"I learned that I am not alone—that many people surround me with understanding and care, helping me overcome every obstacle. I felt nothing but sympathy, encouragement, warmth, and above all a friendship that was sure and genuine throughout the pilgrimage."
a mother
"You have to find the courage to share in suffering, even when you don't feel equal to it. It's a matter of the heart, not reason. I saw that Christianity is the only historical fact that can give people hope."
a young man, 21
"What did you like least? The confusion during the ceremonies. I couldn't see."
a sister, 10 years old
"So much peace. I hope it stays with me a long time. I hope to give it to my husband—my problem seems so much smaller now when I look at what others carry."
"… when a child nestled into the folds of my habit, I finally understood what my veil could mean …"
"I wish we could see each other more often and talk more."
a mother, 47
"It gave me back my hope and optimism."
a brother, under 15
"… it showed me the world isn't all hatred and violence the way the newspapers paint it. There are so many people who still believe in love. So I'm not crazy for holding onto my ideals—I'm not alone. And I discovered that saints still walk this earth. More of them than anyone realizes."
"Immense joy in my heart. An enormous desire to live Fede e Luce more fully, always."
17 years old
Nicole Schulthess recalls:
Sister X became ill on the plane from the United States to Lourdes. An ambulance took her straight to Lourdes Hospital, where I met her.
A nurse asked me to arrange for her to have Easter dinner. I tried my best, but Sister X was already convinced she would leave the hospital, rejoin her Fede e Luce group, and visit the grotto.
The doctors wouldn't release her except to return directly to the airport. I hoped the ambulance might take a detour so she could at least see the grotto and the basilica on the way. It wasn't possible.
She flew back to the United States. Of Lourdes, France, Europe—Sister X saw nothing but a hospital ward in a foreign land.