2025 Will be a Jubilee Year……here’s what to expect
It’s been announced that the year 2025 will be a Jubilee Year (also known as a “holy year,”). An ordinary Jubilee Year is a special year in the life of the church that is only celebrated every 25 years.
Jubilee years have been held on regular intervals in the Catholic church since 1300, but they trace their roots back to the Jewish tradition of marking a jubilee year every 50 years.
According to the Vatican website for the jubilee, these years in Jewish history were “intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields.”
The most recent ordinary jubilee was in 2000; however, Pope Francis called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015-2016.
The theme of the Holy Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The papal bull, issued May 9, 2024 that introduced the coming Jubilee Year is titled “Spes Non Confundit,” or “Hope does not disappoint,” drawn from Romans 5:5. “Everyone knows what it is to hope,” Pope Francis wrote. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.we expect that Italy will be high on everyone’s list of destinations.
Jubilee 2025 opened Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024 at 7 p.m. with the rite of the opening of the Holy Door at Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican immediately before Pope Francis celebrated midnight Mass.
Holy Doors will also be opened at Rome’s three other major basilicas:
A Holy Door was also opened December 26 at Rebibbia Prison, a Roman prison Pope Francis has visited twice before to celebrate Mass …… and wash inmates’ feet on Holy Thursday.
The doors represent the passage to salvation Jesus opened to humanity. In 1423, Pope Martin V opened the Holy Door in the Basilica of St. John Lateran — the Diocese of Rome’s cathedral — for the first time for a jubilee. For the Holy Year of 1500, Pope Alexander VI opened Holy Doors at Rome’s four main basilicas. At the end of a holy year, the Holy Doors are formally closed and then bricked over.
We expect even larger crowds than normally, but don’t let that deter you. If you are considering going to Italy for the Holy Year 2025, as we are, there are some things that will help prepare you for the experience and make your trip enjoyable. Whether traveling individually or with a group, planning ahead can make any trip more enjoyable.
One of the best things about Advent and Christmas is discovering the many varied traditions that families have passed down through the generations. When you travel….whether locally or abroad….you will often find traditions that have endured for centuries.
One of these traditions is the “Christmas nail”. Supposedly resembling the nails used to attach Jesus to the cross, it is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas….that the birth of Christ was subsequently followed by His crucifixion and then His resurrection.
It is fitting that the nail is placed on a tree….since He was crucified by hanging Him on a tree.
Many families put the Christmas nail near the center of the tree, to remind them that Christ should be at the center of their lives. It is a great way to bring Christ back in to Christmas.
The plight of Christians in the Holy Land….especially in Gaza, is dire. The following article is courtesy of Vatican News Service:
As the Holy Land marked a grim first anniversary Oct. 7 of the Hamas attack on southern Israeli communities and subsequent Israel-Hamas war that has devastated the Gaza Strip, the papal almoner raised $35,000 in one afternoon from delegates to the Synod on Synodality and immediately sent it to Holy Family Parish in Gaza City.
“In addition to $35,000 donated by synodal delegates in one day, the Holy Father topped the sum with additional $32,000 and that same night the money was sent to the nunciature in Jerusalem,” Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, told OSV News.
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He asked synod members in Rome to give alms after their synodal session Oct. 7, a day of prayer, fasting and penance for peace in the Holy Land. Almsgiving “must make us suffer, must hurt us, because we give up what belongs to us in order to give to our neighbor who is in need or even about to die,” he said.
All funds collected in a “big, huge” basket in front of the synod hall were sent through the papal embassy in Jerusalem to Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest at Holy Family Parish, “whom the pope calls every day at 4 p.m.,” Cardinal Krajewski said.
photo/courtesy Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
Father Romanelli gathered the parish children that night to thank synod delegates for their generosity. In a video obtained by OSV News, he said that “with a little group” of children, representing over 500 people sheltering in the parish premises, he wanted to “thank the Holy Father, Pope Francis, the synodal fathers, for all you did to help, through the almoner, Cardinal Konrad.” Father Romanelli was thankful for the “prayer, closeness and concrete help” because “everyone needs everything” in Gaza, he said in the video.
