She's still there ...

It's been over 150 years since Our Lady graced Lourdes, France, with her now-famous 18 apparitions ... yet her presence apparently continues to remain at that hallowed site.  I strongly sensed her there when I visited the Lourdes Sanctuary in October 2024 ... and even came home with a special souvenir photo!

Oh, how I miss that place!  But thankfully, there's the Lourdes Sanctuary live webcam, which never fails to take me back to the Holy Grotto - search for it in YouTube because you never know what you'll witness when you tune in!

Just this morning, as this blogger was praying my daily Rosary, I felt an urge to bring up the webcam on my TV screen so I jumped on and joined pilgrims praying the Rosary in Italian.  Not long after, I noticed a strange light formation in the center of the grotto - it was so striking, I had to take pics of my screen.  Each viewer can decide what he/she sees ... but for me it affirms what I already know - our Blessed Mother's maternal presence is still at Lourdes.

            

Closer views of the unusual light formation in the Grotto of Massabielle (compare each with the statue at center)

Lourdes is that HOLY - the Grotto in particular is a special place where Heaven and earth unite!  If one ever has the opportunity to visit Lourdes, go!  Until then, view the webcam and pray with the pilgrims from all over the world.  Grace somehow seems to transmit even through that live digital portal ... and you never know what you'll see!  The pics above are just a recent set out of several other remarkable things I've witnessed on the webcam in the past four years.  See other pics by following this link or by viewing the "Little Signs" Photo Albums.

Allow the light of Lourdes to touch and heal your spirit!

Our Lady of Lourdes,

pray for us!

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

European Pilgrimage, October 2024 - Part III: Signs & Signal Graces

“You are the God who

performs miracles; you display your

power among the peoples.”

- Psalms 77:14

This Part III and final installment about my October 2024 European Pilgrimage is my personal testimonial to the power of prayer and the signal graces received by myself and others during our journey.  The truth is - from the moment I signed on, I had faith that Jesus and Our Lady would bless us.  There was even a wonderful event that happened in early October that seemed to foretell that we would have a grace-filled pilgrimage (see it here).

What this author didn't expect was the abundance of the graces and signs I witnessed ... and it started on the very first plane ride!  Let me start there ...

🌹 WAS IT A MIRACLE?

During our flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles, one of the members of our group  - "Don" - suddenly lost consciousness and turned pale.  His wife's distress attracted flight attendants who attempted to revive the man using an oxygen mask, but he remained unresponsive despite their efforts.  It was then that our chaplain, Fr. Paul, turned to me saying "You need to pray", after which he, myself, and a few others in our group immediately began offering intense prayers for Don (I even stood up in the central aisle with hands extended towards him) ... and amazingly, within about a minute, he opened his eyes on his own and slowly began regaining color!  One may not think this significant, except for the fact that I later overheard a flight attendants telling our priest: "Father, I thought we were gonna lose him - he wasn't breathing and he had no pulse.  I think it was a miracle."

Don went on to complete the entire trip with no further adverse episodes ... and, per his own words to me, he had the most unforgettable experiences of his life in Fatima and Lourdes.  His "recovery" set an enthusiastic and supernatural tone for the entire pilgrimage for me ... and for Don, his wife, and several others.  I sensed then that tremendous things were in-store for us and the Lord didn't disappoint.

🌹 AT FATIMA ...

At the Fatima Sanctuary, there were a few unusual incidences that I'd like to share about.  The first occurred on October 9th, during the first night we were there.  Our Hawaii Group was gathered at the sanctuary beginning at 9:00 PM praying the Rosary with hundreds of other pilgrims.  At the beginning of the final Glorious Mystery it started raining steadily, forcing people without umbrellas or raincoats to shelter tightly under the roofing of the Chapel of the Apparitions.  However, no sooner was the processional statue of Our Lady of Fatima wheeled outside the chapel at the end of our prayer then the rain immediately stopped!  The timing couldn't have been more perfect ... and the rain did not resume for the duration of the 45 minutes, or so, that it took for us to walk the procession.  We then returned to our hotel dry and comfortable.

Scenes from the October 9th, 2024 candlelight

procession at the Fatima Sanctuary.

