A Language of Love: Lourdes (Part 2)

 A blog post by Leanna Praetzel, Fall 2011

She spoke Spanish.  They spoke French.  She spoke Italian, and I spoke English.  In training we were told that, in the service of the baths, the language barrier between workers was not really a barrier at all.  “The Holy Spirit takes care of it,” our advisors told us.  Cool! I thought; we’re going to be able to interpret tongues!  Not quite… 

 Day 5:  I had learned a few words in German and had taken a few years of Spanish, but not even my entire lifetime of English-speaking prepared me for the communication needed for the job at hand.  What I realized was that the language we were called to speak in was not one of words, but one of actions.  I began to pick up the classic pointing-and-nodding method, along with the “universal language of Lourdes”—a smile.  Soon I realized how astronomically effective these techniques were!  The quote by St. Francis I had so often heard of yet overlooked was actually coming to life: “Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.”

 Day 6:  Wednesday morning was full of adventure.  If getting the lights turned off on me in the shower wasn’t adventuresome enough (still wondering why Europeans put the light switch on the outside of the door…), than getting stuck in an elevator packed aside one English-speaker and a dozen or so rowdy Frenchman definitely was!  Later on in the day I got to pray before holy relics, befriend people from other countries, and meet St. Bernadette’s great-great nephew.  (What a striking resemblance!)

 Day 7:  I went inside “the grotto” on Thursday—the same one Mary appeared to Bernadette in.  It was amazing to touch the inside of the mountain, the rock being extremely smooth from the feeling of countless hands.  I brought a candle in with me and attempted to light it off the grotto’s beautiful candle arrangement in honor of my siblings’ birthdays (shout out to Robby and Christina—HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!), but once again I got scolded at in French.   (I was, however, after exiting the grotto, able to light the candle and place it among others.)

 Day 8:  Our last day at Lourdes?  Already?  I said my three Hail Mary prayers at the statue of the “Crowned Virgin”, a tradition that will supposedly bring me back to Lourdes, and recited a few more in the hopes that family and friends might join me in my return.  (Who’s up for it?!)  That evening, when the group I was going to travel with discovered that we missed our train (by an hour!), I got very excited—Maybe we can stay in Lourdes forever! I thought.  I had solidified friendships, had been inspired by faith, and had learned the language of love.  How could I ever leave?  Alas, the perfect train showed up and I was forced to recall the words of an Italian woman I had met:  “Take Lourdes with you in your heart.”

 Day 9:  We arrived back in Paris, but since we weren’t due to depart for Gaming until the evening, I went with a couple other people to visit the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette.  Some snacks and a three-hour train ride later, I found myself gazing upon a spectacular miracle: the body of St. Bernadette, completely intact.  Although our stay was cut short by a closing for lunchtime, the trip was completely worthwhile.  Not only did I get to see Bernadette, but I also like to say that I received a gift from her.  Right next to my things I was gathering on my way out, I noticed a medal of St. Padre Pio.  Only hours earlier had I resolved to concentrate my life on Padre Pio’s saying: “Pray, and don’t worry.”

 Day 10:  That was something I realized when looking back on the week—not once did I worry.  Not once.  This is monumental for me, especially when there are so many things to do and such a small amount of time to do them in.  It felt wonderful to be anxiety-free, a quality I prayed would continue to stay with me after my leave.  I also knew that I would want to keep close to me the new language of love that I had learned… something so simple, yet so powerful.

On the way back I pondered these things, laughed with new friends, and got creamed in a game or two of Rummy—slowly changing into a new person all the while.

Taking the Plunge: Lourdes (Part 1)

A blog post by Leanna Praetzel, Fall 2011

I wasn’t going to Lourdes.  And then I changed my mind.

The clock was winding down, and only a few hours remained before the application packet was due.  I still needed money, information, and paperwork, plus I had to hunt down the person in charge.  In the blink of an eye, it was taken care of, and I was stepping off the overnight train and into the country of France.  Just like that.

Day 1:  Upon arriving in Paris, a friend and I thought it would be fun to walk around the streets sticking our noses up in the air to “blend in” with the arrogant French stereotype… Turns out we were the only ones.  But at least we kept ourselves occupied while some people in my group tried to figure things out; supposedly the trains were booked, and it was impossible for us to get to Lourdes.  But I knew that if God wanted us to get to Lourdes, we’d find a way.

