solanus Casey

Blessed Solanus Casey emoji

How rare and difficult it is to be holy!  How wonderful when we discover someone who really stands out in a crowd of faithful and is so well known for their spiritual strength that we all long to model our lives after them.  Sanctity is so rare, in fact, that America can only boast of 15 saints and blesseds from our country.

On Saturday, November 18th, 2017, Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM, was beatified in Detroit, Michigan.  Well known by many for his gifts of healing and prophesy, this man who was the sixth child in a family of sixteen, born in Prescott, Wisconsin and was not particularly gifted in educational skills, a man who was very humble and obedient, has become the latest American example of sanctity recognized by the Church.

I had first learned of Solanus Casey about 30 years ago.  Fr. Jeff VandenHeuvel, a priest who had been assigned at my hometown parish of Holy Innocents in Manitowoc was so gifted in singing his homilies that he recorded several of them on tape as a fundraiser.  I had purchased his tapes and listened to them over and over again until they completely wore out.  One of his homily stories featured Fr. Solanus Casey whom Fr. Jeff described as the lowliest of the Capuchins who became the greatest of the Capuchins.  Fr. Jeff's story so captivated me that I never forgot it and have been intrigued by Fr. Solanus ever since and have turned to him in prayer on many occasions.

Born on November 25th, 1870, Fr. Solanus' vocational call came while witnessing a brutal murder of a woman in Superior, Wisconsin.  Struggling through the academic rigors of seminary which was taught in German and Latin, Fr. Solanus was ordained a "simplex priest."  He could not hear confessions or preach.  His assignment was to become the porter at St. Bonaventure Friary in Detroit and several places in New York and Indiana.  It was through this humble job that Fr. Solanus began to gain notoriety as an excellent listener and wonder-worker.  People would come and share their trials with Fr. Solanus and, with his encouragement toward prayer, people would leave him healed of burdens and suffering.  For those for whom healing would not be possible, Fr. Solanus would encourage them with a reminder that the "Good God" knows what is best.  

Fr. Solanus was known to spend entire evenings in prayer in the church.  He was so closely connected to God and in tune with his faith that he was an inspiration to his brother priests.  He also loved to play the violin, although it's said that he played very poorly.  Nobody could stand to listen to him play so he took his violin to the church to play in front of the tabernacle for Jesus and at Christmas would offer a gift of music to the Infant Christ.

Above all, Fr. Solanus stressed the need for gratitude in all things.  He would say "Thank God ahead of time."  That way you put him on the spot and he will be more inclined to your desires.

There are thousands of stories of miracles and answered prayers through Fr. Casey's help while he was alive.  He would always be sure to remind everyone that it was God who brought the healing and answered prayers, not him.  When he died on July 31st, 1957, he was said to have sat straight up in bed with his arms out like a cross and said, "I give my soul to Jesus Christ."  Nearly 2000 people came for his funeral.  He truly was the least Capuchin who had become the greatest.

Upon exhuming his body in 1987 to be moved from the cemetery to the Solanus Center, he was found to be incorrupt, an occurrence that is extremely rare among the saints.

I was so blessed to personally attend Fr. Solanus' beatification Mass in Detroit.  Making our way through a crowd of 70,000 in the cold, pouring rain only made the occasion more meaningful and memorable.  The following day we paid a visit to the Casey Center to pray at his tomb.  The experience was deeply moving and more than once I had tears in my eyes as I pondered the grace that I had been given.

One of those teary-eyed moments came when Ms. Paula Medina Zarate, a teacher from Panama whose miraculous healing of her skin disease brought about the beatification, carried in Fr. Solanus' relics to be placed at the altar during Mass.  The following description from the Solanus Center in Detroit offers a great explanation about both the relics and the reliquary in which they were contained.

