Giving Tuesday - November 28, 2017

Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine is an oasis in the middle of the city.

The Shrine is a replica of the Grotto in Lourdes, France.  Incorporated into the Grotto are two stones taken from the stone upon which Our Lady appeared in Lourdes.  The water from the Grotto flows freely over one of these holy relics.

Since its opening (May 30, 1926) thousands of pilgrims from across the country and from Canada have come to honor Our Lady and place their petitions before her.  Hundreds of favors, both spiritual and temporal, have been reported as granted.

Today, the Shrine, staffed by the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity, is available for pilgrims and parish groups to come for prayer and reflections.  The Sisters host and conduct retreats and days of recollection as requested.

For a prayerful and safe environment for all pilgrims who come to the Shrine.  It is necessary to lay underground piping in the Stations to help with the natural water flow and remove some dying trees.


https://www.wegivecatholic.org/organizations/our-lady-of-lourdes-shrine

Last month we compared Mary and Bernadette.  Both followed the will of God in their lives.  We asked if our lives had any similarities to their lives.  If we don't already follow the will of God, we would do well to follow Mary's and Bernadette's examples.  We might not be famous, but we would be assured of our eternal home in Heaven.  We might encounter some problems and hard times, but these have a purpose.  We would be working for God, which brings great satisfaction and joy!

We would like to share with you something that happened a few weeks ago.  A woman came to the Shrine and shared that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.  She and her daughter always came to the Shrine to pray.  With heavy hearts, they came to pray that 'everything would be okay.'  They prayed, took some blessed water home, and waited for the next doctor's appointment.  The amazing thing was that when they went to the doctor's office, the tumor was gone!  Prayers were answered!  Thank you, Lord!  Thank you, Mary, for asking your Son to help these people!

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 would be doing every day anyway.  During the month of November, we will be having the Novena of Masses for the Poor Souls.  Below is a form to list your deceased loved ones for this Novena.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.  Amen.

May their souls and all of the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

Name: _________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________

City: ____________________________  State: ____  Zip: _______

Email: __________________________________________________

Intentions for the Poor Souls during November

Donation: _________________

Please include my loved ones during All Souls Masses during November

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Our Lady of Fatima, continued

How is your apparition IQ?

Of course, you know that Mary appeared to Bernadette on February 11, 1858 and this is the 100th anniversary of the apparition at Fatima, which occurred May 13, 1917. 

There have been many more apparitions of Mary throughout the ages.  Mary says more in her apparitions than she did in the Bible. 

While at the foot of the cross, Jesus shared His Mother with us.  She then, became our Mother.  She takes up her mantle and comes to us. This is more so now than in Jesus' time.  We know those visits as her apparitions.  It all makes sense because in all her apparitions, Mary asks us to go to her Son and listen to Him.  As in the Bible, she was listening to her Son.  She always points to Him.

Did you know that on April 1870, Julia Harms saw the Blessed Virgin Mary at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine?  She was the wife of the owner of the Harms Farm, as the Shrine was known before it was sold to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in 1920. 

We invite you to continue listening to our Lord, as Mary requests. 
Come and share in the 3 days of prayer to St. Ann and St. Joachim, Jesus' grandparents, on July 24, 25, and 26.  We will pray the Rosary at 7:00pm each night, followed by Mass.

In August, the Novena for the Assumption will take place at the Shrine from August 7th through August 15th.  Come join us in prayer.

Faith & Wellness Event - Saturday, April 22nd

It's a Family Event - sponsored by 107.3 FM The Wave

Bring the kids - they can meet Princess Moana & Spiderman!

11:00am - 3:00pm

Saturday, April 22nd

Warrensville Heights YMCA

4433 Northfield Road, Warrensville Hts.

Come and support the Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity

Sr. Rochelle will be giving a presentation at 2:30pm.

Shrine Season starts May 7th!

Our outdoor season is once again beginning!

On May 7th, we will celebrate the 9:30am Mass outdoors, weather permitting.


To open our season, we have invited Fr. Kevin Estabrook, Parochial Vicar from St. Clare, to celebrate Mass.



We will have Stations of the Cross at 3:00pm
Rosary and Benediction at 4:00pm

Did you know that "a plenary indulgence is grated to the faithful, or religious community, or an association of the faithful, and in general when some of the faithful gather for some honest purpose."  Many of you flocked to the Shrine for the indulgence granted for the Holy Door.  You can still receive an indulgence by reciting the Rosary with us here at the Shrine!

Also, keep in mind - the Corpus Christi Procession is on Sunday, June 18th, starting in the Chapel at 3:30pm.



Pasta dinners are scheduled for April 20th, May 18th, and June 15th.