Cardinal Krajewski said he played the video to synod delegates Oct. 8 and they were “very moved,” seeing over 30 children and some parents with Father Romanelli in the middle, surrounded by his flock.
During an Oct. 7 Mass accompanied by recitation of the rosary and vespers for peace in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said in Jerusalem’s pro-cathedral that “what has happened and is happening in Gaza leaves us stunned and beyond understanding.”
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But as “on one hand diplomacy, politics, multilateral institutions and the international community have shown all their weakness,” the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem said. “On the other, we have also been supported.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa stressed that “the Holy Father has repeatedly called on all parties involved to stop this drift, but he has also expressed human solidarity with our community in Gaza in concrete ways and has also given them concrete support.”
Cardinal Krajewski told OSV News that “in the Gospel there is no ‘I’ll help tomorrow’ — in the Gospel there is a ‘now,’ there is an urgency to help, and that’s exactly what needed to happen on Oct. 7,” he stressed. “They need our support now, not tomorrow,” he said, expressing happiness that the basket “filled up quickly” and he could send the funds to Jerusalem “that same evening.”
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Pope Francis sent a letter to Catholics in the Middle East on Oct. 7, the day “the fuse of hatred was lit,” something that “did not sputter, but exploded in a spiral of violence.” Christians who decided to remain in the land “of which the Scriptures speak most often,” he said, are “sprouts of hope.” The pope thanked them for “wanting to remain in your lands” and “being able to pray and love despite everything.”
The pontiff told Catholics living through difficulties of war in the region that “the light of faith leads you to testify to love amid words of hatred, to encounter amid growing confrontation, to unity amid increasing hostility.”
“Pope Francis remembers about Gaza Christians every day. He calls every day but also, as we can see by this fundraiser, sends concrete help,” Cardinal Krajewski said.
“This is the position of the church — we don’t leave anyone behind — and even if we can’t be there physically, we are close and want to show it in every possible way,” the papal almoner said.
Amid the horrors of Hamas attack that saw 1,200 Israelis killed on Oct. 7 and 250 taken hostage and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war that to date has left over 42,000 Palestinians dead in the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza Health Ministry, Cardinal Pizzaballa said that “in such dramatic context, let us face it: This year has put our faith in a test. It is not easy to live in faith during these hard times.”
“The words ‘hope’, ‘peace’, ‘coexistence’ seem to us to be theoretical and far from reality. … But it is exactly here that our Christian faith must find a visible expression,” he said.
“We are called to think beyond the logic calculations, we cannot stop only at human reflections that trap us in our grief, without opening perspectives,” he said. “We are called to read these challenges in the light of the Word of God, a Word that accompanies and widen our hearts. And we have to continue doing so.”
The patriarch concluded, “In this time when violence seems to be the only language, we will continue to speak of and believe in forgiveness and reconciliation.
We present the following for your discernment. It will make some happy and others angry (just check social media to see how true that is)….such are the emotions surrounding the reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the assent of Pope Francis, grants approval for devotion linked to Medjugorje, recognizing the abundant spiritual fruits received at the Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace without making a declaration on the supernatural character of the Marian apparitions.
Here is the latest statement on the reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, (courtesy Vatican News Service):
“The time has come to conclude a long and complex history that has surrounded the spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje. It is a history in which bishops, theologians, commissions, and analysts have expressed a series of divergent opinions.”
Beginning with the words “The Queen of Peace,” the Note about the Spiritual Experience connected with Medjugorje was signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and Monsignor Armando Matteo, respectively Prefect and Secretary for the Doctrinal Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Pope Francis approved the Note on August 28. It recognizes the goodness of the spiritual fruits linked to Medjugorje, authorizing the faithful to adhere to it – according to the new Norms for discerning these phenomena – since “many positive fruits have been noted in the midst of a spiritual experience, while negative and dangerous effects have not spread among the People of God.”