I also witnessed two visible manifestations on my second night at the sanctuary, while I watched the candlelight procession from the steps of the older basilica.  As the procession moved along in the plaza below, I unexpectedly heard the Lord’s voice say to me: "Pray for Fr. Shenan Boquet." (Note: Fr. Boquet is the current President of Human Life International, a pro-life/pro-family apostolate, and an acquaintance of mine.)  No other words were heard and I was immediately concerned for the priest so offered a prayer, as directed ... then glancing up at the sky I was struck by the sight of the moon mysteriously transforming itself into a human fetus up above the front of the procession!  The likeness was so uncanny I had to snap a photo, which I post below ...

I'm not certain what the full significance of this occurrence was, but I have no doubt it's all connected to the Pro-Life Movement and the urgent plight of the Unborn (God preserve them!) ... and keep in mind - October is Respect Life Month.

Bottom-Left: A candle flame resembling

a silhouette of the Virgin Mary.

Bottom-Right: A second mysterious

silhouette above the flame.

The other incident involved a friend/fellow pilgrim named "Lita".  During the same procession, we took a selfie together and upon later reviewing the photo, we both noticed that the flame on her procession candle was unusually big ... and was in the familiar form of a silhouette of the Virgin Mary, of all things!  It may have just been a coincidence except that above the flame was another discernible human-like figure (the Fatima "Angel of Peace"?).  What's the odds of two seemingly holy images appearing in one pic?!  Plus, it needs to be mentioned that it was also Lita's Birthday that day and she had prayed to Our Lady for a special blessing.  We have no doubt she got it.

🌹 AT LOURDES ...

This next remarkable grace was granted at Lourdes during that sanctuary's candlelight procession.  It was our first night there and I snapped a few pics of the massive crowd as we started to follow the shrine's large Marian statue.  Later, while viewing the photos in the hotel, I was stunned to discover that one of them inadvertently captured the Blessed Virgin carrying her Divine Son!  The luminous figure was strongly reminiscent of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the Capelinha and it just so happened to be October 13th, the anniversary of the final and most significant apparition at Fatima.  Readers, I can't make this up!

Note the glowing figure above the crowd

to the left; enlarged below and compared

to the famous Marian statue at Fatima.

As I wrote in the first blog, the presence of our Holy Mother is strongly felt at Lourdes but to have this heavenly affirmation captured on camera is simply a priceless gift from her ... and I am humbled.

There were a couple other photos taken while we were in procession at Lourdes that appear to reveal unusual figures ... but unlike the above photo, I can't say for certain that they are actual signs, versus the natural effects of light.  Nonetheless, they are quite thought-provoking ...

🌹 IN ROME ...

Lastly, in my hotel room in Rome, there was another anomaly that had me scratching my head.  I wasn't looking to see anything else unusual in Rome but - BOOM - there it was on a conspicuous part of the door: a figure that looked notably like the Virgin Mary!  I took a photo and showed it to several friends and prayer group members - they all see "Mama Mary" ... and some say there's even the Holy Face of Jesus on the door, but I'll let the viewer discern that.

The figure on the door with outlining.

Again, with this particular incident, I'm not claiming it's supernatural ... but what does strike me about the whole scenario is the figure's close resemblance to the "Virgin of the Revelation" honored at the Roman Marian apparition site of Tre Fontane that I also visited on this trip, and for which I have a deep affinity for.  Not to mention that a similar figure was on a wall in my hotel room in Mexico City when I was on a prior pilgrimage back in April 2023 to see the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe (see the other image here).

The figure on the door compared to

Our Lady of Tre Fontane in Rome.

Given my prior experiences, I can't help but believe that Our Lady had a hand in arranging this moment of "spiritual serendipity", as I like to refer to it; that she was simply signaling that she was watching over me and the rest of the travel group, which is very reassuring.  I love that about our Blessed Mother.

... and so ends this blog about my incredible European Pilgrimage.  My heart will forever be grateful to Jesus and Mary, and the Angels and Saints, for everything I saw and experienced in Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy.  God never fails to exceed our expectations when we surrender everything to His Divine Will - all Thanks and Praises be to Him!

