We process through the Grotto

The 1st of Friday’s two major events was a visit to the Grotto by the malades and their companions. I will mention that each day the knights, dames and volunteers of the Order are assigned a different malade to assist. We pull and push the carts and simply make sure they are comfortable as well as doing whatever possible to make their experience more personal and more spiritual. My malade I was assigned to this morning was ill and unable to make the trip to the Grotto visit. She late was admitted to the hospital for better care, so please keep her in your prayers. I looked to see if I could join Alessandra’s team for this visit but she, was feeling a bit under the weather as well and stayed back at the hotel for some needed rest (all fine later in the day!). I joined my malade from Thursday, who as it happens went to Santa Clara with me. The Grotto is a truly special place. I attended mass there late in the evening on Monday. In the Grotto, something happens, maybe not as dramatic as it did to Bernadette, but truly unique in its own way. As you walk past the place where Bernadette dug and found the stream, look above at the rock cave, see the alcove where the Blessed Virgin appeared 18 times , and touch the rock walls, Mary seems to touch you, to lift you, to place the prayers of the rosary on your lips and your pray for miracles. You pray for your malade, you pray for those who asked you to remember them, you pray for those you have left behind on this pilgrimage and you pray for yourself. You place all the efforts, joys and moments of the journey at Mary’s feet, and leave the healing and the miracles to her.