After a traumatic incident, I found myself looking to get to Lourdes – a place not on the original bucket list. The first morning, I found myself sad and lost in the cold late rainy winter. In the off-season, it can be challenging to find the right church/chapel for English mass. Finally guided in the right direction by a helpful French Father, I met Sr. Agnes.

Growing up Catholic in the Philippines, we had traditional family rosary crusades in our neighborhood. It is when the image of our Lady is passed from house to house and when the image is staying at your house for three nights, we pray the rosary, light candles and put flowers on the altar to honor our blessed Mother.

During my trip to Lourdes, there were many aspects of the experience that I was looking forward to. However, one that was originally low on my radar ended up being one of the most impactful … the nightly procession.