Next in our journey takes us down the road to a small town in NW Ohio called Genoa and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. See the story of Lourdes below.
This church’s statue of Our Lady of Lourdes is beautiful. Her words over the altar a command and heartfelt request of our Lady.
Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard when we came to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, so we were unable to visit the grotto.
Over the altar – “Quodcumque dixerit vobis, facite.” “Whatever He tells you, that you shall do.”
The Blessed Virgin appeared to a poor, fourteen-year-old girl, Bernadette Soubiroux. The first apparition at Lourdes occurred 11 February, 1858. There were eighteen in all; the last took place 16 July, of the same year. Bernadette often fell into an ecstasy. The mysterious vision she saw in the hollow of the rock Massabielle was that of a young and beautiful lady. “Lovelier than I have ever seen” said the child. But the girl was the only one who saw the vision, although sometimes many stood there with her. Now and then the apparition spoke to the seer who also was the only one who heard the voice. Thus, she one day told her to drink of a mysterious fountain, in the grotto itself, the existence of which was unknown, and of which there was no sign, but which immediately gushed forth. Our Lady declared to hound Bernadette when asked her name, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This was a dogma known since the first days of the Church but only recently decreed.
Most holy Mother, you are the Immaculate Conception, God’s most precious treasure and His singular delight. To your intercession and mediation I entrust my life. Take me to your Son and pour forth His grace upon me and upon the whole world. I entrust to you every care, concern, confusion, struggle, and cross. I turn to you for every grace of faith, hope, and love from Heaven, so that I can become more fully conformed to the image of your Son Who alone is the Savior of the World. Mother Mary, the Immaculate Conception, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.