Relics of Fr. Solanus Casey's arm

A closer view of the relics

"Relics are an important part of our Catholic faith. They provide us with a physical, tangible connection to the Communion of Saints, and help us draw closer to God. A relic of Father Solanus Casey was presented during the Beatification Mass this past Saturday. This relic, a portion of bone removed from the arm of the Blessed Porter who reached out to so many people, was carried to the altar by Ms. Paula Medina Zarate of Panamá. Paula received a miraculous healing of a skin disease after praying for the intercession of Blessed Solanus. Brother Michael Sullivan, our Provincial Minister, and Brother Jozev Timmers, who has ministered in Panamá for many years, escorted Paula to the altar. Cardinal Amato later incensed the relic in a humble act of veneration.

The reliquary, or the vessel in which the relic is housed, was designed by Brother Mark Joseph Costello. It is a simple wooden cross that incorporates into its design a wooden dinner plate, which would have been used to feed both the Friars and the poor alike during the lifetime of Blessed Solanus. This provides yet another link to the Blessed Friar who served the poor and who was instrumental in the foundation of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. This relic will eventually come to reside at the St. Bonaventure Chapel at the Solanus Casey Center, where it can be venerated by the many pilgrims who visit the center." http://www.solanuscenter.org/home

Please join me in praying for one more miracle so that our Blessed Solanus may soon become Saint Solanus.

CANONIZATION PRAYER

O God, I adore You. I give myself to You.

May I be the person You want me to be,

and May Your will be done in my life today.

I thank You for the gifts You gave Father Solanus.

If it is Your Will, bless us with the Canonization of

Father Solanus so that others may imitate

and carry on his love for all the poor and

suffering of our world.

As he joyfully accepted Your divine plans,

I ask You, according to Your Will,

to hear my prayer for… (your intention)

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Blessed be God in all His Designs.”

Imprimatur:

The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron

Archbishop of Detroit

May 2017

To learn more about Blessed Solanus including many fascinating stories of healings and other miraculous events of his life, visit Michigan Catholic.

Pictures from my visit to the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit:

Prayer items of Blessed Solanus

His sandals

Habit and Violin

Blessed Solanus' Prayer Intention Book

The covering for his tomb before the beatification.

Blessed Be God!

Blessed Solanus Casey, pray for us!

Patroness for a Priest

"Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?  Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him,"Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him."  Jesus said to her, "Mary!"  She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher.  Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.  But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"  Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he told her." ~John 20:15-18

A first priestly blessing for my family

This past weekend my family was graced and blessed to attend a beautiful Holy Hour Vigil of Prayer, an Ordination Mass and the First Mass of Fr. John Baumgardner.  The Ordination Mass happened to fall on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.

At the beautiful holy hour vigil held at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary, the priest spoke to a full chapel about the Magdalene and how she will be the special patroness for Fr. John.  He said, "As Jesus told Mary Magdalene not to cling to Him, so we, too, must not cling to Fr. John.  We must let him go in freedom to serve the Lord as he has been called.  Neither his family nor any future parishioners he may come to know should cling, so that he may be open to love all.  And this is hard for a priest, too.  But out of obedience the priest must go where he is sent."

In his homily at the ordination, Archbishop Listecki also spoke of Mary Magdalene.  He said that she possessed two essential characteristics:  faith and love.  Because she had confidence in the person of Jesus she was faithful at the foot of the cross and her love for him opened her eyes upon hearing her name spoken in a loving manner.

Then, the Archbishop addressed the ordinand directly:  "John, I know the same voice called your name.  His invitation, framed in love, was to join the priesthood and become an apostle announcing His life, death and resurrection which is the only hope."  

Holy Father, May Fr. John Baumgardner be blessed with a long and holy priesthood under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene!  May she guide his every step with her faithful love.  May he ever hear the voice of Jesus calling his name and leading him along the path to sanctity as he, himself,  leads so many souls along that same path.  Amen.

Holy Fire

I recently heard of an astonishing religious experience that has been occurring regularly for thousands of years.  I'm still scratching my head over how I  had never before heard of this astounding occurrence but am so grateful to now be in the loop.

