Celebrating St. Anthony of Padua!

I have to say - I think this year's Feast Day Observances for our parish's Patron Saint was the BEST one yet!  It was a great combination of devotion, meaningful prayer, fellowship, and feasting ... which I personally feel is the right way to do these events.

Our new priest - Fr. Tony - conceived the great idea of preceding the feast with three consecutive evenings of preparatory prayers - a Triduum honoring St. Anthony of Padua between June 10th - 12th - comprised of Rosaries, special prayers to our Saint, and Masses.  Each day of the Triduum concluded with refreshments and time for light-hearted socializing; the last Mass was a powerful Healing Mass.

A few photos from the last day of

the Triduum to St. Anthony

On the night of June 13, 2025 - the actual Feast Day of St. Anthony - we prayed the Rosary; held a Mass; and had a big parish celebration dinner with live entertainment (including former pop star/local celebrity Glenn Medeiros), a wine bar, and lots of lucky drawing prizes!  It couldn't have been any better.

A few photos from our Feast Day

Celebration for St. Anthony

Lastly, throughout the entire series of observances, our parish's relic of St. Anthony of Padua - a small piece of bone from his bodily remains - was prominently displayed for public veneration, which was also very meaningful for our community.  We may have even been blessed with a little "sign" at the end of the Feast Day Mass - see the candle pictured below that was lit beside the relic during the entire Mass ...

Was this just a coincidence?

Rather than melting into a random clump of wax, the candle unexpectedly took the form of a familiar and relevant figure (what are the odds?!).  Fellow parishioners who've seen the pic all agree there's two discernable figures resembling a grown-up carrying a child ... but are divided as to whether it represents St. Anthony with Baby Jesus or Our Lady with the Holy Infant.

Personally, I'm inclined to interpret the figures in the candle as a representation of the Madonna and Christ Child because St. Anthony was already present through his relic.  Plus, June 13th also commemorates Our Lady's second apparition in Fatima so the wax images may just be a reminder that she's celebrating with us, too!

So what a great past four evenings it has been; so abounding in graces - Our Lady and St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!

Saint of the Month - June 2025: Blessed Marie-Therese Soubiran

Bl. Marie-Therese Soubiran

A Life of Hidden Holiness

Memorial: June 7th

This month, this ministry features the life of a founder of a religious institution who lived her life in exile and obscurity ... yet, it was apparently God's will that her hidden life be brought to light as evidenced by the Church's official recognition of heroic virtue.  This is her story.

+ Early Life and Calling

Blessed Marie-Thérèse Soubiran was born on May 16, 1834, in Castelnaudary, a small town in southern France.  Her baptismal name was Marie-Thérèse-Henriette Soubiran.  Raised in a devout Catholic family, she was instilled early with a deep love for God and a desire to serve others.  As a child, she showed signs of exceptional spiritual sensitivity and piety.  Despite living during a time of political and social unrest in France, her faith remained strong and unwavering.

Marie-Thérèse was particularly drawn to the poor and marginalized.  Inspired by the Gospel call to serve "the least of these", she felt a deep inner calling to religious life.  At the age of 20, together with a few companions, she founded a new religious community in 1855: the Sisters of Mary Auxiliatrix, dedicated to helping young working-class girls and women in the cities, who were often overlooked and vulnerable in the rapidly industrializing society.

+ Foundress and Spiritual Guide

As the first superior of the Sisters of Mary Auxiliatrix, Marie-Thérèse worked tirelessly to establish the community and its mission.  She combined a life of prayer with concrete action—offering vocational training, spiritual formation, and shelter to young women.  She believed in educating the whole person, both spiritually and practically, and was known for her kindness, humility, and maternal care.

However, the road was not easy.  Marie-Thérèse faced many external challenges, including financial struggles and suspicion from certain Church authorities, who were hesitant to accept a new religious institute led by such a young woman.  Nonetheless, her trust in Divine Providence never wavered.

+ A Life Marked by Humiliation and Obscurity

Tragically, Marie-Thérèse's greatest suffering came not from outside opposition, but from within her own community.  In 1869, due to the machinations of a fellow sister who falsely accused her of financial mismanagement and spiritual instability, Marie-Thérèse was removed from her position and expelled from the congregation she had founded.  Despite her innocence, she accepted this humiliation with remarkable humility and obedience, never defending herself or speaking against those who wronged her.

