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| From left, Caroline and Anna Priore of St. Pius V in Cannon Falls pray at the shrine. Julie Carroll / The Catholic Spirit |
Two busloads of teens from St. Pius V in Cannon Falls pulled into the parking lot of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wis., the morning of Sept. 11.continue at The Catholic Spirit (which also happens to be the best diocesan paper I have encountered).
The sun lit up the beautiful structures and gardens nestled in the blufflands of western Wisconsin.
After their three-hour ride, the 51 seventh- through 12th-graders were antsy to get out and climb the paved path leading to the church, the shrine’s crown jewel.
The peaceful and prayerful atmosphere of the place turned their high energy into serious reflection, as the youth marveled at the scenery before them.
“It’s really beautiful,” said Anna Priore, a home-schooled high school senior who came with her sister, Caroline, a junior. “I knew something nice was going to happen,” she said on the ride home.
One of the pleasant surprises of her visit came when she learned of an altar inside the church containing a relic of her confirmation saint, Maria Goretti. “There was a beautiful painting of her, too,” Anna said. “It almost moved me to tears.”
The experience had a similar impact on Caroline, who said it confirmed her desire to be a nun someday. She watched a video on the bus ride down that mentioned a collection to build a home for contemplative sisters.
“It’s the perfect place [for such a home],” Caroline said. “I’ve always felt like I’d like to join a convent someday. . . .”
Such anecdotes are music to the ears of trip organizer Debbie Bauer, who runs the faith formation program for youth at the parish. And, no doubt, she will pass along the stories to the anonymous donor who covered the cost of the bus ride for the youth.
During a parish staff meeting, Bauer said, “we were concentrating on the Blessed Mother, and the doorbell rang. I went to the door and there was a gentleman who goes to Mass here. He gave me a check for $2,000 and said, ‘You get coach buses and you take the faith formation kids down to Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine.’
“It was holy goosebump time,” she added.