MEDJUGORJE - MICKEY'S HOME...MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Monday, May 14th

Arrival to my home away from home. Mickey & his family live across the road from Nada's home. Somehow Nada's place was over-full, so a few of us made our way over to Mickey's.

Gifts waiting for us!

Margie & I were roommates for the pilgrimage, but due to a slight change at Nada's home, Kay Escobedo joined us.

My choice for my bed -- closest to the door (for fresh air, and hopefully COOL air).

Great choice for my bed (on the left) because I realized that if I laid looking out the sliding door, I could see St. James all lit up!

MEDJUGORJE - GIFT OF HOLY MASS @ ORPHANAGE!

Monday, May 14th

Continuing on our little "miracle" -- Upon arrival with the realization that Fr. Avram had not celebrated Holy Mass, Nada would call her cousin, Fr. Svet, to see if he could help us.

That presented what seemed to be a possible roadblock or problem -- Fr. Svet is typically unavailable around 7:30 pm, and it was just about that time! :-(

However, Nada was able to reach Fr. Svet! Miracle? Possibly.

We jump back onto the bus & start heading over to Father's orphanage chapel.

What a gift! Miracle?

Holy Mass was sooooooooooooooooooooooo amazing in this special chapel, at the orphanage, with the knowledge that easily Fr. Svet wouldn't have been available to grant permission & access. Having all the pilgrims here in this blessed Medjugorje, with our Holy Priest, Father Avram, this became a very spiritual beginning of our time in Medjugorje.

Padre Avram celebrating his first Holy Mass in Medjugorje!

Margie Duey

Acts 1:15-17, 20-26

Kay Hilario

Psalm 113

Padre proclaiming the Gospel

John 15:9-17

Padre Avram & Zoe Hays

Yep, I HAD to get a picture of this since this is a favorite part of mine! {big grin}

Our leaders: Dave & Zoe Hays, Father Avram, & Nada

MEDJUGORJE - ARRIVAL

Monday, May 14th

Arriving in Medjugorje and seeing St. James came brought such peace after such a long wait.

We arrived at St. James and were going to get out, but Our Blessed Mother had other plans for us.

Upon arrival the awareness that Padre hadn't celebrated Holy Mass yet that day had Nada calling her cousin, Fr. Svet, to see if there would be any possible way for Padre to celebrate Holy Mass for us. Nada explained that the local Bishop does not allow home masses in the diocese.

In the meantime... we're ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

On our way to Fr. Svet's orphanage, we see all this construction. WOW.

Even unusual colors on new construction.

It looks like the new construction is to house pilgrims.

I'd love to build a home there to house pilgrims & MY FAMILY! ;-)

Medjugorje is beautiful!

CROATIA - BUS RIDE FROM SPLIT TO MEDJUGORJE

Monday, May 14th

Being a very inexperienced world traveler, I had my preconceived ideas of what Croatia would look like. In the picture below, I was surprised that Croatia looked THAT GOOD....

I guess compared to what I experienced for the first time ever last year in Guatemala with true extreme poverty, my expectations were way off. The picture above looked pretty darn good to me!

WOW...Split, Croatia is looking waaaaay nicer that I ever imagined.

It is a larger city, but still beautiful.

Gorgeous!

Beautiful. I think I could live here!

Oh, my, I could definitely live here!

The Adriatic Sea is truly beautiful!

I LOVE WATER!

What a treat the gorgeous scenery was for our 3+ hour bus ride to Medjugorje.

The realization of being on a pilgrimage STARTED to become obvious about now - We were about half way to Medjugorje and stopped to use the WC (water closets, aka restrooms, tee hee hee) and we were asked to go FAST, get back in the bus FAST.

Fast would soon become a "suggestion" we would get used to hearing! {big giggles}

But we only had so much time, so thankfully the planned pilgrimage made the most out of our time! Thank you, Nada!

Mike going fast back onto the bus!

Padre with Brac, Croatia, in the background. This is where his grandmother lived a long time ago & he will visit in about a week to research family history!

CROATIA - FLIGHT PICTURES SOOOO BEAUTIFUL!

Monday, May 14th

Padre took these photos while flying into Croatia. His family was from the island Brac. What gorgeous countryside!!!

PARIS - SMART CARS & INTERNET

Monday, May 14th

These Smart Cars are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo tiny!

Padre standing by the Smart Car shows how small these cars are.

I would've loved driving one of these little zippy cars!!!

Padre, Margie, & I ran to get on the Internet before flying to Croatia. This would be Padre's last time getting his email due to a computer glitch back in the states...think that was a "God-incidence" that he wasn't supposed to work???

PARIS - EIFFEL TOWER

Sunday, May 13th

Our tour bus stopped at the Eiffel Tower for about 15 minutes,

well maybe 20 minutes :0)

I was amazed at the "control" of the officers -- no parking meant no parking & they meant it! Beggars were run off quickly & there was no tolerance. WOW. They meant business.

On a much lighter note, it was HERE that I realized

I LOVE THE COFFEE & CREPES W/ NUTELLA!!!