Shrine Season Sunday schedule:

8:00am - Mass in the Chapel
9:30am - Mass in the Grotto (weather permitting)

10:15 - 11:30am - Breakfast in St. Ann's Dining Room
12:00 - 2:30pm - Lunch in St. Ann's Dining Room

3:00pm - Stations of the Cross
4:00pm - Rosary, Homily, Benediction


Gift Shop hours:
Open every day from 10:00 - 4:30pm
For April & May - on Wednesdays - open until 7:00pm
Sundays - open after the 8:00am Mass

Pray, Pray, Pray!

"Pray!  Pray! Pray!"  

This is Mary's message for all people given during her apparitions.  

If you frequent our Shrine, you know that we are faithful to Mary's instructions, and perhaps have experienced Mary's response in your prayers.  

Among some of the comments we received are:

    " Thank you to Our Lady of Lourdes, for her intercession."

    " Our friend's daughter is now pregnant"

    " Improved health for our brother's brain injury."

    " Received employment."

We are sure that many of you could also testify to the efficacy of prayer at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine.

Do you have any needs or difficulties for which you wish Mary to intercede? 

Bring them here!

Mary, Queen of Peace

A Prayer for Peace

Mary, Queen of Peace, we turn to you, our Mother.  

Into your hands we place our prayers.

Protect our unborn.  Help us to value all life.

Four our men and women serving in the military, protect them.

For innocent victims of war and violence, spare them.

For those who mourn and are injured, comfort them.

For all people of all nations, unite them in love and peace of your Son,

the Prince of Peace.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Story of God's Grace during the Year of Mercy

So many stories of grace, mercy, and reconciliation have come to light since "The Year of Mercy" and the Holy Door opening at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine.  One of the most touching stories was of a woman who was in hospice and requested to visit the Shrine and go through the Holy Door as here "make-a-wish" final request.  Perhaps we have told you about this, but we feel we need to tell the rest of the story.  Not only were we honored to be considered worthy of this wish, but we wanted to honor this wish.  When the woman came, we were so impressed because she came with the nurse, the Activities Director, the driver, an aide, and many members of her family.  Even though the date was set, her physical condition could not guarantee that she would arrive.  While she was here, we talked about how she loved the Shrine and the Blessed Mother.  We looked at the last stained glass window and talked about how she was now the person in the wheelchair, when for so many years before, she had been the one pushing the the wheelchair for others.  She said the most impressive moments were her time praying before the Blessed Sacrament.   Her face was transfigured...it was as if she was once more a young woman.  It seemed that she and the Lord were having a private conversation.  She said that her time was short.

We recently heard that this lovely woman passed away shortly after her wish was fulfilled.  In speaking to her caregivers, we were told that her visit was a real miracle because she was so ill that they could not guarantee getting her out of bed, even getting to sit in a wheelchair was miraculous.  Her last good day was spent at the Shrine.  Knowing that, how much more did those words: "I will be with Jesus soon." and the reference to the wheelchair mean.

After her death, among her things, the family found a silver music box with the figure of Our Lady of Lourdes on it.  The song the music box played was Immaculate Mary.

This is a picture taken during the Assumption Novena in August 2016.
We had a beautiful double rainbow over Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine.  This picture was taken from the Giant Eagle looking towards the Shrine.







Thank you for attending our Lourdes Novena!  It was so good to pray with you!  I hope you felt the Spirit among us as we prayed.  Many graces were granted during the Novena.  Someone told us that she prayed for her sister in Germany who had melanoma and was cured of it. That is why she comes to the Shrine and will never stop.
Another family told us that their little girl was healed from leukemia.  These are just the stories that we know.

You may remember at this time last year we were telling you that we had the grace of hosting the Holy Door during the Year of Mercy.  So many graces were granted.  So many people reconciled with God, their families, and themselves.

Just because it is officially the end of the Year of Mercy, it does not mean that God stopped being merciful.  The apparitions of Lourdes and Fatima (which will be celebrating its 100th Anniversary soon) are both all about mercy and put God's mercy front and center.  The apparition of Fatima continues and enhances the messages of Lourdes.  Think of the apparitions as a jewel with many facets.  The Lord shines the light upon each apparition highlighting what we need to learn and preparing us for the next one.

Come and visit the Shrine and pray for your intentions.  Ask the Lord for His mercy.  Like St. John, the beloved Disciple, lay your head on the heart of Jesus, the Master.  Feel the call of the Master.



Some upcoming events:
We have Fish Fries on Friday, March 24th and Friday, April 7th.  

Come help us decorate the Chapel for Easter.
Flower donations are due by Sunday, April 9th.
The form for the flower donations is below:


Please Print:
For the Easter Booklet:

Donation Amount for Flowers for the Chapel and Yard: $__________________________________

In Memory Of: ___________________________________________________________________


*****************

Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________________

              ________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________________________________

Email Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Prayer Intentions: __________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

FRENCH TOAST BREAKFAST

Sunday, February 5th
8:45am - 11:30am
Tickets:  $5.00


Come and celebrate Mass with us at 8:00am in the Chapel and enjoy a delicious French Toast Breakfast afterwards in St. Ann's Dining Room.  Food, Fun, and Fellowship!

