Fears and Tears

I was fortunate to go on a pilgrimage last weekend to the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I was there last fall, and was excited for a second trip there.

I was blessed to journey with several Deacon wives while our husbands were at an assembly in the area. This was a gift to be able to spend time together at meals, at prayer and in social time.

We made the trip together to the shrine and as we were approaching the grounds, I felt a peace and calm come over me. It was as if I was being invited to experience something on a deeper level.

I immediately noticed all the purple flowers which brought me joy. One in particular at the entrance had a red admiral butterfly on its branches. I don’t recall ever seeing one before, it was beautiful.

There is a lovely statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe at the entrance of the Shrine. She is gazing down in prayer surrounded by flowers. I got the sense that we are her little flowers and that she is praying for us. That we are unique and beautiful to her and I felt the great love that Our Lady has for us.

The walk up to the Shrine Church is a half mile long and the first stop is the votive candle chapel. When you step inside your eyes are drawn upward with the large tower of blue candles that are illuminating amber flames of light.

The chapel contains several stained glass windows that tell stories of Our Lady. Two of the windows spoke to my heart. The first one was Our Lady of Good Counsel. It told a story of war and prayers, and of a miracle that happened. A painting saved from destruction in Albania and carried by angels to a village in Italy. I was intrigued and want to incorporate a visit to see this painting on our trip to Italy that we have planned next year.

The second stained glass window that spoke to my heart was Our Lady of Sorrows. I gazed upon her immaculate heart pierced by seven sorrows and I had a prompting to begin praying this special rosary for my children, all seven of them.

I continued up the path and the next stop was Saint Joseph the Worker. It is a scene with St. Joseph and Jesus engaged in woodworking, specifically a cross foreshadowing His passion, with His Mother Mary gazing down upon them. Also the artist depicted Cardinal Burke with the two benefactors that donated the land for the Shrine.

I continued up the path to reach the Church where we attended a beautiful Mass together. We prayed a rosary before Mass started and I was able to go to confession after Mass. I am grateful for this experience of worship and thank God for this opportunity.

After Mass, we had a guided tour of the Church and I learned a lot about the history of the Church. It was fascinating to learn about how the saints on the side altars were chosen. Also, our guide spoke about the history of Mexico and the vision of Juan Diego.

For the final hour of our visit we had personal time to spend where we wanted. I elected to pray a rosary in the Unborn Children’s memorial. I sat in a bench by the fountain and gazed at the statue of Our Lady holding three unborn children while I prayed. My heart was pierced with sorrow for the three babies I had lost to miscarriage, one daughter and two sons. My heart ached that I didn’t get to see them grow up, but I trust that the are with their heavenly Mother who cares for them.

On the way down the path, I stopped at the St. Kateri statue for a moment. She is a special saint that has walked with me and I appreciate her presence. I was blessed to see two deer in the fields below on the way down the path.

It was a wonderful day and I am thankful to the Blessed Mother for leading me to her son Jesus. I feel that the pilgrimage produced good fruits and that Jesus brought healing to my heart. He is kind and gentle and wants good things for me. He is calling me to Himself in a deeper way. I pray for this grace, Amen.

Our Lady of Good Counsel, pray for us. Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.