The overall judgment of the messages is generally positive, though several clarifications are offered regarding certain expressions. “It is important to clarify from the outset that the conclusions of this Note do not imply a judgment about the moral life of the alleged visionaries,” and, in any case, the spiritual gifts “do not necessarily require those involved to have moral perfection.”
Positive fruits
The places linked to the Medjugorje phenomenon have become pilgrimage destinations for people from around the world.
“The positive fruits are most evident in the promotion of a healthy practice of a life of faith, in accordance with the tradition of the Church,” reads the Note.
It recognizes “abundant conversions” of people who have discovered or rediscovered their faith, many people have returned to confession and sacramental communion, and numerous vocations have been confirmed, as well as “many reconciliations between spouses, and the renewal of marriage and family life.”
“It should be noted,” adds the Note, “that such experiences occur above all in the context of pilgrimages to the places associated with the original events rather than in meetings with the ‘visionaries’ to be present for the alleged apparitions.”
“Numerous healings” have also been reported. The parish of the small town in Herzegovina has grown into a place of worship, prayer, seminars, spiritual retreats, youth gatherings. “People seem to visit Medjugorje mainly to renew their faith rather than to seek help with specific requests,” says the Note.
Charitable works have also emerged, including the care of orphans, drug addicts, and people with disabilities, and the Note points to the presence of Orthodox Christian groups and Muslims at the Sanctuary.
The message of peace
The Dicastery’s Note continues by examining the central aspects of the messages, starting with that of peace understood not only as the absence of war but also in a spiritual, familial, and social sense. The most original title that Mary attributes to herself is indeed “Queen of Peace.”
“I have presented myself here as the Queen of Peace to tell everyone that peace is necessary for the salvation of the world. Only in God can you find true joy, which is the source of true peace. Therefore, I ask for conversion” (June 16, 1983).
This peace is the fruit of lived charity, which “also implies a love for those who are not Catholic,” an aspect better understood “in the ecumenical and interreligious context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been marked by a terrible war with strong religious components.”
God at the center
There is a frequent invitation to confident abandonment to God who is love: “We can see a nucleus of messages in which Our Lady does not place herself at the center but shows herself to be fully directed toward our union with God.”
Furthermore, “the intercession and work of Mary are shown to be clearly subordinate to Jesus Christ, who is the author of grace and salvation for every person.”
Mary intercedes, but it is Christ who “gives the strength. Therefore, her whole maternal work consists in motivating us to turn to Christ.”
“He will give you strength and joy in this time. I am close to you with my intercession” (November 25, 1993).
Additionally, many messages invite the faithful to recognize the importance of seeking the help of the Holy Spirit: “People are wrong when they turn solely to the saints to ask for something. The important thing is to pray to the Holy Spirit to descend upon you. When you have him, you have everything” (October 21, 1983).
Call to conversion
The messages also contain “constant call to abandon a worldly lifestyle and excessive attachment to worldly goods appears in the messages, along with frequent calls for conversion, which makes true peace in the world possible.”
Conversion seems to be the focal point of the Medjugorje message. There is also “an insistent exhortation not to underestimate the gravity of evil and sin, and to take very seriously God’s call to fight against evil and the influence of Satan,” indicated as the origin of hatred, violence, and division.
Prayer and fasting are also essential to the message of Medjugorje, as well as the centrality of the Mass, the importance of fraternal communion, and the search for the ultimate meaning of existence in eternal life.
Necessary clarifications
The phrase nihil obstat means “nothing stands in the way.”
For example, that the faithful are free to believe in a certain spiritual phenomenon, or when it comes to written material, that nothing stands in the way for a book to be read or printed, or that a holy soul’s Cause may proceed toward canonization. The nihil obstat is often the Church’s highest form of approval giving the faithful the security in knowing that, whatever the object of its writ, it does not contradict Sacred Tradition. Even private revelation that has received a nihil obstat and imprimatur does not necessarily mean a declaration of supernaturality.
The second part of the Note emphasizes how “a few” messages deviate from the content listed so far.
“To prevent this treasure of Medjugorje from being compromised, it is necessary to clarify possible points of confusion that can lead some small groups to distort the valuable proposition of this spiritual experience”.
