Hello~ Happy Mothers Day!
As you all know this past week I went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France
with the Order of Malta .My good friends Mary Pat Northrup (she would be called
a Dame of Malta)and Ted Northrup( he would be called "V' on his name tag, which
of course both of us being protestant thought he was the "fifth" come to find
out he was a "Volunteer!!!!"),and ......my husband Peter better know there as my
companion. All were by my side thru out the entire week.
I don't even know where to begin to tell you of this amazing
journey !!!!
Right from the beginning at the airport and sitting 3 rows in front of me
on the plane was His Eminence Donald "Cardinal" Wuerl.......Archbishop of
Washington.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a GREAT start!!!!
While waiting to board the plane for France the Malta's had totally
organized us into color groups, (The Northrups and ours was purple......, how
did they know that was Mary Pat and my favorite color!!!)The Malta's moved
Approx. 300 people around the entire week(and that is only the east coast USA,
another whole plane from the western US and another set of approx 300 to
organize!!!)......We received a list of where we were going , times where we
were eating and who were my "pushers" and "pullers".....while I rode around like
a Queen in a rickshaw!!!!!! The best was... we get to the hotel and Peter see's
2 of the priests belly up to the bar and order 2 large
beers.....well.........Peter was now very blessed, he is a very happy
companion!!!!!!!
I'll just mention a few of the highlights........we did go to mass everyday
sometimes twice, every one was beautiful, between the homily's and the choir,
the organization of the priests giving communion...the basilica's were all
different!! Since there were over 20,000 people, Malta's from every country they
divided the basilica's up nightly, since we could not all fit in one
building.The opening Mass was in the Rosary Basilica.......the stained glass
windows were all the mysteries just beautiful.....I loved the homily he started
out with "OMG" .....got my attention!!! My friend Kathy Hixon had made me a
beaded bracelet that was a Rosary and she gave me a booklet on how to
pray,perfect for me!!!! Outside the Cardinal was "hanging around" so Ted and
MaryPat in her sweet way, got our pictures taken with him!!!!
The next morning bright and early it was our day to go to the
baths.........You enter a room with 8 other ladies...( I of course got yelled at
because I was talking and we were suppose to be praying!!!) they cover you with
a sheet so no one can see you and they disrobe you.....then go thru the curtains
where they wrap a cold sheet around you, say a prayer and down into the coldest
water I have ever been in!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ladies lower you in as you gasp
because the water is so......cold......you are up and out in no time, you are
barely wet they have no towels and they dress you right away....YOUR DRY!!!!!!!!
AMAZING!!! So....of course Peter was hopping it would cure his arthritis in his
knees and if he dunked his head maybe he would get more hair.....It would be
just like him, to happen that he gets the miracle.....Then 3/4 of the men of the
world would be coming to Lourdes!!!!!
That evening is a beautiful candlelight procession and Mass in the square
outside the Basilica......thousands of people, and those Malta's have us so
organized, time, ,place to meet how to proceed in the procession..........in all
the Basilica's the sick in the rickshaws are parked in the front rows,and you
turn around and see all the Malta's in there uniforms is breathtakingly
beautiful!!! They come up and check on you thru out the service and bring you
cups of Lourdes water to drink, they are truly amazing!!
The best was when you come out the Cardinal is right there to bless you
PERSONALLY!!!!! I have pictures I will have to send in another email, a friend
is coming to show me how to set it up........I tried but somehow could not get
them into the email......
One day we climbed this Mt ....all the way up were these beautiful carvings
for the "stations of the cross" ,Walking with me was Dr Patrick Walsh, he
discovered the test for Prostate cancer!!!
Sunday we went to an underground Basilica (Saint Pius X) it looked like the
SU Dome!!!! It seats 20,000 people!!! I found out later it was on TV.....wish I
had known to tell all of you!!! The homily was in every language and so was the
choir singing!!! AND you should have seen the priest give communion to all those
people!!!!
I think my most moving time of all was going to the Grotto where Mary
appeared to Bernadette in February 1858. To think of all the people in the world
who have come here, as I have, to express their faith and pray... to drink the
healing waters,giving them HOPE for a Miracle.The hardest for me was to see all
the sick children.
Everyday at 5 you could hear in the square, beautiful voices singing, they
sounded like angels.....we later found out it was the Nuns in the convent and we
could go to Vespa every day at 5........so of course we want to do everything!!!
So....up the hill we went to pray and hear the Nuns sing ,in the back the nuns
made cookies and chocolate to buy...Y U M M M M Y Y Y Y!!! Another
god's blessing for Peter!!!!!!!
Mary Pat and Ted had heard if you bring the Nuns eggs they will say a
prayer for you......so........off we went looking for a grocery store bought the
eggs and were in search of those Nuns to say a prayer for each of us. We found
them after walking all over town.....we slept well that night!!!!!
Peter and I prayed and lit candles for our friends and family and prayed
for world peace.And thanked Mother Mary for all our blessings.
Peter and I have made wonderful new friends.
We learned to pray as Mary had taught Bernadette to pray. This was one of
the most spiritually enriching and emotionally uplifting experiences for both
Peter and I
We are grateful to Mary Pat and Ted Northrup for inviting me to go on this
pilgrimage and Honored to have been in company with the kindest, giving and
unselfish people, The Order of Malta's.
God Bless,
Love, Joyce