She was taken in by the Society of the Sacred Heart, another religious order, and lived for the next 33 years in obscurity, humility, and hidden service.  Though the truth of her situation was gradually discovered, she never returned to lead her congregation.  Instead, she embraced her new, humble life of silent prayer and simple tasks, confident that her suffering was united to Christ’s and would serve to spiritually support her congregation.

+ Death and Beatification

Blessed Marie-Thérèse died on June 7, 1889, in Paris, having lived her final years in quiet sanctity.  It was only after her death that her innocence was fully acknowledged and her true greatness recognized.  The Sisters of Mary Auxiliatrix continued to grow and flourish, eventually spreading beyond France to other countries, carrying her legacy of compassionate service.

Pope Pius XII beatified Marie-Thérèse Soubiran on October 20, 1946, recognizing her heroic virtue, enduring faith, and extraordinary example of forgiveness and humility.  Her feast day is celebrated annually on June 7.

+ Legacy

Blessed Marie-Thérèse Soubiran’s life offers a powerful testimony to the value of hidden holiness, patient suffering, and steadfast fidelity to God’s will.  She reminds us that even in the face of injustice and obscurity, love and humility can triumph.  Her example continues to inspire religious and laypeople alike, especially those who feel called to serve the forgotten and to persevere through personal trials with grace.

Bl. Marie-Therese, pray for us!

A Feast Day Blessing

It was a Marian Feast Day yesterday - the Feast of Our Lady's Visitation ... and today is yet another Feast Day - this time celebrating the Lord’s glorious Ascension!

After the Saturday evening Vigil Mass last night - a Mass that bridged both Feasts - a close friend and I conversed about the maternal love of our Blessed Mother, and wondered out loud if she was going to grant us a special blessing on her Feast.  The photo below seems to affirm she did.

Taken from our church's driveway, the above captures a luminous silhouette that appeared in the sky just a few moments after my friend said something to this effect: "I wonder if Our Lady's going to show up today."  In person, it looked like a lady draped in a white sheet hovering in the sky.  How serendipitous and relevant, given it's timing.

  My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; for behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed; Because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name; And His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.

- From The Canticle of Mary

(Luke 1:46-50)

We love you, Our Lady - we thank you for being our loving mother.

Monthly Message from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje: May 2025

  "Dear Children, in this time of grace, I am calling you to be people of hope, peace and joy, so that every person may be a peacemaker and a lover of life.  Pray, little children, to the Holy Spirit to fill you with the strength of His own Holy Spirit of courage and surrender.  And this time for you will be a gift and a walk in holiness towards eternal life.  I am with you and I love you.  Thank you for having responded to my call."

Saint of the Month - May 2025: Saint Paschal Baylon

St. Paschal Baylon

Model of Eucharistic Devotion

Feast: May 17th

This month we honor St. Paschal Baylon, a Franciscan Friar and an exceptional Eucharistic Saint. In fact, one of his nicknames is "Seraph of the Eucharist" and rightfully so - the Eucharist was the heart of his soul.  Paschal was born on May 16, 1540 - a Pentecost Sunday - in the Spanish hamlet of Torrehermosa to a virtuous peasant couple.  Given his poor circumstances, Pascal was employed from age 7 as a shepherd to a wealthy land owner.

In the solitude and grandeur of the outdoors, little Paschal developed a deep respect for our Creator and a lively piety, which was expressed in the charitable sharing of his meager meals with the poor and his inclination to contemplative prayer.  Whenever the distant church bell rang, it was a signal for him to kneel and pray wherever he was, regardless what he was engaged in ... and thanks to the help of certain educated friends, he slowly learned to read and availed himself of spiritual reading while out in the fields.

Attracted to the religious life, in his adolescence he applied with the Franciscans, but was initially declined because of his youthful age.  In 1564, at the age of 24, he was accepted with the Alcantarine (reformed) Franciscans that was recently founded by St. Peter of Alcantara (d. 1562).  The following year, in February 1565, he made his solemn profession in the Order's Monastery of St. Joseph in Orito.