If some messages are read partially, they may appear connected to “confused human experiences, theologically inaccurate expressions, or interests that are not entirely legitimate,” even if some errors may not be “not due to bad intentions, but to the subjective perception of the phenomenon.”
“In some cases, Our Lady seems to show some irritation because some of her instructions were not followed. So, she warns about threatening signs and the possibility of no longer appearing“.
However, other messages offer a correct interpretation: “Those who make catastrophic predictions are false prophets. They say, ‘In such a year, on such a day, there will be a catastrophe.’ I have always said that chastisement will come if the world does not convert. Therefore, I call everyone to conversion. Everything depends on your conversion” (December 15, 1983).
Insistence on messages
Other messages destined for the local parish sometimes seem as if Mary is seeking to control details of the spiritual and pastoral journey, “giving the impression that she wants to substitute herself for the ordinary parish structures meant for participation.”
At other times, Mary insists that everyone listen to and accept her messages, likely provoked by “the love and generous fervor of the alleged visionaries who, with goodwill, feared that the Blessed Mother’s calls for conversion and peace would be ignored.”
This insistence becomes more problematic when the messages “refer to requests that are unlikely to be of supernatural origin, such as when Our Lady gives orders about dates, places, and practicalities and when she makes decisions about ordinary matters.”
In reality, Mary herself relativizes such messages by subordinating them to the value of the Word revealed in Scripture: “Do not go in search of extraordinary things. Instead, take the Gospel, read it, and everything will be clear to you” (November 12, 1982); “Why do you ask so many questions? Every answer is in the Gospel” (September 19, 1981); “Do not believe the lying voices that speak to you about false things, a false light. You, my children, return to Scripture!” (February 2, 2018).
Synthesis of the Gospel
The Note says some messages are problematic when they attribute expressions like “my plan” and “my project” to Mary, expressions that “might create some confusion.”
“In reality, everything Mary accomplishes is always at the service of the Lord’s plan and His divine plan of salvation,” it says, adding that Christians must never “attribute to Mary a place that belongs uniquely and exclusively to the Son of God made man.”
Instead, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasizes a message that can be considered a synthesis of the Gospel proposal through Medjugorje: “I desire to draw you ever closer to Jesus and his wounded heart” (November 25, 1991).
Authorization of public worship
“While this does not imply a declaration of the supernatural character of the phenomenon in question (cf. Norms, art. 22, §2), and recalling that the faithful are not obliged to believe in it, the nihil obstat [issued by the Bishop of Mostar-Duvno in agreement with the Holy See, ed.] indicates that the faithful can receive a positive encouragement for their Christian life through this spiritual proposal and it authorizes public acts of devotion.”
The Note clarifies that “the positive assessment that most of the messages of Medjugorje are edifying does not imply a declaration that they have a direct supernatural origin.”
Even though there are – as is known – various opinions “about the authenticity of some facts or certain aspects of this spiritual experience, the ecclesiastical authorities of the places where it is present are invited to ‘appreciate the pastoral value of this spiritual proposal, and even to promote its spread’.”
However, adds the Note, each diocesan bishop has the freedom and authority to make prudent decisions regarding “groups or persons who, by misusing this spiritual phenomenon, act in a mistaken way” in his own diocese.
Finally, the Dicastery invites pilgrims who visit Medjugorje “to be strongly advised that pilgrimages are not made to meet with alleged visionaries but to have an encounter with Mary, the Queen of Peace.”
Editor’s Note: While we recognize the need for the Church to exercise caution when it comes to reported apparitions, this really seems to us to be “straddling the fence” a bit too much. This announcement will not, of course, please either the proponents or the opponents of the reported apparitions in Medjugorje. In any case, it will at least dispel rumors that the apparitions in Medjugorje have been condemned by the church….something which some critics seem to imply.
For us, we certainly agree that there are many fruits that have come from Medjugorje: vocations, conversions and reneweal of faith.
On Thursday, September 19, 2024, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, will host a press conference at the Vatican, focusing on the “spiritual experience” of Medjugorje.
