Three years ago, my family of eight, plus one kind teenage helper, made our way to Lourdes, France. This is the continuation of my journals from our time there.

Day 9: Oatmeal breakfast. Scott took the kids to morning Mass. We made our way to the baths but only the boys got in. When they see the kids, they usually put us in front, but there was no one at the girls’ side and we couldn’t wait in the line-up. I’m just glad for the boys. We still went through the grotto.

Lucy and I took an hour or so to walk around the shops. It was our first time shopping without the kids. Scott braved the shops with them all. It sounds stupid or patronizing to say this, but he really is too good. Lucy and I went in to a beautiful shop with goods carved by monks in Bethlehem. So expensive!! But beautiful. I wished more churches would have statues like those ones. I indulged in my only purchase, a sweet little statue of Bernadette. I wanted a Holy Family, or OLO Lourdes, but they were too costly, and I did really love the sweet Bernadette praying her Rosary among the sheep.

The boys went nuts buying little things for people they love. One thing that surprised me were individuals that came to the kids’ minds, unexpected names that meant something to them.

We took our rosaries and medals through the grotto and touched the walls with them. Thomas continues his spring water spree … We must avoid the taps because he’ll make a break for it and soak himself in the waters.

Isaac is feeling better. He said today that if someone has to barf, it’s good they can be in France to barf. Because after they barf, they can go to the baths. We also went to Bernadette’s home today. So small, hard to imagine their beds in there. Even tighter than our house, if possible.

Elijah asked me if I would go for a walk with just him, so we started out, and by accident made our way to Sacre Coeur parish. Beautiful church, of course. The bells were ringing, and we realized that Mass was starting as we were walking away. I used some Mother’s Guilt and told him that we were walking away from Jesus. So, we went back but only made it to the homily. Elijah started to doze, and I knew Scott would be wondering where we were. We found everyone having dinner with the lady at the stand. I told her that the kids like her, and she said the feeling is mutual. She says it is so strange to see a family like ours here, together. She never sees more than one or two children. The kids say she reminds them of Geraldine (beloved family friend) … I say, sure, if Geraldine was a French gypsy!

At night it started raining, but I was set on going to the candlelight vigil. By the time we got there it was pouring, so we stepped into the little diorama room. While I was telling the kids about each scene, a monk from a group of cracker-eating Capuchins approached us to chat, because he had heard us speaking English. The monk was a priest who blessed us all and gave Elijah a Miraculous Medal. He told us to not give up hope ever, that Our Lady was INVINCIBLE! Scott had stayed home with a sleeping Isaac and Thomas.

The vigil started out catastrophically. Madalen’s new umbrella got whipped inside out, and she cried! Our candles would not stay lit, and it was a mess. But then we started to see the humour in it and had some fun. The kids started going to strangers to pass on our flames. Elijah met a priest that he desperately wanted to introduce me to, but he was nowhere to be seen. I met another Korean couple who spoke English. The man said that he had left the faith but being here was changing something. I told Elijah to pray for our pagan family members. He looked at me in surprise. “We have pagan family member!? Like, they eat meat on Fridays?!?!”