We Found Her

Thats right folks, we thought that the Blessed Mother was lost but in reality she was just hanging out in Lourdes. And so we thought we would join her.

After almost 30 hours of travel, we've finally arrived in Lourdes. Everything went very smooth and the drive through the Pyrenees Mountain range was spectacular.

Within 30 hours time, we traveled across the Atlantic Ocean and arrived in Barcelona on Thursday morning. Boarding our beautiful motor coach, we drove through the hills of Catalan Country and stopping at a small restaurant for lunch. After a delicious lunch we continued the remaining 4 ½ hours of our bus ride to Lourdes where we checked in to our hotel. Tonight Fr. Michael Berry celebrated Mass at the Convent of St. Clare which is significant, since we celebrate the Feast of St. Clare today. A round faced Franciscan sister answered the door and was very glad to see we had arrived to celebrate Mass in their chapel. A group from Australia joined us as Fr. Michael Berry celebrated Mass and was assisted by seminarian Michael Steger and Deacon Ryan Pruess. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the hotel

Not letting their sleep deprivation get the best of them, a group of 15-20 pilgrims just left the hotel to explore the streets of Lourdes and locate the closets gilatto stand that seem to appear as much as a Starbucks Restaurant in New York.

CPE, The Experience

Spending my summer in Rockford Illinois was not on my top ten list of things to do during the summer. For good or for ill, that is precisely where my summer clinical pastoral experience has brought me. For the past seven weeks I have been serving as a hospital chaplain at Rockford Memorial Hospital (RMH). My time at RMH has been full of great learning opportunities and exciting ministry experiences. The Lord has blessed me with many wonderful encounters of His grace in the people that I have the privilege to serve at some of the most difficult times in their lives.

In seven weeks, I have experienced a wide array of emotionally charged events that have challenged me in my own faith journey and have called me to trust more in the guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ. From comforting a grieving mother who recently lost her child to praying The Daily Office next to the bed of a dying 78 year old priest; the experiences that I have had thus far are life changing.

You never really know how you will react in a crisis situation until you are in it. I have learned that a ministry of silent presence, genuine quiet love, a look of compassion, and a willingness to give of yourself and walk the painful journey with those who are suffering is the best way to bring the love of Christ into a situation that often is beyond words anyway.

With seven weeks behind me I have already experienced a lifetime of emotions. I have seen miracles happen every day in the hospital and often times these miracles go overlooked by most. It is in the little victories of God's Presence among the sick where you will find the most grace and the outpouring of miracles. Looking ahead at the five weeks I have yet to encounter, I know that with the help of our Lord I will continue to try, as broken as I am, to help those who are at a point in their life where they are searching for meaning in a tragic situation. I will strive to continue to bring the loving presence of God into the countless lives that God is placing in front of me during my time at RMH. And finally, yet first and foremost, is my own journey and struggle for personal holiness where I pray I will continue to work on being shaped into the person that Christ is calling me to be.