Although further specifics about the press conference have not been revealed, it is taking place within the context of the new “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena,” released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in May. Since the publication of these norms, the Vatican has addressed various alleged Marian apparitions, offering guidance on discerning their authenticity and spiritual impact.
This much-anticipated event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Rome time and is expected to offer valuable insight into the Church’s ongoing discernment of the reported Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Monsignor Armando Matteo, the secretary to the dicastery’s Doctrinal Section, and Andrea Tornielli, the editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication. will participate in the conferrence. Vatican News Service will broadcast the conference live on its YouTube page.
The Stigmatists: their Gifts, their Revelations, their Warnings:
Over many centuries there have been incidents of people receiving the “Stigmata”….the wounds of Christ. It is something a bit difficult for the modern mind to accept…even among Catholics. Accepting the supernatural always brings the fear that perhaps we are being deceived….those claiming the stigmata might be charlatans. And we would feel like fools for believing them and then find out that they were false.
“The Stigmastists” by author Paul Kengor tells the story of many of these people….some well-known such as Saint Padre Pio or Saint Catherine of Siena; and others less well-known or perhaps barely known at all, such as Blessed Elena Aiello (haven’t heard of her? Well, neither had we). She was a 20th century stigmatist (she died in 1961, just six years before the death of Padre Pio) and her story as told in the book is fascinating…we won’t elaborate….just get the book and read it for yourself.
Visions, Revelations and Warnings are the underlying stories of the stigmatists…who were often given the option to accept the stigmata or refuse it. Not an easy choice to make, you would imagine, since the outward…and inward…pain could be intense. This is to say nothing of the un-wanted notoriety that came with the stigmata.
“The Stigmatists” is well-researched. The many references to various sources show that Dr. Kengor has taken pains to verify these stories and provide these resources for further research. To us, this is one of the characteristics of good authorship. It certainly helps to validate the contents of the book. Likewise, the index is well-organized, making it easy for a reader to look up certain persons or events.
You probably won’t read “The Sigmatists” all in one sitting…..each story is unique and complete. It is a great book to have handy when you want to read something akin to a “short story” but with greater meaning than mere fiction. Of course, some of those stories might keep you up at night…so maybe not the best bed-time reading!
The book is published by TAN books and can be ordered through our online store.
Statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in Iglesia de la Vera Cruz,Salamanca, Spain
The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, one of many titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she suffered alongside Christ during his passion. This title is derived from Simeon’s prophecy during Jesus’ presentation at the Temple in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2.
“As the child’s father and mother were wondering at the things that were being said about him, 34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce your soul”
During September, Catholics can pray the Seven Sorrows Rosary, meditating on the pains of Jesus through the eyes of Our Lady. This devotion dates back to the 14th century when the Blessed Virgin Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, appeared to Saint Bridget of Sweden and revealed this rosary prayer to her. It is prayed similarly to the rosary, but instead of meditating on five mysteries, you meditate on the seven sorrows. And instead of praying 10 Hail Marys in between each mystery, you pray seven Hail Marys in between each sorrow.
The Seven Sorrows of Mary:
The First Sorrow: When Mary and Joseph present the infant Jesus in the temple, Simeon predicts that a “sword” (of sorrow) will pierce Mary’s soul.
The Second Sorrow: The flight into Egypt When King Herod orders the death of all male children age two or younger, Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt with the infant Jesus.
The Third Sorrow: The Child Jesus Lost in the Temple
The Fourth Sorrow: Mary meets Jesus carrying the cross
The Fifth Sorrow: Mary at the foot of the cross
The Sixth Sorrow: Mary receives the body of Jesus
The Seventh Sorrow: Mary witnesses the burial of Jesus
When Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the foundress of The Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles, died on May 29, 2019 at age 95, her body was not embalmed and was placed in a simple wooden coffin to be buried in the convent where she lived.
Recently, it was decided to move her body into the chapel of the convent. When the body was exhumed and the coffin opened, it was discovered that there was a crack in the wooden casket that had allowed dirt and moisture into the coffin, which would have accelerated any decomposition. Despite this, her body had not decayed as expected and appeared to be relatively intact. In addition, her habit, which she so zealously fought for, was completely preserved, while the lining of the coffin had deteriorated and was gone.
