A familiar encounter with the 'Beautiful Lady' in La Salette
When the nightly procession at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette in La Salette-Fallavaux in southeastern France began, Ana Marie Amar, a Filipino pilgrim, carried a solid wooden cross much taller than herself. But Marie, like the other 79 Pinoy pilgrims gathered together by Catholic Travel Inc., had taller faith—and higher tolerance for the negative two-degree Celsius weather outside the church.
On the day we arrived at the Sanctuary, the sun let go of its rays to give way to snowflakes falling on the Filipino pilgrims. It was a delightful sight, a blessed experience. It rained snow that day, when, according to Fr. Michael Linga, a Filipino priest assigned at the Sanctuary for 10 years now, it was supposed to be summer already at La Salette-Fallavaux. This commune, picturesquely nestled on the French Alps, is a well-known pilgrimage site among Marian devotees. On Sept. 19, 1846, the Virgin Mary appeared here to two shepherds Maximin Giraud, 11; and Melanie Calvat, 14.
On a slope 5,800 meters above sea level, the Virgin appeared to the two children tasked by their parents to watch over a few cows. (On the site of the apparition can now be found a tableaux of larger-than-life images depicting the Marian scene; above it is the basilica of Our Lady of La Salette.)
Written accounts said Maximin and Melanie repeatedly described the Blessed Mother as “the Beautiful Lady.” She spoke to the children in French and in their local dialect, while weeping all the time. Then she climbed a path and disappeared as a bright light. The brightness showed she had a crucifix on her chest, surrounded by a hammer and pincers, chains and roses.
On Sept. 19, 1851, the Catholic Church, after a thorough investigation, determined that “the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to two shepherds on the mountain of La Salette…bears within itself all the characteristics of truth and that the faithful have grounds for believing it to be certain and beyond doubt.”
The Virgin’s messages were clear. One, said Fr. Michael, is “about conversion; that people should have to change their way of life otherwise they would suffer the consequences.”
And the other is “to not use the name of my Son in vain.” Fr. Michael said it was easy in the mid-19th century to mock God “as a sign of people’s independence and power.”
But that moment for the Pinoy pilgrims, we were dependent on God to keep us warm because not everybody was prepared for the cold as the weather advisory said it was summer in La Salette.
Ana Marie said she felt the power of God over her as she hoisted the cross during the almost hour-long procession on the snowy hills. “I did not feel the weight of the cross. I did not feel the cold. I felt the love of Mama Mary. The need for me to serve God became clearer to me,” the businesswoman said.
“It was a humbling experience to be chosen to help carry the carriage of Mama Mary at the night of the procession at La Salette,” said Marvin Chua, a businessman who was also my prayer partner during the pilgrimage. Even without thermals, he and his wife Girlie endured the cold and “that in itself is a miracle.”
“Our Lady of La Salette taught us to be humble and appreciate the small things around us. Who would have taught that at the French Alps, there would be a place as mesmerizing and rewarding as the Our Lady of La Salette?” added Girlie.
Clarity of mind is a gift one receives at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette. This gift gives way to another present: the gift of feeling at home at La Salette.
For most of the 80 pilgrims who joined the 18-day pilgrimage of Catholic Travel Inc. last month, La Salette is a new place. Yet the first encounter left a familiar warmth even if it rained snow in the middle of summer.
It feels familiar because, as Fr. Dave Concepcion, the pilgrimage chaplain and president of Catholic Travel Inc., said in his homily, “going to La Salette is not a visit. For me, it is coming home. It is coming home to our mother.”
“Every now and then, it is important to come home. We come home so our mother can wipe away our tears, so she can cuddle us again and drown our worries away. We come home because we need her embrace, and in her arms we find the comfort, the peace, the love that we need. That’s how I feel every time I come home to Our Lady of La Salette,” said Fr. Dave.
At the procession under the glow of candlelight and glistening snowflakes, Fr. Dave’s homily became alive in my heart. No wonder it felt like a familiar encounter with the Beautiful Lady in La Salette, even if it was my first time being there. I was with my mother.
I was home.
For Marian pilgrimages, call the Catholic Travel Inc. at 8523-2523 or 0918-9110748. Its website is www.catholictravel.com.ph.
