Holy Souls - month of November and all year long

In our last post, we spoke about the messages of Lourdes.  Let's look at the message of Mary's request: "Ask your priest to build a beautiful chapel here so that the people can come to my Son in        procession."





While we should be doing this anyway, during this Year of Mercy at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, we have been walking through the Holy Doors.  Walking through the Holy Doors is complying with Mary's request of 1858, but every time we go to Mass, we also fulfill her request.



We are always called to come to the Mercy of Jesus.  During this Year of Mercy, we have seen the evidence of so many graces received and so much mercy bestowed upon so many people.  The Year of Mercy should not end because of a calendar date.  Every year, every month, every day, we should continue practicing mercy as this year has prompted.  We need to be doing acts of mercy ever day!  

One of the blessings of the Holy Doors was receiving the plenary indulgence, which we could ask God to bestow upon a poor soul in Purgatory.  It is no coincidence then that every year, on November 2nd, All Souls Day, we are asked to pray for the Poor Souls.  Again, this is something that we should be doing everyday of the year, not just on November 2nd.  

During the month of November, we will again be having the Novena of Masses for the Poor Souls and you will find a form on our website to list your deceased loves ones for this Novena.  You may also want to add them to the Purgatory Page, where many Holy Souls are listed and prayed for daily.  

"Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon them.  May they rest in peace.  And may the Souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."

Holy Souls Prayer

Please pray this prayer daily for the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

"Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon them.  May they rest in peace. And may the Souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen."


You can also offer this prayer for a specific person by substituting "him" or "them" with a specific name.


Here is a wonderful article by Scott P. Richert about the Catholic Prayer and Purgatory.

The Closing Ceremonies

There are all kinds of closing ceremonies.  We recently witnessed another closing ceremony to the Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.  There are closing ceremonies for galas, special events, conferences, and yes, even debates and elections. A closing ceremony not only marks an end but also the beginning. For the Summer Olympics not only did it mark the end, it highlighted the beginning of the next Summer Olympics in 4 years in Japan.  


For the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity and the Catholic Community, the closing ceremony marks the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.  On October 30, 2016, the Ceremony Closing the Holy Doors for the Jubilee Year of Mercy will occur at the 9:30am Mass in the Grotto.

If you have not had a chance to walk through the Holy Doors, there is one more month to do so at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. After fulfilling the obligations for the Indulgence and walking through the Holy Doors, it will begin a walk of faith for you. For more information about the Holy Doors, go here.  

Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

Bernadette's Example to Us

The Story of Our Lady of Lourdes is such a beautiful one, not only because Mary appeared to St. Bernadette, but also because of Bernadette's example to all of us!

Did you know that Mary told Bernadette three secrets?  She was faithful and kept her promise to Our Lady.  Everyone tried to guess what the secrets were, but all Bernadette would say was that the secrets were for her alone.

The message of the apparition were to pray for sinners, do penance, and to enable the people to come to Jesus in procession.  We do this every time we approach Jesus in the Eucharist.  The question remains, though, can we be as devout and faithful as Bernadette?  Can we give our lives to do what Jesus and Mary ask us to do?  Are we "Catholic" only on Sunday?  Bernadette gave everything to God.  After a child made their First Communion, if they were poor, they were expected to find work.  They were not able to pay for further education.  When Bernadette was asked what she wanted to do, her reply was that she wished to be a nun.  People thought she might change her mind, but Bernadette was firm in her decision.

Bernadette - Continued

Getting back to our story of Lourdes and Bernadette in 1858, with the drawing to the close of the apparitions, the Grotto was in a state of flux.

Many visionaries cropped up and were proven false.  Perhaps this was permitted so that they could be compared to Bernadette, and then it would quickly point out the difference between the two.

Bernadette herself finally made her First Holy Communion on June 3, 1858.  It was said that it took her a long time to prepare for this event because she had difficulty learning her catechism.  But just think - this was the person whom God chose to receive his Mother here on earth!