And we did!  We ended up having to get a few different types of tickets (splitting our group up a bit), but at least we were all going to end up in the same place!  My ticket was for a train leaving that evening… which meant, for the remainder of the day, Paris was calling!  I stayed with a buddy and together we climbed the Eiffel Tower!  We tackled those stairs, even with all of our luggage for the 10-day break.  I decided it would be very fitting to sing that song from Mulan (“Let’s get down to business…!”) to keep me motivated as well as keep things interesting.  It worked!  With a lively step and a lack of breath, we reached the “second floor” (about halfway up… but still very high)!  The view was beautiful, although, alas, we have no picture proof (both my camera and my iPod died, boo-hoo)!

Day 2:  Another overnight train later and I was in Lourdes!  Many adventures took place including a delicious visit to the local pastry shop, and a lady kicking me out of McDonald’s for no apparent reason (I never knew what I did wrong because I don’t know a lick of French)!  Our leaders hadn’t arrived in town yet, so I didn’t discover the heart of Lourdes until…

Day 3:  International Mass in a giant underground Basilica?  What?  I thought there would be a couple helpers and some pilgrims at Lourdes!  What a surprise it was when a gargantuan Church hidden beneath our shoes was packed with people from all over the world, armed and ready for Mass!  I got to go on the altar with other Frannies to lead the crowd in the “Our Father”.   It was amazing!

Later on in the day, we got assigned our stations for the week.  I was told that I would be serving in the baths—the miraculous waters (from the same spring Bernadette dug years ago) that people come from all over the world to wash in!  I went from being a study-abroad student to being a privileged servant in Catholic Disneyland.  God picked me up from Gaming, set me down Lourdes, and plunged me right in.

Day 4:  Monday morning we went on a tour of different places St. Bernadette lived.  It was quite fantastic; I felt like I was walking in her shoes!  Then, I, along with nine other Franciscan girls, proceeded to the “Piscines” (the Baths) wearing our nurse-like outfits.  After praying the rosary with the other women serving that day, we first-timers were split up into different baths where we would remain for the entire shift.  Then, at 2:00pm, the curtain was opened and women of all different nationalities poured in.

The very first woman I helped left me in tears (although she probably didn’t know it).  The love in her face, the determination in her eyes…  All I could think about was the magnitude of her faith.  This woman had traveled the distance and gone through only Lord knows what to reach that moment in time.  And now she was there, humbly praying before Jesus and his Mother, while stepping into the icy water.  She was seemingly unaware of its bitter coldness, and even of the fact that I was still in the room.  For the rest of my shift, and for each and every woman present, I was struck by the faith that shone before me, a faith that was visible in the form of actual human beings.  My first day serving in the baths and I was already full to the brim! 

That evening, my voice echoed throughout all of Lourdes as I was honored to introduce the First Luminous Mystery at the “Torchlight Procession.”  What a wonderful gift, and to see from a stage hundreds of candle flames poking through the night’s falling darkness!  I felt like the entire world was in front of me, and I knew that there was no place on Earth I would have rather been.

To be continued…

Lourdes: The Language of Love

A blog post by Dan McNally,Spring 2011.

Please forgive the tardiness of this 10-day blog. Things have been quite busy at the Kartause, between Ultimate Frisbee season, writing philosophy papers, studying for finals, and just trying to get in time with friends when we can, but here we go.

The 10-day trip is one of the most awaited trips for students in Austria, as it has the most freedom for travel, giving us over a week to go wherever in Europe that our hearts so desire. Some people choose to visit the British Isles, some Greece; this semester, some students even went to the Holy Land! However, other students have the privilege to serve in mission trips. Some students went to Romania, I found myself in Lourdes, France, serving the many pilgrims who have come to seek healing there in the springs revealed to St. Bernadette. Of course, my group visited Paris beforehand, and some of the experience is definitely worth mentioning.

After multiple trains and eating Belgian waffles in Brussels, we found ourselves in Paris. Of course, we took advantage of the baguettes, three cheese quiche, fine wine, Eiffel Tower and other cultural opportunities, but the more significant events in our journey were at Notre Dame Cathedral and Sacre Cuore. There is a tradition at Notre Dame in Lent that every Friday, the Crown of Thorns is brought out for veneration. We had the wonderful opportunity to pray at the cathedral during this ceremony, and when our time came, we processed in line before the altar, and kissed the crown. It is hard to absorb something so powerful. The very crown that pierced the head of our Lord was now placed before me. The implement of pain and scorn was renewed by

Christ into a crown of eternal glory. This whole semester has been about making present the tradition of our faith. All of the saints, relics, churches, and holy places we have seen and experienced have brought us back in time, and connected us in a very real, tangible way with those who have gone before us in faith. It gives us something to hold onto, something to remember when we lose faith, when we doubt.

