Preparation Day....and a visit with the Dominican Sisters, by way of the Ukrainian Catholics!

Today was a day of many details to be taken care of and, for me some free time to prepare for the arrival of the malades, their companions and the knights and dames of The Order. The key preparation today was to move the carts that carry the malades from place to place during the pilgrimage into the garage beneath the Hotel Aliseo along with the needed wheel chairs. We have 52 carts and 10 wheel chairs. You'll see picture of the carts in future posts, but if you need to refresh yourself go to last years final pilgrimage post in this blog to view them. The weather was beautiful today. Cool with a slight breeze, cloud studded blue skies. This afternoon, I walked to the plaza to visit some of the chapels and main churches where we will have our liturgies during the pilgrimage. The Basilica itself, the Crypt Chapel beneath the Basilica, St. Anne's Chapel, St Bernadette's Chapel all were quiet with the exception the few visitors in prayer or walking about. I walked past the Grotto and on an impulse decided to go and find the Dominican Monastery I had heard about to buy one of the rosaries the sisters make there. I thought it was close by and 90 minutes later I arrived. In between I found the Carmelites who were of course closed, as good cloistered sisters would be, a Franciscan nun, gardening outside her convent, who in her Spanish tried to tell me the walk was too long to find the Dominicans, a kindly French woman on her balcony who said the Dominicans were just up the road, a trail, some railroad tracks to navigate across, and more. I did pass the Lourdes rugby club stadium and a cemetery of those who last looked for the Dominicans. While it might be hard to believe, along the way, not far from my target destination was the Ukrainian Catholic Church...and if they can lead Fr. Christopher to the Dominicans, well I kept on. I found the monastery at the end of a long road, with goats and sheep. The good sisters welcomed me, sold me some rosaries and asked why I was looking for their monastery. I simply said I was out for a walk and though their monastery might be a good destination. 5 miles later. Along the way I had a chance to pray and watch this surprisingly similar community to our own in Menlo Park. The rosaries were simple and beautiful, the sisters were warm, the walk was long, and it was just what I needed.