Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - LaCrosse, Wisconsin

On Saturday -Joe and I planned a trip down to La Crosse, WI. It is about a 3 hours drive, so we made a fun day out of it. Joe had been sick with the flu - influenza - all week, and we were both glad he started to feel better. We took the road that runs along the Mississippi River and enjoyed the view. All of the leaves were off the trees which made the view of the river perfect, though we both commented on how it would have been nice to do that same drive in the fall or spring when things were in bloom. In La Crosse, there is a new Shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is just beautiful. Below I posted some pictures. I don't think words will do it justice, but at least you will be able to see. Each set of mysteries of the Rosary had one of these 1/2 circles devoted to it. The tiles were hand painted I am certain and the light blue color made each image shine. Up close view of the Wedding at Cana. Each of the side chapels in the Cathedral were devoted to "modern day Saints" - those from the 18th and 19th centuries. This is St. Maria Goretti, a young girl who died at the hands of the man trying to molest her. He, Alessandro, is also in the picture. Maria said as she was dying that she wanted to see him in Heaven, and while he was in prison, he had a vision of her saying that she forgave him - making him repent and seek forgiveness. When he was released, 27 years later, he went straight to Maria's mother who was still alive and begged for forgiveness. She said "If my daughter can forgive you, how can I refuse?"

St. Therese, the Little Flower.

Us at the Shrine, a nice family from Delano took our picture.

St. Gianna, Pray for us!

The dome of the Cathedral, with the stars in the exact spot that would have been when Juan Diego looked up into the sky.

These are my roommates from last year, minus 1 - Sr. Katherine Webb is with the Nashville Dominicans. We were all at a bridal shower for Monica, who will be getting married June 5th. It was great to all be together again, and Mary is at Steubenville and Monica lives a few hours north of the rest of us!

No Fear in Christ

I received this through the "Daily Eucharistic Emails" I get each morning.

For me, it is beautiful to think of the sacrifice and effort many people make to receive the Eucharist, compared to being able to drive 5-10 minutes in any direction here in St. Paul and arrive at the nearest Eucharistic Adoration chapel or daily Mass.

I thank the Lord for the gift He has given me by making himself so readily available in the sacraments. I pray that I can seek His face even more - considering how "available" He has made himself.

"O great and Divine Sacrament
That veils my God!
Jesus, be with me each moment,
And no fear will enter my heart."

St. Maria Faustina
of the Blessed Sacrament

The Human Experience

Another great movie to share with everyone!

From Grassroots Films of Brooklyn, New York (the guys who made Fisher's of Men and God in the Streets of New York) comes THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE – the story of a band of brothers who travel the world in search of the answers to the burning questions: Who am I? Who is Man? Why do we search for meaning? Their journey brings them into the middle of the lives of the homeless on the streets of New York City, the orphans and disabled children of Peru, and the abandoned lepers in the forests of Ghana, Africa. What the young men discover changes them forever. Through one on one interviews and real life encounters, the brothers are awakened to the beauty of the human person and the resilience of the human spirit.

Trailer

If you live in the Twin Cities, come --- it's FREE!

Where: O'Shaughnessy Educational Center Auditorium (University of St. Thomas, St. Paul campus)
When:
When: Thursday, March 12 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm