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August 2021 www.thefloridacatholic.org
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TONI PALLATTO
Florida Catholic correspondent
MIAMI Before the pandem- ic, over six million pilgrims per year visited the grotto in Lourdes, France. Last year, shut down to visitors like the rest of the world, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes was all but deserted, watched over only by the chaplains of Lourdes, offering prayers. That changed July 16, 2021, when pilgrims from around the world once again united at the French shrine. The day-long event gathered people both in-person and online to celebrate the 18th and final appari- tion of the Virgin Mary, the Immac- ulate Conception, to St. Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Kendall participated. We were asked to send in a vid- eo of Our Lady of Lourdes Miami to Lourdes France to be incorpo- rated into the worldwide video," said Msgr. Kenneth Schwanger, Our Lady of Lourdes' pastor. "I was asked to attend the event, and little did I know that we would lead off the video, which gives a detailed ac- count of our sanctuary, which was founded in 1985, and our service to all pilgrims who come to us for healing, prayer and peace." An organization called Hospital- it de Miami has flourished at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish since 2012. That's when the North American Lourdes Volunteers presented a vir- tual pilgrimage at the church and a small group of parishioners joined them on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. The momentum continued to grow, with Miami volunteers serving in Lourdes and getting to know the Hospitalits from around Europe who came and served at the annual pilgrimages of their own dioceses. Miami volunteers wanted to share that blessing with the people of Miami and have an annual Arch- diocese of Miami pilgrimage to Lourdes. In 2016, Archbishop Thomas Wenski founded the Hospitalit de Miami and in 2017, Bishop Nicolas Brouwet of Tarbes et Lourdes wel- comed the Miami group into the Hospitalit Notre Dame de Lourdes family. 2016 also marked the fifth consecutive year of pilgrimages from Miami since that first small group joined the North Ameri- can Lourdes Volunteers in France. Archbishop Wenski went on the pil- grimage in 2019. The Hospitalit de Miami is now dedicated to organizing the annual Archdiocese of Miami pilgrimage to Lourdes and to serving in the sanctuary with the Hospitalit Notre Dame de Lourdes. Their coordina- tor in France is Josephine Lathan, a dedicated "hospitalier" whose mother was miraculously cured of terminal cancer at Lourdes at the age of 49. She lived to be 95.
Lourdes France shines spotlight on Lourdes Miami
Our Lady of Lourdes' grotto was the first one featured in a worldwide event broadcast from the sanctuary in Lourdes, France, July 16, 2021, the anniversary of the final apparition of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception to St. Bernadette.
The next Archdiocese of Miami pilgrimages to Lourdes are scheduled for June 24-July 5, 2022 (reservation deadline Feb. 11, 2022), and Sept. 16-27, 2022 (reservation deadline May 13, 2022). Find out more about Hospitalit de Miami at: https:// www.hdmiami.org/ip.php?pg=Home. For more information, email msgr@ ololourdes.org.
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We are reaching out to the great- er community, encouraging them to engage with Lourdes," said Msgr. Schwanger. "It is an encounter with grace for mind, body and spirit." Hospitalit de Miami, led by Er- nesto Medina and Tim VanScoy, and Mission Mary Pilgrimages, assists parishes and dioceses with the "how-to" of Pilgrimages, led by Debra Bartkowski, to Lourdes. The experience, Msgr. Schwanger said, breathes new life into parishes for people of every age and condition. People can see the interaction of faith with God and his Church, and with that come many blessings."
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NEWS briefs
Thriving in Ministry at STU
This pastoral enrichment pro- gram for ministry leaders in South Florida will begin its third pastoral cohort August 2021 to May 2022 at St. Thomas University. It is a nation- al program funded by the Lilly En- dowment to support leaders from different Christian denominations and cultures who are embracing a call to ministry as priests, religious, deacons, pastors and lay leaders in their first 10 years of service. The university will be accepting 50 ministry leaders to be engaged in spiritual companionship, given useful resources and materials, and immersed in growth experiences that will enhance their ministries. This pastoral enrichment program is fully funded with no cost to the pastors. Applications are available at: www.stu.edu/thriving-in-min- istry. For more information, email: ThrivinginMinistry@stu.edu.
Exhibition on endangered species
The Favalora Museum and the Rev. Jorge A. Sardias Gallery at St. Thomas University will host an exhibition entitled "The Fight for Survival: Painted Tapestries of Florida Endangered Species." This three-part collection covers Man- groves: Silent Sentinels; Corals: Vi- sions of Harmony; and Birds: Wings of Hope. Inspired by the papal en- cyclical Laudato Si, the university invited Palette Knife Artists of Mi- ami to bring this vast collection of paintings of endangered species in Florida to university students and the public. A National Park Ranger has been invited to speak on open- ing day, Sept. 9 at 2:30 p.m. in the STU library. For information con- tact Isabel Medina, 305-628-6769 or imedina@stu.edu.
Cemeteries' flower shops fully open
The flower shops at both Catho- lic cemeteries, Our Lady of Mercy in Miami, and Our Lady Queen of Heaven in North Lauderdale, are now fully open once again. Op- erating hours are Monday-Satur- day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information go to www. catholiccemeteries.org.
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