Seeing salvation history with your own eyes tends to have that effect.

We left Notre Dame to go to the Louvre, which while breathtaking in its art, wasn't quite the same thing (Although seeing the Mona Lisa and the Code of Hammurabi is incredible, and in a similar fashion, makes present our cultural history, which is not unimportant.) Finally, we rushed off to Sacre Cuore, a beautiful church in northern Paris. When we arrived, we were treated with much more hospitality than we could have expected. The boys and the girls each had entire large dormitory rooms allotted for our use. The sisters who work in the church allow pilgrims to stay there for the price of a holy hour and 5 euro.

Not a bad deal for staying the night in Paris. I must say, though, the Holy Hour at 11:00pm was indescribable. The Blessed Sacrament has been adored there constantly for over 100 years! Kneeling before God in that enormous place with nearly absolute silence through the whole church and in the dark which was only lit by the light upon the Blessed Sacrament, while I can't quite explain the experience, was something everyone should experience. I must thank Fr. Michael Scanlan for telling me that if I go anywhere in my Austrian semester, that it be Sacre Cuore in Paris. He was right.

After so much fun in Paris, we were off to Lourdes for the week. I don't know what my expectations were, but they could not prepare me for the peace and beauty of Lourdes. I don't even know how to concisely explain the experience-this is the curse of the blogger. Unfortunately, I know I will not explain everything adequately, but I will do my best to bring you there.

The town of Lourdes is located on a strong and rapid river, and the actual church, grotto, and springs, are located across the river and a short distance from the city. There are three churches, one built on top of the grotto, a crypt underneath it, and the main church which opens out into the esplanade-the main square. The baths are just past the grotto, along the river. The men were so blessed and privileged with the duties which we were assigned. We loaded and unloaded sick passengers from the train station, we assisted in the baths, altar served in the Eucharistic procession, and one of the greatest privileges was to carry the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Marian procession. A few things occurred to me as we went through the week. Looking at the platform on which we would carry Our Lady, you wouldn't think that it would be that heavy with eight strong young men carrying it on two separate beams. Well, you would be wrong. It was extremely heavy, and this wasn't a bad thing. The first night, halfway through the procession, my shoulder was throbbing, it was cold and rain was pouring down on us, and I was ready to be done with it. Then I realized two things. First of all, never had I been closer to really feeling the weight of the cross on my shoulders. Here we were in Lent with an enormous weight on one shoulder, cutting deep. It was the best opportunity I've ever had to unite sufferings to those of Christ's passion in such a real way. In addition, looking up at Our Lady's image, I realized that in a sense, we were carrying the ark of the new covenant, uniting the Old and New Testaments. After that, I carried her with joy and excitement.

Being able to work in the train stations, delicately carrying the sick pilgrims off the train, and the turning around the next day to welcome them into the baths of healing water instilled a feeling of reverence and awe for the dignity with which God created the human person, no matter their size, color, language, illness, or anything else. So many of the pilgrims and volunteers spoke different languages, but a universal language revealed itself to us, and that was the LANGUAGE OF LOVE. The brotherhood that we had with the Italian and French men with whom we worked all week, some of whom with whom I never spoke a single word, was powerful, despite the lack of words. Words were not necessary: smiles, nods, gestures, laughter says everything the heart needs to communicate when one is serving God in that way. Thinking of those men with whom I worked of different nationalities, ages, and walks of life almost brings tears to my eyes, because our week working together meant so much to all of us and brought us so close. The same is to be said for the pilgrims. They entered the baths, and perhaps they did not speak a language you knew, but gestures, smiles, prayer, brought your hearts together in a way that escapes language. You could feel love in that place, and it came out of our very own hearts because it had to. God brought each and every one of us to Lourdes because he wanted us to serve his children, and learn to grow in His love. In order to do that, we had to let him work through us. Indeed, you could feel God's love surging through you for each of these, His children, who made themselves vulnerable, and brought themselves before their loving Father that they might be healed. Whether he heals in mind, body, or soul, the Lord does not disappoint those who come to Him in faith. If you ever have the chance to go to Lourdes, and you're unsure, it is a place of healing and a place of beauty and peace. I pray that you could share in the graces I experienced there.

With just a few weeks left, we will be coming home to you all very soon. Please keep us in your prayers as our final trips are underway, and as we prepare for the emotional exhaustion that comes with both studying for exams, and having to say goodbye to our home here in Gaming. We will need prayers, but also please be assured of our prayers for you. We cannot wait to see you all again, and look forward to seeing you again soon. God be with you!