The Saint’s simple and tiny cell in the

Franciscan monastery of Villarreal

As a spiritual son of the illustrious St. Francis of Assisi, the Saint was exceptional for his ascetic and materially-detached lifestyle.  In fact, he once explained his choice of joining the Franciscans as: "I was born poor and I am resolved to die in poverty and penance." and he lived up to his words.  Paschal not only adhered to his Order's strict rule of poverty but exceeded it -  he only wore cast off, worn-out habits; walked about completely barefoot (even in snow); and fasted rigorously.  His superiors wanted him to study for the Priesthood but Paschal declined, believing himself unworthy of the dignity of the role.  Instead, he volunteered as cook, gardener, doorkeeper, and even the humiliation of begging for food for his monastery.

Despite the humble positions he served in, the saintly friar became well-respected in all the monasteries where he was assigned to.  His apparent humility, charity, and patience towards visitors at the gate also endeared him to the wider community.  Furthermore, word of his blossoming mystical gifts fueled his reputation for lofty holiness.

Concerning the latter, Paschal's extraordinary charisms was said to include the following:

• He spent entire nights enraptured in deep ecstasy while in Eucharistic Adoration; immobile with his arms habitually extended towards Heaven without any discomfort.

• During his ecstatic states, he also often experienced sublime visions, which filled him with an extraordinary understanding of the mysteries of our Catholic Faith.

• Still, at other times, he was witnessed lifted several feet into the air in levitation and surrounded with a heavenly glow!

• His prayers effected cures for the many sick who began seeking him out.

• And lastly, he is among those rare Saints who had the privilege of receiving Holy Communion from the hands of angels when circumstances prevented him from receiving the Host in the normal manner.

Eucharistic Adoration often triggered

the Saint's frequent ecstasies

St. Paschal's infused knowledge became all the more evident when he was sent to Paris on an important mission for his Order.  As he made his way up north through France then back down, he passed through regions taken over by Calvanist Protestants and took the opportunity to preach to fallen-away Catholics in spite of the danger to himself; his teaching impressed many.  On one occasion he was publicly challenged by a Calvanist leader about the Doctrine of the True Presence, but our Saint's defense of the Eucharist was so solid and convincing, he managed to revert many spectators back to Catholicism.  An enraged group then beat Paschal and attempted to stone him to death but he somehow managed to escape.  The attack left the friar with a permanent injury to one of his shoulders that caused him chronic pain for the rest of his life.

Upon his return to his Spanish monastery, Paschal casually resumed his chores and his routine of nocturnal Adoration despite his injury.  He was a much sought-after counselor and healer until his death in Villarreal on May 17, 1592 (another Pentacost Sunday!).  Not surprisingly, miracles were reported immediately after his passing.  For one, his corpse was exposed for three days due to the massive crowd of mourners who came to pay their respects to the deceased holy man.  All the while his body remained supple and showed no signs of decomposing, and a moisture (described as "dew") exuded from its forehead, which effected cures when it was applied to the sick.  Also, during the funeral Mass, his eyes were seen by attendees to open at both the elevations of the Host and the Chalice; the Saint's final act of reverence towards our Eucharistic Lord whom he loved and defended!

St. Paschal's new sarcophagus in his

Sanctuary in Villarreal, Spain

Cures continued at the friar's gravesite, eventually leading up to his Canonization in 1690.

An A.I. generated image, based on early

portraits.  Is this what he looked like?

Sadly, St. Paschal's sacred body, which had remained miraculously incorrupt for centuries, was desecrated and burned by Communist insurgents and secularists during the infamous Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. Several bone fragments survived, however, which are now entombed in a rebuilt Basilica dedicated to St. Paschal in Villarreal.  May this great Saint of the Eucharist inspire in us an ever-deepening love for the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Paschal Baylon,

pray for us!

Habemus Papam!

This is a crucial time in our

Church and in the world.  Please

PRAY for our new Pope. 🕊

POPE LEO XIV

Monthly Message from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje: April 2025

  "Dear Children, winds of peacelessness, selfishness and sin are catching hold of many hearts and leading them into peacelessness and perdition.  That is why I am calling you, little children: return to God and to prayer, so that it may be good for you in the hearts and on the earth on which you live.  I love you, little children, and that is why I am not tiring of calling you to conversion.  Thank you for having responded to my call."

