Year in review.
As Thanksgiving nears, it brings us to reflect on the generosity and support of our benefactors, pilgrims, and the local Church. The Our Lady, Patroness of America center has made great strides with your support and participation. Please accept our deepest appreciation and thanks. None of this is possible without your help! And without pilgrims it would all be in vain.
We often hear from pilgrims how much has changed since they were last here. This remark follows only a few months between visits. It is a great testament to what staff and volunteers accomplished this year. Here is just a brief recap of the highlights.
In February, we focused on the grave threat posed by a disintegrating water tower. Nearing 75 years old a recent inspection showed it needed substantial repair or dismantlement. We chose the later as we saw no need for the structure going forward. See details...
We also, hired an ecclesiastical architect and commissioned a new altar of sacrifice which was delivered in time for the August 6th First Saturday Mass. Unfortunately, the marble altar top was dropped during installation on August 5th. The new top and altar will be consecrated by Bishop Rhoades sometime in 2023.
As weather warmed and we had many pilgrims tell us how excited they were for Bishop’s Mass on August 6th. We saw indications that the attendance would greatly exceed the capacity of the Chapel and our parking lot. This caused us to change priorities. We reclaimed land south of the Cemetery providing 400 additional parking spaces. We then focused on accommodating the pilgrims wanting to participate in this historic event. We rented an outdoor tent to shelter 400 pilgrims and then invested in streaming technology. We had 7 displays streaming the Mass in real-time to the overflow venues. We also outfitted the Oratory choir loft with a top-of-the-line Yamaha keyboard, choir microphones, horn instrument pickups and monitor speakers. The result was amazing! As Bishop Rhoades re-dedicated the Oratory, it came alive with hymns of joy and praise! The Oratory was back as a proper place of prayer, worship and Sacraments, all in honor of the Holy Family! The day unfolded in a way that was beyond our imagination.
In unplanned maintenance there were a few major repairs that came upon us. The sewer line servicing the Cape Cod home (used for visiting priests) collapsed and had to be completely replaced. Its heat and air conditioning also required replacement. The Victorian Home on the east side needed a new roof, which was also accomplished.
The Indiana Department of Transportation gave us a new intersection at the corner of State Road 9 and Northport. Having our main entrance closed for 4 months presented it’s challenged, but our pilgrims and volunteers made it through. And things are back to normal now.
In conjunction with the road improvement, we also recovered our south lawn along State Road 9, all the way to the lake on the south end of the property. It’s beautiful! Locals and pilgrims alike comment about the welcoming nature of this beautification.
One of the more popular changes this year was the addition of water founts to make access to the healing spring water accessible without risk of fall or contamination. The fount is fed directly from the source and does not go through ancient plumbing, now all brand new equipment. The water that is available over the side of the hill goes through a 100-year-old pipe that we know is breaking down and risks introducing contamination. We see multiple cars each day come and fill containers of this wonderful gift of God; clean, fresh and cool water that has generated many reports of healing spanning so many decades.
The stained glass in the Oratory got an up-close inspection for stability and safety. We found the window frames and mountings in good shape. The protective outer windows were re-glazed and painted. All the trim on the exterior of the chapel except for the highest areas of the bell tower were treated with a wood hardener preservative and then painted. The rose window on the bell tower at about 60’ high was found to be in bad shape. One protective window had fallen out and many more were on the verge. Our recovery experts went to work using state of the art epoxy wood hardening and restoration products. The window frames were recovered to near original strength and shape with protective glass replaced as needed. It was competed with re-glazing and painting. It looks like new and will last for decades!
The clear highlight of the year was Bishop Rhoades Mass on August 6th, when he re-dedicated the chapel and renamed it to the Oratory of the Holy Family. This apostolate is so blessed to have his public support and his personal encouragement!
More than 750 pilgrims participated in the historic day!
And then Came the surprise!
Fr. J. Steele, the pastor at Immaculate Conception Parish in Kendallville suggested that we do a Pilgrim Walk from Kendallville to the Oratory on the Anniversary of the devotion to Our Lady of America along the fishing line walking trail. In partnering with Fr. J, and our Pastor Fr. Louis Fowoyo, the event was planned. We were hoping that 100 pilgrims would participate. By the week prior we had a realistic expectation of more than 200 pilgrims. The walk started at a distance of 7 miles with 125 pilgrims. By the time the walkers reached the Oratory for Benediction, their ranks had grown to over 300! These pilgrims were praying for our nation and the intercession of Our Lady. More details…
However, none of these accomplishments matter except for how lives are touched with peace, healing, consolation and a deeper lover for Our Lady and her Son, Our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are humbled and elated by the stories and testimonies of people who are touched in a profound way and healed by God’s Grace. They leave here with the Joy and Peace of Christ. Our Lady has so much love for pilgrims and wants for us a deeper encounter with Her Son. We welcome the pilgrims; but volunteers, staff and benefactors are pilgrims as well. We look forward to the journey together, with you!