The final vision occurred on July 16th, the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.  Bernadette tried to resume her life as it was before the apparitions.  She sought no attention, but she was in the middle of it because of all the visions to Lourdes seeking cures.  Bernadette's focus was upon Mary's main message - prayer and penance.  Mary's message to Bernadette is as relevant today as it was in 1858.  It is up to us to live this message in our own lives.  It wasn't glamorous then and it isn't now, but then Bernadette wasn't chosen for her glamor.  God Bless us all!

Assumption Novena - Picture Needed

Hello everyone!  The Assumption Novena was indeed a source of much grace!

Did anyone happen to get a photo of the rainbow that arched over the Shrine two nights during the Novena?  If so, would you please email us a copy at spalavalle@yahoo.com.  We would like to add it to our web page and blog.

Thanks!!

Assumption of Mary

After the 'Beautiful Lady' identified herself as the Immaculate Conception, Bernadette began to take a minor role in the apparitions.  She had fulfilled what Mary had asked of her.  

It was the officials of the town who kept pulling her in.  They looked at all of the events as if they were non-spiritual occurrences.  They insisted that Bernadette be tested physically and psychologically.  All they discovered was that she had asthma and was telling the truth.

In the face of all the people coming to peacefully pray at the Grotto without Bernadette they were desperate to prove otherwise or make up stories that would discredit Bernadette and Mary.  The fact was that Lourdes had become the place where Mary appeared to Bernadette and miracles happened.  Do we believe?  Come and visit Our Lady of Lourdes National Shrine, right in your own backyard, in Euclid, Ohio.  Listen to what Mary says to you.


From August 7 - 15, the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity will be hosting a Novena for the Assumption of Mary at Our Lady of Lourdes National Shrine.  The Novena Rosary will begin at 7:00pm each evening, followed by Mass.  

This year, Rev. Michael Gurnick, Secretary and Vicar for Clergy and Religious, Diocese of Cleveland, and Rev. timothy Kalista, Pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Willoughby, Ohio, will be conducting the Novena.  The theme this year is Mary in the Year of Mercy.

Confessions will be August 8, 10, 12, 14, and 15 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Keep an eye out for updates on our Clambake, coming up on Saturday, September 17th.

9th and 10th Apparitions

The 9th Apparition is perhaps the most famous because at this apparition, we were all given a remedy for our infirmities: the water.

It was nearly dawn when Bernadette was called to the Grotto and there were many people present. All these people could see was Bernadette looking under the rocks, going to the River Gave, and finally drinking the dirty, muddy water found under a rock at the Grotto and eating the weeds.  To those that observed this, Bernadette had lost her head.  To those without faith, she was a live comedy show, maybe what we today would call a reality show.  It wasn't until the next two Apparitions that things would become a little clearer.

People did not notice, as they laughed and doubted, Bernadette's behavior, the water was becoming clearer and flowing stronger.  The following day was the 10th Apparition.


At the 10th Apparition, we see Bernadette drink and wash a bit in the water.  We also see her on her knees kissing the ground and going up to the Grotto on her knees.  Bernadette tells us that the "beautiful lady" asked her to make this sacrifice for the sinners in the world.

Something very special is happening at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Euclid as well.
In this Year of Mercy, Bishop Lennon has asked us to be one of the sites of the Holy Door in the Cleveland Diocese.  The other site is St. John's Cathedral.

Once again, Mary's Shrine becomes a site of great mercy and forgiveness.  For anyone who walks through the Holy Door, says an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intentions of the Holy Father, and goes to Mass and Confession a week before or a week after walking through the Holy Door, will receive a spiritual plenary indulgence.  This means that any time to be spent in Purgatory is lessened either for you, for a deceased person, a person you are praying for, or the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Talk to your Parishes about making a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine!  Experience the outpouring of Mercy!

Opening of the Holy Door

Sunday, April 3rd - 10:00am - Opening of the Holy Doors

The Ceremony begins under the pavilion and continues with a procession to the front Doors of the Chapel, followed by Mass, celebrated by Bishop Richard Lennon.