Was it the face of our Risen Lord? (UPDATED 4/28/2025)

Every morning when I pray my Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, I usually view one of the live Eucharistic Adoration webcams now common in YouTube.  The one shown below is one of my favorites because of the beautiful Gregorian Chants that also play in the background while praying before the Blessed Sacrament.

(To view this live webcam, click here)

This morning, however, was a different experience than all the other days in the past couple of years that I've been frequenting this channel - today, I think I saw the Holy Face of Jesus appear in the Host, resembling his face as seen on the Shroud of Turin.  See the photos I took below of my tv screen.

O Sacrament most Holy,

O Sacrament Divine,

all praise and all thanksgiving,

be every moment Thine!

Comparisons with the normal view and

with the Holy Face from the Shroud

The mysterious apparition's resemblance to the image on the Shroud is simply uncanny ... and as a strong believer in the Holy Face Devotion, this was a highly meaningful sign to witness.  The lesson here is clear and two-fold - JESUS IS TRULY PRESENT IN THE EUCHARIST ... and the HOLY FACE REVELATIONS AND DEVOTION ARE POWERFULLY ANOINTED!

Lord Jesus, through the merits

of Your Holy Face have pity on us

and on the whole world.  Amen.

+ U P D A T E :  4 - 2 8 - 2 0 2 5 +

FOR DISCERNMENT:  It happened again - the pic below was snapped this morning, while praying the Rosary and viewing the Eucharistic Adoration livestream from a parish in Middleton, New Jersey.  It seemed to this author that the Holy Face was again appearing in the Host.  It wasn’t as clear as last Wednesday's image but it was there.  I took several photos and the one below is the best one although I had to add a little contrast to it.

Is it a miracle?  I won't say for certain ... but what I will testify to is this: again, I have never seen anything like it on this livestream (nor in any of the other live Adoration webcams in YouTube) until it showed up on Easter Wednesday; then yesterday (Divine Mercy Sunday!!!) and today.  It's not a permanent image (it lasted for over 30 minutes each occasion, repeatedly appearing, fading, and materializing again and again in varying clarity before it finally vanished) ... and it doesn't appear to be a projection of any sort ... nor is it a reflection of a Jesus-photo on my side of the screen.

Of course it could just be a natural trick of light, but I can't get over its striking resemblance to the mysterious Shroud of Turin, which I believe IS the miraculous burial cloth of our Lord.  Frankly, it's an impressive thing to witness and I'm profoundly moved by it all: the Eucharist ... that Face ... the power and goodness of our living and true GOD - AMAZING!

+ U P D A T E :  6 - 4 - 2 0 2 5 +

I called the parish where this particular Perpetual Adoration chapel is located - Saint Mary, Mother of God Church in New Jersey - and spoke to a man working in the parish office.  The person confirmed that there are NO images of any sort being projected onto the Monstrance.  He also shared that he was personally aware of another call from a woman who reported seeing the Eucharist light up and the face of Jesus appear in the Host.  Interesting information.

R.I.P. Pope Francis

"We all have the duty to do good."

POPE FRANCIS

1936 - 2025

HE LIVES!

Witnessed and photographed early this morning, right before an Easter Sunday Mass - a remarkable human-like silhouette was discernable in a bright cloud.  So it seems even nature is celebrating and witnessing to our Lord's Resurrection!  Hallelujah!

"The heavens declare the

glory of God; the skies proclaim

the work of His hands."

- Psalm 19:1

For Discernment: Let us follow Our Lady to the Cross

While driving to work and praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary this morning, a familiar figure appeared in the sky ahead of me.  I managed to snap a few photos ...

Upon reflection, I discerned Our Lady's desire to "prepare" us for the upcoming Paschal Triduum and Easter Sunday.  She is also inviting us to especially accompany her to the foot of the Holy Cross this Good Friday; to prayerfully contemplate in a personal manner our Lord's painful sacrifice and his unconditional love.  After which she will lead us to Christ's empty tomb where an "infusion of grace" awaits.