Liz (duh), Padre Avram, & Margie, my new bestest friend & the BEST roommate possible for my time away from my family!

We RAN off the bus to get COFFEE and to grab something to eat -- those that know me, know I NEED coffee, plus we'd just flown all night from SF to Paris & jumped onto the bus for the tour. We found a little stand and got some of the best coffee along with crepes with Nutella... YUMMY!!!

Margie shared that amazingly enough, she had been in Paris 12 years to the day, having crepes w/ Nutella with her son & his new wife for their honeymoon! What are the odds that 12 years later exactly she would be there AGAIN eating crepes w/ Nutella? God has such a sense of humor!!! (I like to call those little coincidences "God-incidences" that make us giggle when we get a little glimpse of the tapestry God is weaving bringing people and events into our lives in "funny" ways)

Dave Hays (half way cut out of the picture, sorry!), Kay Neidlinger, Jim Katen, Kay Escobedo, Father Avram

PARIS - ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Sunday, May 13th

St. Vincent de Paul

PARIS - HOLY MASS @ MIRACULOUS MEDAL CHAPEL

Sunday, May 13th

What a way to start our 14-day pilgrimage --

Holy Mass celebrated @

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal!

HOW TRULY BEAUTIFUL!!

WOW...What a sight for sore eyes!

Such a beautiful chapel.

Such history.

So many prayers!!

Such Holy Ground!!

Kay Hilario

Kay Neidlinger

Father Avram

Dave Hays graciously serving Father Avram

Padre Avram, thank you for celebrating Holy Mass in such a special place!

I don't believe I will ever forget this gracious gift!

Times like these remind us how truly blessed we are to celebrate our Catholic faith!

Participating in Holy Mass with Padre Avram celebrating on such Holy Grounds was more than I ever expected for our first day of the pilgrimage.

PARIS - INCORRUPT BODIES! ST. CATHERINE LABOURE @ ST. LOUISE DE MARILLAC

INCORRUPT!!!

St. Catherine Laboure

St. Catherine was a Marian visionary who claimed to have relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the Miraculous Medal worn by millions of Catholics and even non-Catholics today. Exhumed in 1933, her body was found incorrupt, and it now lies in a glass coffin at the side altar of 140 Rue de Bac, Paris, one of the spots where the Blessed Mother appeared to her. Many visitors comment on Catherine's lovely blue eyes. She was canonized on July 27, 1947, by Pope Pius XII.

For more info on St. Catherine, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Labour%C3%A9

St. Louise de Marillac

St. Louise de Marillac (also known as Louise de Marillac Le Gras) was a French nun and is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. After a time of increasing weakness and ill health, Louise de Marillac died on 15th March 1660, six months before the death of her great friend and mentor Vincent de Paul.

It is said that her body remains incorrupt, and it remains on display in the chapel of the mother house of the Daughters of Charity in Paris to this day.

Louise was positive and exuberant in her energy, always urging her Sisters to do more and do it well. But along with the activity, she also preached love. Nearing her death, she wrote to her Sisters: "Take good care of the service of the poor. Above all, live together in great union and cordiality, loving one another in imitation of the union and life of Our Lord. Pray earnestly to the Blessed Virgin, that she might be your only Mother."

PARIS - MIRACULOUS MEDAL CHAPEL

Sunday, May 13th

We were told just days before leaving California, that Father Avram would be celebrating Holy Mass at the chapel of St. Catherine Laboure - Miraculous Medal Chapel, Paris France.

This was very blessed news to know we would be on such HOLY GROUND

to begin our PEACE PILGRIMAGE!

We were told that Father Avram would be celebrating Holy Mass @ 2 pm --

BUT (look closely at the sign below)...

A Sister (or two) answered the door and politely pointed to the sign above -- 14h30 (2:30 pm)

And with the way that only Sisters can do,

you knew without a doubt that door was

NOT opening until 2:30 pm

Why waste time waiting???

Padre takes advantage of the time and begins teaching the pilgrims about the

Miraculous Medal, St. Catherine Laboure, etc.

Jeanne enjoying the teaching outside the chapel door.

FYI we're positive we're Kearns cousins!

Padre meets up with Franciscans from Steubenville, Ohio, his Alma Mater.

Not surprising, Padre & the students knew someone in common -- Redding's own Dan Godnick!

THAT'S AAAAAAAWSOME!

SAN FRANCISCO - LEAVING ON A JET PLANE...

We're leaving on a jet plane...
But we do know when we'll be back again...

Here's a bunch of the pilgrimage group ready & waiting at the San Francisco Airport on our way to Paris!

Denny, Sandy, Ike, & Mary...

Kay & Mike killing time til we fly away!

Padre Avram, our fearless leader, praying his Liturgy of the Hours before flying... Possibly he was praying that the 30 pilgrims wouldn't drive him crazy on our 14-day pilgrimage?? :0)



What a blessing for us to have a father & son team on the trip! Andrew was such a trooper putting up with all of us -- uhmmm...older people...

Had to get a photo of Vince on the plane...couldn't have been that he found it amusing to tease us??? Nah!

Our Paris flight attendant...HE LOOKS LIKE FRODO!!