• French Toast
• Bacon or Sausage
• Coffee or Tea
• Juice

If you have questions, call 216-481-8232  (9:00am - 8:00pm)

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfort of the Afflicted, you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings;  deign to cast upon me a look of mercy.  By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.  I come, therefore, with unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession.  Obtain, O loving Mother, the grant of my request.  I will endeavor to imitate your virtues, that I may one day share in your glory, and bless you in eternity.   Amen.




Name: _____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

             ____________________________________

City/State/Zip: _______________________________

Email: ______________________________________

Donation: ___________________________________

Candle Donation:  $20 (1 month) ______    $100 (6 months) ________

Novena Intentions:

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________


Bring this with you to the Chapel or 
Mail to:   
Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine
Sisters of the Most Holy Trinity
21281 Chardon Road
Euclid, OH  44117

The 100th Anniversary of the Apparition at Fatima and, while we are on Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, the Fatima apparition merely continue's Our Heavenly Mother's message to all of us.  This anniversary comes on the heels of the Year of Mercy.  As always, God's timing is perfect!  Who's to say that last year was a spiritual preparation for this year's celebration?



With that in mind, we would like to share with you one story that occurred during the Year of Mercy, illustrating Our Heavenly Mother's love in our lives.

Two women from southern Ohio telephoned that they were looking for our Shrine, but could not find it.  Their GPS was not getting them in the right direction.  So we stayed with them on the phone, guiding them to our parking lot.  

Once they arrived, they could not find the chapel.  Still on the phone, we asked them what they saw.  All they could see was the wall between the lot and the driveway.  All they had to do was get out of their car and walk to the building with the cross on it.  They still just kept seeing the wall.  

We told them to "look up";  just look up from the bottom of the wall and look beyond.  Just as we were about to go out and help them, they said that they were going to ask a man who has just walked by.  Well, we guess that they made it because there was no further phone call.

That evening at dinner, that story was the topic of conversation.  It seems that all of us knew some part of the story.  The two women were at the Justice Center downtown visiting a relative who had been arrested.  They did not have much means or friends so they felt helpless and defeated.  Somehow, someone mentioned the Shrine to them.  They came to pray for help.

How they got to the Shrine is a miracle.  Someone telling them to "look up"; look beyond the wall was a message.  Their prayers were answered.

Another person guiding them to the chapel was the gentle love of Jesus and His Mother.  We don't know what happened to the family, but we do know that God showed them mercy through Mary.  They came to Mary's home, Mom's home, to receive the love and comfort only a Mother can give.  

We also need to "look up" and not be mired in defeat.  We look up to God's gentle guidance and the signs that He gives us along the way.  

Come and join us for the Lourdes Novena, February 3rd through 11th.  The Rosary will be at 7:00pm followed by Mass and the Novena prayer.  

In addition, on February 3rd, the Feast of St. Blaise, there will be blessing of throats. 

Confessions will be heard on February 4th, 5th, 8th, 9th, and 10th from 6:30pm to 7:00pm.  

Bring your petitions or mail them.  We will place the petitions at the feet of Our Lady of Lourdes.  It's Our Heavenly Mother's maternal love that will bring our prayers to Her Son.  

Our Lady's messages to Bernadette

Let's review the messages that Our Heavenly Mother gave to Bernadette and see how well we are living them.

Holy Mary told Bernadette that she wanted a beautiful chapel built at the sight so that "the people could come in procession to her Son."  She asked Bernadette to pray and to tell the people to pray for sinners.

We know that Bernadette personally followed these instructions, but what about us?  For our purposes, here in Euclid, because of the relics directly from Lourdes, our schedule closely replicating the one in Lourdes, France, and that the Shrine so closely follows the layout of the one in Lourdes, France, we are considered a direct satellite of the Shrine in France.  Consider Lourdes, France to be the Mother Shrine and we are one of its daughters.

We do have a beautiful chapel with all kinds of opportunities to pray for all people.  We do walk in procession to Mary's Son.  This past year, we were given the gift of hosting the Holy Door.  Over 6,000 pilgrims walked through that door from April through October, receiving the mercy of God.  The effects of that mercy were so beautiful.  We remain most faithful to Our Heavenly Mother's instructions.  The faithfulness has been rewarded in many ways.  In future newsletters, we will bring some of those stories.

The next opportunity to follow Our Heavenly Mother's instructions is through the Lourdes Novena.  It begins on Friday, February 3rd and continues through the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11th.  We will have the Novena with Rosary starting at 7:00pm, followed by Mass and recitation of the Novena prayer.  Confessions will also be heard on designated evenings. See our website for more details:  http://www.srstrinity.com/shrine-events.shtml

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!