There's an expectation of joy to all of this but there's also a sense of urgency, and I can't help but ponder this from Luke 21:11 in light of current events:

"There will be great earthquakes,

and in various places famines and

pestilences.  And there will be terrors

and great signs from heaven."

This recent experience and the Bible passage cited above are highly pertinent.  Truly, disasters and signs are escalating all over the world in our present times and much prayer is needed ... but are we paying attention?

O Mary, our Heavenly Mother,

pray for us who have recourse to

thee.  Amen.

Lourdes: A Gateway to Heaven

"Enter through the narrow gate; for

the gate is wide and the road broad that

leads to destruction, and those who enter

through it are many.  How narrow the

gate and constricted the road that leads

to life.  And those who find it are few."

- Matthew 7:13-14

Lourdes is a holy place ... and an ongoing miracle.  I understood it when I first read about this Marian apparition site decades ago and I felt it when I went there on pilgrimage in October 2024.  I got to experience Lourdes - in-person - and discovered just how saturated it is with the very PRESENCE OF GOD AND THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY; it exudes SANCTITY, PEACE, and LOVE.

In particular, I found the Holy Grotto of Apparitions to be where the spiritual power of Lourdes is the most concentrated (my personal opinion).  As such, since returning from my pilgrimage, I now view the Lourdes Sanctuary live webcam daily in YouTube when praying the Rosary.  It helps me "relive" Lourdes over and over ... and sometimes one can even catch glimpses of unusual "luminosities" in and around the cave, which brings us to this blog.

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise: be thankful

unto Him, and bless His name."

- Psalm 100:4

Just a couple of days ago, while praying my Rosary with the webcam streaming on my TV, I was surprised to see a faint golden light flickering inside of the Grotto - it grew brighter  and  solidified into the clear form of a doorway or gate.  It wasn't a bug on the camera lense, but it may also just be a natural trick of sunlight.  However, in all the past years that I've been frequenting the webcam, I've never seen a light formation like it before in that cave so I snapped pics of the screen.  Besides, it really looked like a door or gate, and its location above the altar and its timing being coincidental with the start of the Sanctuary's daily evening Rosary at the Grotto were both significant.

An unusual light in the Lourdes Grotto - a

passageway between Heaven and Earth?

I'd like to suppose that I maybe inadvertently witnessed the Gate of Heaven opening up in the Grotto for Our Lady to come through to be with the pilgrims.  It's completely plausible.  Plus, I've captured other extraordinary light phenomena in the past, via the Grotto's webcam, and have a friend who has seen luminosities, too - see here and here.

Irregardless whether the light is a genuine sign or not, no doubt about it - Lourdes is holy.  I can gratefully testify along with countless other pilgrims who've been there that it's a rare, miraculous place where Heaven and Earth unite; Lourdes is a Gateway to Heaven.  And let's not forget - one of Our Lady's glorious Titles in the Litany of Loreto is: "Gate of Heaven" ... and recorded in Sacred Scriptures are the words below, spoken by our Lord about Himself.  Indeed, both Mother Mary and Jesus are present in Lourdes.

"I AM the DOOR.  By me, if any

man enter in, he shall be saved."

- John 10:9

Is this what two great Saints looked like?

I was researching something on the net the other day when I came upon a pleasant surprise - more forensic reconstruction of the faces of Saints! Those familiar with this blog are likely aware that this author is a big fan of such things (click here to see other forensic "faces of holiness" that I've shared about in the past).  This time around I add two famous Saints who are both Doctors of the Church:

St. Teresa of Avila

   

Compare this Spanish Saint's forensic reconstruction (Above-Left) with the most famous portrait done of her when she was 61 (I personally don't see a similarity and prefer the painting).  To read about St. Teresa's prodigious life, click here.

St. Thomas Aquinas

   

Above, the forensic reconstruction (Left) with a typical representation of the Saint painted shortly after he was canonized in July 1323 (there appears to be a slight resemblance).

So what do viewers think?  I personally find it highly fascinating to see these scientifically reconstructed faces ... then find it amusing when I compare them to statues and paintings to see how they measure up to each other.  The artistic depictions usually don't come close to reality - almost all look too perfect with their tall, slim bodies and their perfect complexion, especially devotional statues I see on sale.