Each year on Holy Saturday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, the Orthodox Patriarch enters the tomb of Christ where a mysterious fire ignites from the slab of the tomb and quickly is shared among the thousands of faithful both in and outside of the church.  The church becomes alive with fire, excitement and joy! The flame is said to be warm, not hot, for the first thirty-three minutes (one minute for each year of Christ's life on earth).  Men are shown holding the fire directly in their faces and yet their beards don't scorch.  But, after thirty-three minutes the fire becomes naturally hot like any other fire.  

But here's something even more miraculous.  The fire isn't contained in the church building alone but it's shared around the world asking only for prayers for peace in Jerusalem in return.  For the first time this year it came to America on board a Russian Airline. There is a facebook page, Come Receive the Holy Fire!, that tracks the flames arrival in each destination, whether that be a church or a private home.  Those posting share pictures and practical details such as how to safely travel with the fire and how to keep it burning in the home. The excitement of those posting the receipt of the Fire is palpable.  This is truly a grace-filled gift of faith!

While there is much speculation that this annual ancient fire is a fraud and the fire could be produced with phosphorus, I believe that anything that comes from the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, from the very place where Jesus was buried and rose from the dead, and is shared with the world, is miraculous in itself.  

When my friend, Mary Anne, and her daughter Evanka, shared facebook posts about the Holy Fire that they had received from Abouna Moses, a monk at Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazainz, Wisconsin, I was enthralled and eager to learn more about it.  Mary Anne generously offered to share the flame with us so my daughter, Mary and I, took her up on that offer and drove out to her house where we very carefully transferred the fire in a lantern and in a Seven Day Our Lady of Guadalupe Candle that Mary Anne shared with us.  I knew that I would only be able to keep the fire burning for that one evening in my home and would need to snuff it out for safety before bedtime so I decided to light every candle I had in the house with the Holy Fire.  Now each time I re-light my candles I will remember that the wicks had burned with the Holy Fire and I will enjoy the graces all over again. 

Imagine!  Flames from the tomb of Christ burning in my humble home!  If that isn't a miracle I don't know what is! 

My family used this opportunity of having the Holy Fire in our home to relight our children's baptism candles and to renew our baptismal vows with this special Easter Holy Fire.  Although not all of our children could be there, we lit all of their candles and prayed for them just as we did at their baptism.  We found a beautiful handout with scripture readings, prayers and vows tucked inside each candle box and used those for our prayer.

I am so filled with excitement and joy over this grace-filled blessing from God.  What a wonderful opportunity to learn something new, to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to grow more deeply into the faith!  Alleluia!  Christ is Risen!

I highly recommend that you spend a few minutes reading about and watching a video of the Holy Fire.  You will be entranced!  It is so amazing!  Perhaps you can search out a source of the Holy Fire where you live and can bring the Flame to your own home.  You can learn more about the Holy Fire at these links:

http://www.holyfire.org/eng/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/photos-of-the-holy-fire-at-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre-in-jerusalem/2017/04/15/9a9a97e2-2204-11e7-a0a7-8b2a45e3dc84_gallery.html?utm_term=.cb5750adba83

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebCJM_72Pg

Here's the prayer format that we used for our Baptismal Vow Renewal:
A Renewal Celebration of Baptismal Vows

A Renewal Celebration of Baptismal Vows by Rev. Joseph Champlin

Prior to the actual renewal of baptismal vows, parents or godparents might read one or two biblical passages to remind participants of the meaning of baptism and of God’s presence through these inspired words.

Here are two excerpts which are commonly used at baptism:

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans:

Are you not aware that we who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.  If we have been united with him through likeness to his death, so shall we be through a like resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5).

