More comments from NASPA visitors

As you may know, members of the National Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate were at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods last weekend for their annual convention. You can read in an earlier post what the organization's president, Msgr. Walter Rossi of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. had to say about the reason for the meeting and his impressions of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.


Here are some comments from other participants:


"Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is a relaxing place, physically and mentally. It is a very, very wonderful facility. I think the sisters have great resilience and determination. They have been here since the 1800s and have built this place into what it is now. The sisters are really living out the charism of Saint Mother Theodore [Guerin]. I really loved my time at the Basilica [of St. Francis Xavier]in Vincennes. The pastor there did a really good job of taking us through the history of Vincennes and the presence of Catholics from France."


~ Rev. Ferdinand Okorie, CNF, National Shrine of St. Jude, Chicago.


"As far as coming to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, I was a little apprehensive. Being here has been absolutely marvelous. When you hear the history, it’s so incredible. The campus is beautiful. Everyone here has been an angel, helped us in every way. The chapel is magnificent. I’m very grateful that I had enough common sense to come and network with the people. When you network with the rest of the members, you learn more and you take it back to your shrine and you implement the suggestions. It’s absolutely phenomenal what they have done out here. When you think back to 1840, ladies came here and established this school. It’s amazing, hard to comprehend, but I see with my own eyes what they have done here."

~ Jean Markunas, Divine Mercy Shrine, Stockbridge, Mass.


"What the sisters have done and are still doing, especially how they combine creation and nature and all of their work, is just amazing. Through the discussion, especially the one-on-one talks, I have a lot of ideas. One thing I will always remember is Sister Denise Wilkinson [general superior, Sisters of Providence] giving a sentence from Saint Mother Theodore. 'When one has nothing to lose, the heart is inaccessible to fear.' It’s so amazing. There is nothing to be afraid of. When I go back home to my shrine, I will remember that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain."


~ Rev. Rafael Lavilla Jr. OSJ, Shrine of St. Joseph Guardian of the Redeemer, Santa Cruz, Calif.