“Who is like You, O Lord,

among the gods?  Who is like You,

majestic in holiness, awesome in

glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

‐ Exodus 15:11

** To view Part I of my European Pilgrimage Blog: Apparition Shrines, click/tap here.

** To view Part II of my European Pilgrimage Blog: Saints & Relics, click/tap here.

European Pilgrimage, October 2024 - Part I: Apparition Shrines

"You are the God of great wonders!

You demonstrate your awesome power

among the nations."

- Psalm 77:14

Ave Maria!  This blogger recently returned from Europe where I was on pilgrimage to several major Catholic shrines that I've had on my bucket list for decades: the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima; the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes; the Shrine of St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo; the Sanctuary of St. Michael the Archangel on Monte Gargano; the Shrine of St. Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale!

It goes without saying that I had an awesome, memorable, and blessed time - the sacred sites I visited far exceeded my expectations and the holy presence of our Lord and His Blessed Mother, as well as the Saints, was tangible throughout my journey through serendipitous moments and signal graces.

I will share my experiences and personal impressions in 3 separate blogs, of which this is Part I, dealing specifically about apparition shrines I visited.  So let's begin ...

🌹 THE SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA, PORTUGAL

Most Catholics are already aware of the story of the 1917 Portuguese apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima (OLF) so I won't write much about this Sanctuary's history.  Plus a Google search will readily turn up abundant information.

On the very afternoon our Hawaii group arrived in Fatima, a friend and I wasted no time in visiting the Sanctuary although it wasn't in our official itinerary until the evening.  Fortunately for us, our hotel was less than a 10 minute walk away from the shrine so it wasn't difficult to reach ... and, as soon as I stepped foot into the sanctuary's grand plaza, I was immediately struck by an aura of SANCTITY, POWER, and PEACE!

ABOVE:  The Chapel of the Apparitions, the 

actual place of Our Lady's appearances.

BELOW:  A closer view of the Capelinha.

As with all famed Catholic Shrines, the Sanctuary complex is massive and includes the Chapel of the Apparitions that was built over, and around, the diminutive "Capelinha" (the original rustic chapel built on the very site of the heavenly visitations) and two grand basilicas - the older built in traditional gothic architecture (Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary) and the most recent in a modern design (Basilica of the Holy Trinity).

   

Outside & inside the older Basilica

of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima.

Multiple Masses and Rosary Prayers are offered at convenient intervals in the Chapel of the Apparitions - in several languages - undoubtedly, in response to OLF's request that we "pray the Rosary ever day to obtain Peace in the World."

Outside & inside the newer

Basilica of the Holy Trinity.

A must-do activity when visiting this sanctuary is to participate in the daily 9:00pm Rosary Prayer followed immediately by a candlelight procession.  For this author, this event touched me to my core.

Hundreds of candles flicker during the

Fatima Shrine's nightly procession.

And finally, another highlight of my Fatima experience is the hamlet of Aljustrel, about a 10 minute drive away from the Sanctuary, where the three shepherd seers lived.  Here, we visited their former homes and the well behind Lucia's family home where the "Angel of Peace" appeared for the second time to the children in the Summer of 1916 to prepare them for their mission with OLF.

ABOVE:  The home of Sts. Francisco & Jacinta.

BELOW:  The room in which St. Francisco died.

ABOVE:  The childhood home of Sr. Lucia

(that's her great grand niece at the door).

BELOW:  The well of the angel's apparition.

I left Fatima inspired and more committed than ever to living and spreading its message; to also promoting devotion to the Holy Rosary.  Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

🌹 THE SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES, FRANCE

A priest prays before his Mother

- very moving!

As with Fatima, the story of St. Bernadette Soubirous and her celebrated 18 apparitions of Our Lady (OLL) in the Grotto of Massabielle is already a familiar one to most Catholics so I also won't go into detail about Lourdes.

This Marian Sanctuary is also quite extensive, actually straddling both sides of the Gave River; on one side is the Holy Grotto, the main plaza, shrine administration buildings, and not one but three basilicas: the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (situated on the hill directly above the Grotto of Apparitions), the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary (at ground level with the plaza), and the modern Basilica of Pope St. Pius X.  On the other side of the Gave are chapels for candle lighting, an outdoor chapel, the Church of St. Bernadette, and medical facilities.