A reading from the Gospel according to Mark:

One of the scribes came up, and when he heard them arguing he realized how skillfully Jesus answered the.  He decided to ask him, “Which is the first of all the commandments”  

Jesus replied:  “This is the first:  ‘Hear, O Israel!  The Lord our God is Lord alone:  Therefore you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

This is the second:  ‘‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.”  The scribe said to him:  “Excellent teacher!  You are right in saying, ‘He is the One, there is no other than He.’  Yes,‘to love Him with all our heart, with all our thoughts and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves’ is worth more than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”  Jesus approved the insight of  this answer and told him, “You are not far from the reign of God.”  And no one had the courage to ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34)

After a period of silent reflection or group discussion on the readings, a parent or someone from the family next could explain the meaning of baptism for this child in these, or similar words, and lead all present in the renewal rite which follows.

Leader:

Some time ago we presented N…. for baptism.  By water and the Holy Spirit he (she) received the gift of new life from God, who is love.  On our part we have made it our constant care to bring N...up in the practice of the faith.  We have tried to see that the divine life which God gave be kept from the poison of sin and might grow always stronger in N….’s heart.  We share a common faith, the faith of the Church, and it was in this faith N….was baptized. At that time we rejected sin and professed our faith in Christ Jesus.  Now that you, N...are older and your faith makes you ready to accept this responsibility, we ask you to renew the vows of your own baptism.  

Leader:  Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you reject the glamor of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you believe in God, the Father almighty,, creator of heaven and earth?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

Child:  I do.

Leader:  This is our faith.  This is the faith of  the Church.  We are proud to profess it, in Christ Jesus our Lord.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  You have renewed the vows of your baptism.  You are called a child of God, for so you are.  In confirmation you will receive the fullness of God’s spirit.  In holy communion you will share the banquet of Christ’s sacrifice calling God your Father in the midst of the Church.  In your name, all of us, sharing a common sonship, now pray together in the words our Lord gave us.

All:  Lord’s Prayer

Leader:  May God the almighty Father, who filled the world with joy by giving us the only Son, bless N...May he (she) grow to be more fully like Jesus Christ, our Lord.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  May almighty God, who gives life on earth and in heaven, bless the parents of N...May they always show their gratitude for the gift of life and  grace in N….by loving and caring for this child.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  May almighty God, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, generously bless all of us who are his faithful children.  May we always live as God’s people, and may the Lord bless all here present with his peace.

All:  Amen.

Leader:  May almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless us.

All:  Amen.s

St. Joseph, My Hero

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the Throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord; so that having engaged here below your Heavenly power I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of Fathers. O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press him in my name and kiss His fine Head for me, and ask Him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, Patron of departing souls, pray for us. Amen.


This prayer is sometimes printed with the following information:  This prayer was found in the fifteenth year of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In 1505 it was sent from the Pope to Emperor Charles when he was going into battle. Whoever shall read this prayer or hear it or keep it about themselves, shall never die a sudden death, or be drowned, nor shall poison take effect of them; neither shall they fall into the hands of the enemy; or shall be burned in any fire, or shall be overpowered in battle. Say for nine mornings for anything you may desire. It has never been known to fail.

photo credit: JS Online

In the middle of February I had been blessed to take a Monday off from work and planned on spending it with my daughter who was off from school that day.  I'm usually up and dressed by 5 am but since I had the day off I was enjoying a leisurely morning and was still lounging in my pajamas at 6:30 am when the phone rang.  My son, Joe, was on the other end and I listened, not quite believing what I was hearing, when he said, "Mom, my apartment is on fire and we're trapped on the balcony!"  I took a second or two to absorb the obvious panic is his voice as he shared this horrific news and then asked him if he had called 911, which he had. I told him I was on my way.  Mary and I quickly dressed and drove to Joe's apartment as fast as we safely could, praying all the way.