The nuns created a wax mask for Sister Wilhelmina’s face and also coated her hands with wax, the story said. Her body was displayed in the chapel at the Abbey of Ephesus in Gower, Missouri until May 29, 2024. After that, her body was encased in glass in the chapel and remains there today.
We are not in a position to say that the body is incorrupt….nor are the Sisters. The local ordinary, Bishop Vann Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, visited the monastery to see Sister Wilhelmina’s remains. Johnston issued a statement the same day, saying that a “thorough investigation” was needed to answer “important questions” raised by the state of her body More investigation will be required before that can be decided.
You can read the latest statement from the Bishop here.
You can find an email that was recently sent out by the Sisters of The Benedictines of Mary Queen of Apostles explaining the recent events here.
Here is a video with Reverend Mother of the Order describing the unearthing of the body.
Visitors viewing the body of Sister Wilhelmina (photo courtesy Alex Simone | News-Press NOW)
Huge crowds came to see her body while it was still open for visitors to see and touch. Now, her body has been placed in a glass case but can still be viewed.
As you can imagine, this has created an influx of visitors to the Abbey….and, in fact, the Sisters are no longer taking phone calls since it interferes with their spiritual life.
If you do plan a visit to view the body of Sister Wilhelmina in Gower, Missouri, please be aware of the following;
1. There is a dress code in their chapel; Marian modesty: Women must wear sleeves, a veil, and a dress below the knees or lose fitting pants when they visit. Veils, skirts, and shawls can be borrowed. Men also need sleeves.
2. DO NOT TALK. Not at all.
3. You are in their home. Be aware of that. They are VERY hospitable, and won’t complain if you violate things, but please be respectful.
It is always wonderful to hear stories like this from group leaders and pilgrims when traveling with Select International Tours.
Michelle and Gus Lloyd walked the Camino de Santiago with a group of 26 pilgrims in August of 2019. If you have any doubt how much a pilgrimage like this can impact a person, we invite you to read Michelle’s letter to her Doctor:
September 5, 2019
Dear Dr. Lyons,
Hello! I hope this letter finds you well. I just wanted to reach out to you to share a recent adventure I was part of. First, a little back story. Last August, my husband, Gus was able to begin a bucket list trip with about 25 other people of walking the first half of the Camino de Santiago, a 480 mile walk that has many routes to get to the final destination of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Not sure if you are familiar with it, but about 10 years ago the movie “The Way” came out about it and there are many others as well, but if you are at all curious, I would recommend watching “I’ll Push You” as it is a very inspirational story of two friends who do the Camino together and one of them is a quadriplegic.
In 2013, I came to see you and scheduled my first total knee replacement but I ended up cancelling the surgery because we decided to move and I didn’t have time to deal with it then. Funny fact, the night before that surgery was supposed to take place, I saw you at Lowe’s in Carrollwood in the carpet department. Eventually, my pain got so bad that I didn’t want to get up off the couch to do anything because it hurt so badly with each step I took, so I decided to look into stem cells procedures after a friend of mine shared a Facebook ad with me. I felt like I really got my confirmation to go forward with that at church the Sunday before I began the procedures when I heard this scripture from Hebrews 12: 12-13 for the first time that said. “So strengthen your drooping hands and week knees. Make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be disjointed, but HEALED”.
Sounds like a confirmation, right?? So I did the procedures twice on both knees but I never found the relief that I need to have an active life. So my husband started hounding me and asking our friend who lives in Kansas that is also an Orthopedic Surgeon to talk to me to try and convince me to just go ahead and bite the bullet and do the surgery. Honestly, my husband was ticking me off but I know now that he just couldn’t stand seeing the person he loved be in so much pain anymore and just wanted to try to help me find the answer I needed to get my life back So, unbeknownst to him, I had made an appointment to see you and scheduled my first total knee replacement with you about ? weeks before Gus left for Spain last year. I was obviously not able to go with him.
