Gildavid Moments

Last September 8, David and I went on a pilgrimage to Our Sorrowful Mother Shrine in honor of the (Catholic designated) birthday of the Blessed Mother. Back when I was still in Cebu, I would make a “mini pilgrimage” to different churches on this day, so I found it a special blessing to be able to do it here in the U.S. with David.

     The shrine was about one and a half hours drive from our place. It was a lovely day and we enjoyed driving through farmlands and charming small towns. The 105 acre shrine has a lovely chapel, a large outdoor chapel, grottos, stations of the cross, a gift shop and cafeteria. The last one was most welcomed because there were no places to eat nearby.   

     When we got there, we went to the office to see if they had a map of the estate. We found one and that made it easy for us to navigate our way through the woods.

  The first grotto along the walkway was that of Our Lady of Fatima.

     Then we saw a tiny shrine donated by the Filipino community in honor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint.

      Located deeper in the woods was the Sepulcher, where a statue of the entombed Christ was lain. The whole place radiated of peace and inspiration as we went further in to the woods.

   There were the grottos of Our Lady of Lourdes (above) and to  Our Lady of Guadalupe (below).

     I thought to myself that maybe the next time I go back to Cebu, I would bring an image of Our Lady of the Rule so that She can grace this shrine too.

     Walking through the woods, we saw several statues of Jesus, the Blessed Mother and saints enshrined in the trees, like this one of the Holy Child of Prague.     

     After our walk, we went inside the chapel where I prayed the last part of my nine day novena prayer to Our Lady of Fatima. Inside the chapel, I saw crutches left behind by people who have experienced miraculous healing in this place. Infront of the altar was an icon of St. Paul, the Aposle. Icons (which are different from religious pictures and paintings) are traditionally placed in churches as an aid for meditation of the faithful. I found it very appropriate to see this particular icon displayed as an invitation to prayer and reflection.

     I was surprised to see that the “candles” in the chapel were actually small electic lights which you “light” by turning on a switch. The only other place where I saw this set-up was in Rome.  I would have preferred a real candle.

     By the time we left the chapel, we were hungry, so we went to the cafeteria where they (believe it or not) served a simple but delicious lunch. A group of senior citizens were there ahead of us. I concluded that they were there for a day of recollection. I appreciated the friendly disposition of the staff, from the one who served us lunch to the lady at the gift shop, even the ones cleaning the chapel and the restrooms. I was happy to find small bottles for holy water at the gift shop. I have some holy water in my prayer room but I did not have the appropriate container for it. I just used a recycled bottle for mushroom and it did not “feel right” to use that container for holy water.

     After our lunch, we decided to take a walk around the shrine one more time through this beautiful place.
 
     I found out that they have a “Philippine Sunday” where the Filipino devotees come and spend the day together for prayer and socialization. They even roast a lechon (roast pig). David said that if I wanted to come for that day, and they would have a lechon, ” I’m in.”. I said, “I’m in too.” hahaha.

     Finally, it was time to call it a day. We left with a feeling of peace and an appreciation for what the day had been for us.

     I am most grateful that David agreed to make this trip with me. It reminded me of the times when he was in Cebu and we made a “courtesy call” to Our Lady of the Rule in Mactan, the Basilica of the Sto, Nino, and to the cave Our Lady of Guadalupe. The circle had come to another completion.

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