We had to park three blocks away because the street was closed by the police.  We ran most of those three blocks until I couldn't run anymore.  There were multiple fire trucks on the scene when we arrived.  We went to the back of the building where we expected to find Joe still on the balcony but all we found was a solitary police man.  My panic was evident and he reassured me that everyone had gotten out of the building safely and that they were all re-located to the apartment building next door.

the ladder in back is leaning on Joe's balcony

Tears of relief were flowing from everyone's eyes as we found Joe and his girlfriend, Cici, and embraced them.  We looked around and saw so many people looking completely dazed and many dogs and even a bird among the residents who had been displaced from their homes.  Joe had said that he woke up when he smelled smoke and then woke Cici.  They saw flames coming into their apartment door and the room was so smokey that they couldn't find the cats.  Had they not had the balcony to escape to I don't think they would have survived.  We were greatly relieved when the firefighters brought both of Cici's cats, one by one, safely back to her.  The cats were shaking badly and needed a little oxygen and anti-nausea medication at the vets, but both are fine.

What a blessing it was to be on the receiving end of other's generosity and kindness!  Joe and Cici were showered with support that will be of great assistance to them as they work to rebuild a home and replace all of their belongings.  But the greatest blessing of all was that they survived the fire physically unscathed.

I completely credit St. Joseph with saving their lives.  As we were driving home later that day  Mary said she was thinking about St. Joseph and how the angel woke him up so that he could take Mary and Jesus and escape from Herod to Egypt. She said she had a feeling that it was St. Joseph who woke Joey up so that he and Cici could escape the fire.  I didn't realize the powerful providence behind Mary's gut feeling that day.

The following week as I was waiting to pick Mary up from work, I pulled one of my prayer books out of my purse and found the Ancient Prayer to St. Joseph. I don't know why I even looked at that prayer, what brought me to that page out of all the pages in the book at that time.  Maybe it was St. Joseph who tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I want to show you something."  When Joe was still living at home he had this prayer taped to the wall by his bed and he prayed it every morning. But even if Joe might have forgotten about St. Joseph when he grew up and moved away, St. Joseph did not forget about him.  When I read all the way down to the last sentence below the prayer and saw "nor be burned in any fire"  I was stunned!  Mary was right! St. Joseph obviously has a love for this young man named after him, this young man who had a youthful devotion to his patron saint.  

I will be thanking St. Joseph for saving Joe's and Cici's lives for all of my days. He truly is powerful with God and a perfect patron for Joe!  I'd been neglecting St. Joseph and that prayer but I won't anymore!  He is officially my hero!

the stairs leading to their apartment after the fire

Italian Pilgrimage: The Holy House of Loreto

Our first view of the Basilica della Santa Casa in Loreto

Basilica della Santa Casa in Loreto

In preparing for this Italian Pilgrimage, I spent some time researching our destinations and the lives of the saints we would learn about but I hadn’t done much research on the Holy House of Loreto and knew very little about it, so I wasn't greatly looking forward to visiting there and didn't have any expectations.  And as it happens sometimes in life, we receive our greatest graces when we least expect them.  The Holy House of Loreto was certainly a source of great grace and as it turned out, was one of my favorite stops on our pilgrimage.

Bishop Don says that the Italians have a saying, “If it isn’t true, it ought to be!”  That saying is often applied to the Holy House of Loreto.  The belief is that the very house where the Blessed Mother Mary was born and raised, and also the house where the angel Gabriel visited her and the Word was made Flesh, was this very house in Loreto.  The story is that angels carried the Holy House from Nazareth to Croatia in 1291 and then across the Adriatic Sea to Loreto in 1295 where it has remained ever since.  Later documents show that the stones of the house were transported by a family with the name of Angelo or de Angelis in the 13th century. But because of the angel legend Pope Benedict the XV has declared Our Lady of Loreto to be the patroness of aviation and you can bet I was relying heavily upon her intercession during our airline travels as they filled me with anxiety and fear.  

We weren't allowed pictures inside but I found this online source

We were given time to enter the Holy House and pray before the image of Our Lady of Loreto or Black Madonna, so called because over time soot from candles colored the wood from which she was carved into a soft black.  The original statue was damaged in a 1921 fire and when a new statue was made the carver used a dark olive wood from the very beginning to maintain her black image. 