I prefer to see true likenesses of our Saints and Blesseds with their not-so-perfect features.  I think it brings them down to earth, which makes them relatable; mostly ordinary people but who lived their Catholic Faith in an extraordinary manner!

Saint of the Month - April 2025: Blessed Pauline von Mallinckrodt

 

Bl. Pauline von Mallinckrodt

A Light to the Blind

Memorial: April 30th

This month this ministry features Bl. Pauline von Mallinckrodt, a little-known German foundress of a Catholic Congregation. She was born on June 3, 1817 in the town of Minden and baptized with the name Maria Bernardine Sophia Pauline.  Her family was well-to-do being that her father, Detmar, was a government official.  He was a Lutheran but Pauline’s mother Marianna was a highly devout Catholic who raised her children in the Faith.

Given Detmar’s work, Pauline and her three siblings received an excellent education and afforded luxuries reserved only for the privileged: abundant food, fine clothing, social status, servants, extensive travels, etc.  Despite her family’s affluent lifestyle, the Beata developed a deep piety from her early youth, which was expressed via a deepening devotion towards the Blessed Sacrament and a compassionate heart for the less fortunate.

Biographies relate how young Maria affectionately cared for her father and siblings after her mother passed away from typhus when she was 17-years-old … and her loving concern extended to the hired help, who Maria treated with solicitude and nursed when they were ill.  This kindness she strove to live by extended outside of the Mallinckrodt home reaching out to the poor with whom she shared her monetary allowances and whatever other alms she could provide.

After Maria’s father retired from public service in 1840, the family relocated to Paderborn where she was drawn to a group of pious women who charitably assisted the sick-poor in the community.  She joined this association while entertaining the notion of becoming a Vincentian Sister of Charity, even going so far as to visit their motherhouse in Paris (where St. Catherine Laboure received her Miraculous Medal apparitions) to get an idea of what religious life would be like.

It soon became evident that Maria was the immerging leader of the charity she was a member of.  Through her initiative, their ministry opened a school to ensure children and orphans were not only educated, but also protected from neglect in the wake of the chaotic Industrial Revolution of the early 1800s.  In addition, an opportunity arose to establish a special school for blind children, which Maria also took on.  Both projects prospered and the work quickly grew beyond what was easily manageable for her and her companions.  Besides that, the Beata was still planning to become a nun.

Bl. Pauline in her youth

In 1846, Maria traveled to France to meet with another religious founder – Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat (now a Saint) – with the intent of turning over the administration of the school for the blind to St. Madeleine’s congregation.  Things, however, didn’t turn out the way she hoped as the German/Prussian government was unwilling to have a French organization – even a religious one – operating on German soil. Following this major setback, Maria consulted with the Archbishop of Cologne who encouraged her to start her own congregation to continue and propagate the charisms of charitable service and Christian education that she was already doing.  After prayerful consideration, she founded the Sisters of Christian Charity (SCC) in Paderborn in August 1849, along with three companions, and became its first superior under the name of Mother Pauline.

It should be mentioned that in the hustle and bustle of her daily life and work, Pauline had, for some time, been receiving Holy Communion daily with the Church’s permission (it was uncommon in her time to do so).  This was the secret to her burning charity and the drive she possessed to serve the Lord in serving others – the Eucharist and deep prayer were the fuel to her fire.  After establishing her congregation, she was able to have the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the chapels of her religious houses and made it a rule for her spiritual daughters to attend daily Mass.

Pauline spent her remaining years growing the SCC ministry.  Within the span of the next 25 years, they had over 200 members working in 20 establishments in Germany before branching out to other countries beginning in June 1873 when a group of her nuns sailed to New Orleans, USA (the first of over two dozen houses of charity/schools in the US!).  Other requests for the SCC also came in from Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay where there was an influx of German immigrants in the second half of the 1800s … so Mother Pauline sent her daughters there, too, to assist her former countrymen and the locals.

Despite chronic illnesses in her later years, the Beata traveled extensively – even going overseas to personally monitor the expansion of her congregation’s work.  Upon returning from a grueling trip to South America then up to New York in 1880, she fell ill and progressively worsened.  She succumbed to pneumonia on the morning of April 30, 1881; Mother Pauline was 63-years-old.