ABOVE:  In the OLL Sanctuary Plaza.

BELOW:  Two views of the Holy Grotto

of apparitions ...

The Grotto, seen below the Basilica of

the Immaculate Conception from across

the Gave River.

Highlights for me at Lourdes were attending Holy Mass at the Grotto and simply spending time there in prayer and/or silently soaking in the loving presence of Our Lady and the DIVINE that permeates Lourdes ... and participating in the nightly 9:00pm Candlelight Rosary Procession.

Still-images from the Lourdes live webcam

on YouTube, captured by a friend in Hawaii.

One of my best memories at the Sanctuary

- my walk through the grotto!

[Note: Photo-taking is not allowed in the

Holy Grotto so thanks C.B. for spotting me

in there and snapping these pics!]

The Lourdes Sanctuary at night -

photos taken during a procession.  Note

the massive crowd of pilgrims.

I left Lourdes completely understanding what I've heard others say about it - that it's a holy place of PRAYER, RECONCILIATION, and HEALING ... and that conviction will remain with me until my dying day.  Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

🌹 THE SANCTUARY OF ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL OF MONTE GARGANO, ITALY

Located in a grotto on a mountaintop just about a 30-minute drive from St. Padre Pio's Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, this hallowed site is worth visiting - it, too, is POWERFUL!

I'm not sure if it's because this author has a very strong devotion to St. Michael the Archangel or it's the place, itself (or maybe it's both) ... but I sensed his presence keenly in this sanctuary; the presence of other angels was also tangible, which gave me the strong impression that the Sacred Grotto is an earthly "stronghold" for the Angelic Hosts.

   

Outside & inside the Sanctuary of St. Michael

the Archangel on Mt. Gargano.

For those not familiar with the history of Mt. Gargano, it began in 490 AD when the Archangel first showed himself to the local Bishop and took possession of the site with these words:

"I am the Archangel Michael and I am

always in the presence of God.  The cave

is sacred to me.  I have chosen it."

At least three other appearances of St. Michael were reported in the Mt. Gargano Sanctuary in subsequent years, which made it a popular pilgrimage destination during the Middle Ages.  Its countless pilgrims have included many Saints (e.g. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Francis of Assisi, etc.).  If one is ever in the Puglia Region (southern peninsula) of Italy, go to Monte Gargano!  (NOTE: St. Padre Pio often made the same recommendation to his visitors.).  St. Michael the Archangel, protect us always!

🌹 THE SANCTUARY OF THE VIRGIN OF THE REVELATION OF TRE FONTANE (ROME), ITALY

And finally, I'd like to feature this very special, but little-known shrine.  Although not an officially approved apparition site, and significantly smaller than Fatima and Lourdes, this Sanctuary still makes a spiritual impact on the same level as its larger counterparts.

The Tre Fontane Sanctuary enjoys the authorization of the Church, which placed it under the administration of the Conventual Franciscans to offer Masses and provide other Sacraments to pilgrims.  Furthermore, the visionary - Bruno Cornacchiola (d. 2001), a humble street tram operator ‐ is currently being investigated for Sainthood after living a worthy Christian life since his encounter with Our Lady in the grotto.

I actually visited this shrine twice during an earlier trip to Italy in 1989, and was so touched by the spiritual presence of Our Lady, I returned there during a 2005 trip to Rome ... and with this 2024 pilgrimage, I couldn't pass up a 4th visit during the Rome segment of our itinerary.  This Sanctuary is that SPECIAL to me.

As for its history, Our Lady first appeared at the site on April 12, 1947 to Bruno and his three young children (at the time he was a hardened ex-soldier, a convert to Protestantism, and a Communist).  The seer was initially strongly anti-Catholic and Mother Mary sternly admonished him with the following words:

“I am she who is in the Divine Trinity;

the Daughter of the Father; the Mother of

the Son; and the Spouse and Temple of the

Holy Spirit. I am Virgin of the Revelation.

You persecute me: enough of it now!  Enter

into the Holy Fold (the Catholic Church),

the Heavenly Court on Earth.”