Our Lady of Loreto, the Black Madonna (source)

I was deeply moved to stand in the very place where Mary gave her yes.  I touched and kissed the walls, wanting to feel the graces that they carry.  Then we were given a real treat!  Patrizia, our fabulous guide, stood near the exit, where, in a very small and dark niche, rested a dish from which our Lord Jesus himself was fed.  She lit the niche with her cell phone light so that we could better see the dish as we paused to reverence this amazing relic.  After this astounding event I had to stop and write out the prayer that was spilling from my heart. 

Dear Jesus, from this vessel you took nourishment for your earthly body which has now become spiritual food for the world.  How blessed we are to consider this and pray about it here.  Blessed Mother, thank you for your yes, for allowing the Word to become Flesh within you.  Teach me to follow your example and to always say yes to the will and desires of God.  Amen.

The Holy House

The Holy House is encased in marble walls which depict the life of the Blessed Mother and the entire house is inside of the Basilica della Santa Casa that was built around it in 1469.  Something that moved me deeply is that over the many centuries people would pray the rosary on their knees on the marble floor outside of the Holy House and after time they wore two grooves into the marble from their knees.  That’s powerful prayer!  Although we didn’t have time to pray a full rosary there, Paul and I knelt in the grooves and prayed a Hail Mary together for our family.  How I would have loved to pray the whole rosary there, though!  Can you imagine how mighty that rosary would have been?

The grooves in the marble floor.

After we all had a chance to visit the Holy House, we went downstairs to a lower chapel for Mass.  Prior to Mass, a guide shared a little information with us.  She told us that the little house is like a treasure.  People come to this place and go out different, changed.  Many miracles have occurred here and many saints, including St. Francis de Sales, St. Therese of Lisieux, Pope St.  John XXIII and Pope St. John Paul II all spent time praying here. In fact, Pope St. John Paul II considers this holy house like a house of family.  This is the place to pray for families, for all of the fighting we have to do for our sanctity.  There is a little candle inside the house that is lit every morning at 7:30 am for Italy and for families.  Before we left the holy house we were given the opportunity to leave a donation and receive blessed oil from the lamps that had been kept in the holy house all night.  Many families have reported miracles from this oil.  I requested ten bottles but wish I had asked for many more.  I wish every family could have a bottle of this precious oil in their homes!

Olio S. Casa Loreto and Relic of the Veil which covers the statue
of Our Lady of Loreto on Good Friday and Holy Saturday

The guide also told us that the gift shop offers blue ribbons for families that cannot conceive children.  Miracles have happened with these light blue ribbons that have been prayed over by nuns.  The recipient wears the ribbon all the time and then brings it back to the Holy House when they have conceived a child.  Many blue ribbons have been returned!

Following the guide’s talk, Mass commenced and Fr. Dennis Dirkx, one of the Milwaukee priests who traveled with us, gave a beautiful homily on the day’s Gospel passage from Luke:   “While Jesus was speaking, a woman from the crowd called out and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”   Fr. Dennis said that the Word of God speaks of home.  We can interpret the command of Jesus, “Blessed are those who observe the Word of God and keep it” to mean that the Word of God has to be “at home” within us.  Jesus invites us to take the Word and allow it to be at home within us and then we have the ability to live that Word in our daily lives.  That’s the invitation that Jesus gives us in this passage, we allow ourselves to become that Living Word of God.

After the homily, Bishop Don invited all of the married couples to stand up and renew their wedding vows and offered a special prayer for those who were widowed or traveling without their spouses.  This truly was a beautiful, holy and life-changing place!  Our Lady of Loreto, pray for us!

Our next visit is a short stop at the Adriatic Sea with a special gift!

sidewalk drawing outside the Basilica

sidewalk drawing outside the Basilica

sidewalk drawing outside the Basilica

from side chapel dedicated to American flight (see the angels carrying the holy house?)

Chapel of the Cruxifix

Chapel of the Crucifix

vows renewed and ready for 25 more years of marriage!