Shrine to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

COME TO THE FOOT OF THIS ALTAR, HERE GRACES WILL BE SHOWERED ON ALL

This greets the pilgrims' eyes as they near the altar of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.  The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal resides in St. Mary's of the Barrens church in Perryville, MO.  I was planning on attending the Crowning of Mary that happened on May 5th, but the threat of flooding in my area deterred me from making the trip.  I have visited the shrine twice and each time have been blessed to discover something that I passed up the time before.

The first time I visited the shrine was in the fall of 2010 and I had plenty of time to take in the tour, the grounds and the gift shop.

As you enter the church you are greeted by the breath taking beauty of the hand painted depiction of The Assumption as well as many other paintings depicting the history of St. Mary's of the Barrens church.

The jewel of the church is the altar of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which resides in a side chapel on the right side of the church.  The first time I saw this altar, I wept at its simplistic beauty.

It is made to resemble the front of the Miraculous Medal and it is here that pilgrims can acquire a blessed Miraculous Medal for a goodwill donation.  When one kneels before the altar and looks up you will see the depiction of St. Catherine of Laboure passing out Miraculous Medals to the people of Paris.

To the right of the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal altar is a side room, which houses the votive chapel.  Because the shrine is flooded with petitions for prayer, the votives are now electric lights so that more prayers can be represented.  I walked into the room and was blown away by the number of lights in the room.  "This is what prayer looks like." I whispered to my fellow pilgrim.  "This is what a small portion of prayer looks like." He corrected.

 These are just a few pictures of the inside of St. Mary's of the Barrens church.  For a virtual tour of the church check out the official website of the Association of the Miraculous Medal

On the shrine's grounds, you will find "Bishop Rosati's Log Cabin"

You will also find the grotto where the Crowning of Mary usually happens in the month of May.

If you are looking for a pilgrimage that will be historical and prayerful, I highly suggest visiting the National Shrine to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, MO. 

May you be blessed with the graces that Our Blessed Mother wants to shower us all with if only we come to her and ask.

Saints Peter and Paul in Naperville, IL

This is not a shrine but it is a beautiful place to pray.  Saints Peter and Paul parish is lively and very active at providing food for its parishioners-spiritual food.

24 hour Eucharistic Adoration happens in the St. Francis Adoration Chapel.  Members of the theater troupe took advantage of spending time with Our Lord the last time we visited Naperville, IL.

Here are a few pictures of the exterior of Saints Peter and Paul parish...

 For the best interior shots, check out the parish's 360 virtual tour which comes close to capturing the beauty that lies inside the church.

Chicago is known for their deep dish pizza.  The suburbs do a great job of bringing "Chicago style pizza" to their pizzerias.  We had pizza at a fairly new pizzeria in town Riverwalk Pizza.

They do more carry out business than sit down, but they have a couple of tables for dine-in.  The staff was very patient with this hungry and rowdy group of actors.

Fatima Family Shrine in Alexandria, South Dakota

I have been to South Dakota 7 times in my life, once on a family vacation to the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse.  The other 6 times have been on the east side of the state with the nearest tourist attraction being the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.

I had the privilege to be at the Marian Congress at the Fatima Family Shrine in Alexandria, South Dakota during Corpus Christi.  Alexandria is 14 miles east of Mitchell.  The shrine is a very prayerful place, but the addition of a evening mass followed by a candle light procession made the place very contemplative.

Fr. Robert J. Fox founded the shrine and is responsible for starting the Marian Congress.  Fr. Fox took very detailed notes on how the Marian Congress was to be run and what it should include.  In honor of the Marian Congress's 25th Anniversary, Fr. Jerome Ranek followed his predecessor's notes.  At each candle light procession, the way was led by a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

At the end of the candlelight procession, we sang Farewell to Fatima as pilgrims waved handkerchiefs at the statue which is apparently part of the tradition in Fatima where the apparitions of Our Lady were seen.

Even if a Marian Congress is not going on, pilgrims to South Dakota should stop by the shrine for a time of prayer and reflection.  Here are some of the things you will see...

Inside the Holy Family Chapel

Shrine to 20th Century Martyrs and Witness to The Faith

Our Lady of Guadalope

Angel of the Family

Inside St. Mary of Mercy Church the beauty continues.  I have been in the church 3 different times and each time I am in awe of the Stations of the Cross and the Angels near the alter.  I will have to go back since I do not have any pictures of these. 

Because of its location next to the Fatima Family Shrine, St. Mary of Mercy also has paintings, relics and a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

After you have fed your soul at the shrine, here are a couple of places in Alexandria where you can feed your appetite.

Food For Thought

This past February, the troupe ate at Rookie's.  I had a burger and frips, which are homemade fried chips.  The service was friendly and fast.

Our troupe at Rookie's with South Dakotans

We have also eaten at Joe's Restaurant, which is on the outskirts of Alexandria.  Joe's offers a fun atmosphere with its animal head decor, diner menu and friendly staff.  I enjoyed their french toast and coffee.  Their pizza burger is okay, but I was disappointed that fries were not included with my order.

Onward to the next destination...St. Christopher, pray for us!