Bruno was immediately changed.  Subsequent apparitions and messages were later claimed by the visionary and many signs have occurred at the grotto, including healings.  The 'Dancing Sun' has also been witnessed and filmed during several of the apparition's April 12th anniversary celebrations.

The strikingly beautiful statue in

the place of the apparitions.

Something personally interesting that occurred this time around was ... as soon as me and my two companions from my pilgrimage group stepped onto the Sanctuary's pavement - just a few steps after getting out of our taxi - the three of us were hit by a sudden breeze accompanied by a delicate floral aroma (there were no flowers in our immediate surroundings).  It was so obvious, we all immediately remarked on the mysterious scent, which lingered for a bit before dissipating (it never returned).  It was as though our Blessed Mother was saying to us upon our arrival: "Welcome to Tre Fontane - I've been waiting for you!"

Needless to say, it turned out to be another AWESOME visit to this shrine.  In fact, my two friends who accompanied me both couldn't stop thanking me for taking them along.  So if one is ever in Rome, GO ... GO ... GO to Tre Fontane and bask in our Blessed Mother's maternal love - she is also present there in a special way!  Plus the Sanctuary is only a 15 minute drive from Rome's central city!  To learn more about Our Lady of Tre Fontane, click/tap here.

I cannot thank God and Our Lady enough for all that I saw and experienced at each of these hallowed places I visited.  The graces I received can only be adequately described with one word - PRICELESS.  With that being said, I end this first blog about my October Pilgrimage.

** To view Part II of my European Pilgrimage Blog: Saints & Relics, click/tap here.

** To view Part III of my European Pilgrimage Blog: Signs & Signal Graces, click/tap here.

More unusual images from Lourdes...

Since the pandemic lockdown began back in March 2020, I've been on YouTube alot.  One channel I visit regularly is the official Lourdes Sanctuary live webcam and I love it.  I've never been to Lourdes so viewing the webcam feels as though I have an open window in my home that overlooks the Grotto of the Apparitions - it's beautiful and I like offering my daily Rosary looking at the shrine, united with the priests and pilgrims praying there.  Plus, the immense sanctity of the place is quite tangible even through the screen.

Beginning this past March 2021, a friend who also frequently views the webcam, has observed unusual orbs or "dancing" light formations at the grotto - see here.  Recently, I started seeing them too, along with holy figures in the grotto. Interestingly, the lights are always concentrated in the main cave, around the altar, or in front of the niche where Our Lady's statue is situated.  It doesn't happen all the time but, when it does, we both find it bewildering.

Light - like balls of fire - erupt from

the altar located in the Sacred Grotto of

Lourdes (definitely NOT bugs on the

camera lense!)

At other times the sunlight will reflect off the rock in different parts of the grotto to form luminous images, which at first glance, oddly resemble the Blessed Virgin ... sometimes with a baby!  In fact, just yesterday, I saw this phenomena happen again - see the photo below.

A silhouette appears in the grotto -

behind and above the altar - resembling

the familiar figure of Our Lady covered

by her trademark veil.

And what about the image below that I recently discovered from a clip I filmed this past May 2021?  If you look behind the priest on the left, there seems to be a transparent human-like figure.  It's faint, but a somewhat golden luminosity ... and again, it's a silhouette that could reasonably be interpreted as Our Lady.

Is that the Blessed Virgin Mary in

the Holy Grotto of Apparitions?

Of course the lights and the figures seen above could simply be of natural causes and merely coincidental - "spiritual serendipity" - along with pareidolia on my part.  I don't actively look for them, but on the rare occasions when seemingly holy personages do unexpectedly show up on the webcam during my prayer time, I can't help but feel it's a spiritual treat.  It's exciting and inspires more fervent devotion.

So go on YouTube and search "Lourdes live webcam" to bring up the webcam.  While you're at it, take out your Rosary and pray!  You never know what you'll end up seeing in Our Lady's grotto ... and, even if nothing extraordinary happens, our Blessed Mother still bestows other signal favors for honoring her through her favorite prayer - click/tap here for the list of her 15 Rosary Promises, which are much, much greater graces than seeing lights in the grotto.