You did my second total knee replacement in December of 2018 and I was 8 months out from that surgery when it was time for Gus and his group to go back to Spain to finish the walk this year. I decided that I wanted to go, not knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, (in hindsight, that was probably better). Now, I have always been a person who would work out to videos to keep in shape but I was never a hiker or runner.
This year’s journey began in Leon, Spain and ended in Santiago. We walked 8 stages to complete the mileage needed to finish the walk (an average of 15 miles per day). The terrain was very difficult, especially the first two days, filled with many mountain climbs and many boulder-filled paths going down for miles. I believe at the end of the 2nd day the grade of going up the mountain was 23 %. Can you say, out of breath?
Each day proved to be a very strenuous walk where I felt it in some part of my body, if not everywhere, but I have to tell you, MY KNEES FELT GREAT THE WHOLE TIME! I guess, maybe because I actually had the youngest knees on the trip! If I had any issues, it was with my feet which is to be expected walking 15-17 miles per day but I also have Morton’s Neuroma in my right foot to deal with. As I began each day, I knew we were going to walk, but I didn’t know what journey would unfold before me that day until I actually experienced it, but the one thing that resonated with me throughout the whole trip was a sense of THANKFULNESS.
THANKFULNESS for the beautiful vistas I was able to see and walk through each day, THANKFULNESS for the people I was able to share this experience with,
THANKFULNESS that I have a husband that has an adventurous spirit that he has shared with me, THANKFULNESS for the feeling that I actually feel like an athlete now,
THANKFULNESS for all that I was able to accomplish each day,
THANKFULNESS for being hounded by my huband to get the surgeries, ( I told him that I really got the sense as I walked that me not wanting to be cut open again made me realize that I was kind of like an alcoholic, in that, I had to hit rock bottom with my pain in order for me to bite the bullet and have the surgery done not only once but twice),
THANKFULNESS for God answering my prayer through the scripture He gave me, even though it wasn’t through the stem cell healing that I wanted, but most of all,
THANKFULNESS that I had a doctor that was the first one in his family to get a college degree and that I was blessed to have YOU and your knowledge and skill to perform my surgeries and GIVE ME MY LIFE BACK! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for following the call on your life Dr. Lyons!
We are all capable of doing so much more than we ever think possible and I’m so glad to say that I would never have known this without your help in my life! I am forever grateful! Know that you are changing the lives of your patients.
One of the most desired activities when visiting Lourdes is, of course, the baths. Being immersed in the baths is something most pilgrims look forward to. Beginning in November 2023, the baths were closed for actual immersion, although the Shrine developed an alternative plan of sprinkling the water on pilgrims as well as, in some cases, drinking some of the water. It should be pointed out the the Covid-19 virus is airborne….not spread through contact with water, so we assume that they were trying to avoid crowds gathered in one space rather than any concerns about the water itself.
As of August 14, the Baths at Lourdes have now been re-opened for full immersion.
Furthermore, there is this information about the water from the taps at Lourdes:
The Taps
The water taps at Lourdes
Located at the bridge next to the arches, these taps have sufficient pressure to allow you to fill any containers that you might want to take back for yourself or your loved ones. Note that many souvenir-type bottles, although attractive, are not necessarily the best quality and could leak during travel. We recommend used commercial bottled water bottles as more durable for travel…then when you get home you can transfer into the souvenir bottles.
Be aware, for those traveling by air, most airlines and countries will not allow you to carry liquids on board. Rules vary, and in many cases a small bottle inside a secure plastic bag may be allowed.
For U.S.A. travelers, 3.4-ounce containers (or smaller) and then placed in one clear, quart-sized bag. Check with your airline first.
The theme of the Holy Year is “Pilgrims of Hope.” The papal bull, issued May 9, 2024 that introduced the coming Jubilee Year is titled “Spes Non Confundit,” or “Hope does not disappoint,” drawn from Romans 5:5. “Everyone knows what it is to hope,” Pope Francis wrote. “In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring.we expect that Italy will be high on everyone’s list of destinations.