A bone relic from Mother Pauline gifted to this

ministry by the Sisters of Christian Charity

The founder’s reputation for sanctity earned while she was still alive survived her death, leading to the opening of her Cause for Canonization in Paderborn in 1926.  In December 1984 a miraculous cure attributed to her intercession was officially approved by the Vatican and Pauline was Beatified by Pope John Paul II the following April 1985.  A second officially recognized miracle is needed to raise her to Sainthood.  We pray for her speedy Canonization.

Bl. Pauline von Mallinckrodt,

pray for us!

Are these extraordinary blessings for St. Anthony of Padua Parish?

Strange things are happening at my Kailua parish of St. Anthony of Padua Church; wonderful things ... and this author suspects perhaps the Good Lord and the Holy Virgin is trying to tell Hawaii something and maybe has plans for the parish.  May our priests and faith community respond worthily with opens hearts.  Allow me to elaborate.

It started 10 days ago on March 20, 2025.  While praying after the morning Mass, I felt a powerful presence within the church; a living and holy presence that was so tangible I could pinpoint it hovering up in the highest part of the church interior.  I couldn't see anything but I sensed it was there ... and after I was done praying and left the church, it followed me; it was around me.  I couldn't help but think to myself, "Something special is gonna happen today." and I looked up searching at the sky but didn't see anything extraordinary.

However, while walking across the street to my car, I heard a woman's voice say to me, "Go ahead - take a picture."  I recognized the voice as Our Lady's, and without hesitation I snapped three photos towards the church.  Upon reviewing the pics, I was amazed to discover that one of them showed her silhouette atop a palm tree in front of the church - it reminded me of a classic depiction of the Virgin of Fatima on her little tree!  So the "presence" was her, after all.

We observe First Saturdays with a special

Rosary so was it Our Lady of Fatima?

Fast forward to yesterday - March 29th - after the Saturday evening Vigil Mass, a huge cloud above the church began taking a human-like silhouette - a familiar form.  In awe, I recall thinking something to this effect, "It can't be.  Not again."  I don't know why but I actually ignored what I was seeing and drove off to a nearby Aunt's house ... and when I got out of my car, the cloud-figure was still above - impossibly intact! - so I took a few photos, which I post a couple below.

   

Showing both sets of the pics to family and a few friends, collectively we came to the same conclusion - we see the outline/figure of the Virgin Mary.  But the big question is ... WHY?  Why an influx of signs?  I can only assume that there is a special grace being granted to St. Anthony of Padua Church and a lesson to be learned.  The truth is, these two photos aren't the only unusual ones taken at the parish.  If one browses this ministry's Photo Albums of Little Signs to the right, one will find others taken within the past 10 years so it can't be mere coincidences.  I believe all of it has something to do with the faith and dedication of certain parishioners there; a few of them are co-members with me in our parish's FIAT: Faith In Action Today Prayer Group so I know them very well.  All are active in parish ministries and involved in spreading the Faith; all have a loving, filial relationship with Our Lady, especially through the Holy Rosary.  

What a privilege it is to know such good people; to pray and serve alongside them.  I believe that it's because of our collaborative efforts to spread devotion to the Blessed Virgin that she responds as our "Mom" to encourage and remind us of her abiding maternal love.  And the pics - they're only a visible sign of something more important, which is the invisible grace Our Lady brings that is working in the life of our parish.  I discern its power ... and I'm humbled, uplifted, and grateful.  I also sense that we haven't seen the last of her.

Above:  My parish's 2 "Pilgrim Madonnas",

which make their rounds to various private

homes in May and October.

Below:  Our First Saturday Rosary for Peace; still ongoing after 14 years.

So long as the parish continues doing what it's doing for our dear Heavenly Mother, blessings will blossom into good fruit in our faith-community; she'll also continue dropping by on occasion to check-in with us - her "kids" - knowing that she's invited and welcomed.  That's the special grace and, ultimately, the big lesson ... and it applies to every other parish not just mine.  Make Mother Mary welcomed - she will come bearing gifts.  Ave Maria!

[If you're ever in Kailua, please visit us

too - we welcome you!  For directions to

our beautiful church, click here]