Attendance is by ticket only, unfortunately all tickets have been distributed.  If you were unable to get a ticket, please visit the Shrine in the afternoon!





Receive an indulgence by making a Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine:

• Walk through the Holy Door
• Say an Our Father and Hail Mary for the intention of the Holy Father
• Go to Mass and Communion
• Go to Confession (a week before or a week after making the Pilgrimage)

Fulfill all of these holy practices and receive the Mercy of God: an indulgence for yourself, someone deceased, someone you are praying for, or those Holy Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence is the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to be suffered for sins that have already been forgiven.  

Shrine Masses:

Weekdays:  7:00am - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

                    5:00pm - Tuesday (Holy Hour 3:30-4:30pm)

Saturday:     8:00am

Sunday:        April - October
                     8:00am - in the Chapel
                     9:30am - (April - in the Chapel);  (May - October, weather permitting, in the Grotto)


Shrine Confessions:
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the Month (April - October)  5:30pm - 7:00pm

Holy Week Information

Below is the information for Holy Week at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine
Join us these Holy Days

 March 20th:  Palm Sunday
8:00am Mass




March 22nd:
Mass:  7:00pm

(No Adoration or 5:00pm Mass)

March 24th

Holy Thursday
Mass of the Last Supper

7:00pm 

March 25th

Good Friday
Passion of Our Lord

2:00pm

March 26th

Holy Saturday

Easter Vigil

9:00pm

March 27th
EASTER SUNDAY

MASS:  8:00am

April 3rd

DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
Mass:  8:00am


Pope Francis has declared this year the Year of Mercy, a Year of Jubilee.  With this in mind, let us take some time to put into action the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.  

The first corporal work of mercy is to feed the hungry.  
The first spiritual work of mercy is to instruct the ignorant.

How have we practiced those two works of mercy?  By practicing the works of mercy, we break the bonds of captives.  This is the charism of the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity.

Corporal Works of Mercy
Spiritual Works of Mercy

Holy Door Pilgrimage

Our Lady of Lourdes has been designated by Bishop Lennon to be a site of pilgrimage that has the Official Holy Door!

Bishop Lennon opens the Holy Door.  The rituals of opening Holy Doors for holy years date as far back as 1499 when a wooden door was opened by Pope Alexander VI on Christmas Eve, beginning the Holy Year 1500.  Most recently the new millennium was celebrated as a Jubilee Year in 2000.  http://www.dioceseofcleveland.org/holydooropening/

As you know, this is a year of jubilee and a Year of Mercy for the Church. The Holy Door is a means of reconciling with the Lord.  An indulgence is spiritually bestowed upon the person who walks through the door and fulfills other obligations. See more information about these indulgences here. 



Bishop Lennon will be at the Shrine on Sunday, April 3, 2016 (Mercy Sunday) for a 10:00am Mass at which, he will officially open the Holy Door at the Shrine.  Our Chapel can only hold a limited amount of people for the Mass and admission is by ticket only, however all tickets have been granted. 


Everyone is welcome to come on Sunday, April 3rd in the afternoon or at anytime during this Year of Mercy, visit the Shrine, and walk through the Holy Door.

Bernadette - 8th Apparition - Penance

Last month we spoke about how Mary slowly prepared St. Bernadette by interior change begun by prayer.  This month, we will address the beginning of Bernadette's public mission given to her at the 8th apparition.


During this apparition, Bernadette's face showed many expressions.  She would look like she was extremely happy at one moment and extremely sad at the next.  When she came out of her ecstasy, she could be heard saying the words: "Penance, Penance, Penance."

In fact, Mary had told her to do Penance for sinners in the world and later that would be the instruction for all of us.  It was Lent when Mary began these visits to Bernadette, just like it is Lent now today.



What Penance have we offered up for sinners?

We too are sinners.  How do we try to make reparation with the Lord for our sins?




Confession is the most obvious way.





Prayer, fasting, and alms giving are what the Church advises us to do anyway.  Mary has a way of reminding us of the good things that we need to do.  Mary takes things one step further, in the 9th apparition, which will be discussed next month.