Beauty Shop Story Time....Again!

I returned to Pietro for a trim....as I especially needed it in the back. I mentioned, "a bob," as he had done a great job the first time he cut my hair, and he had even used that exact word. When I paid, the girl at the cash register said, "Oh, your summer cut." There isn't a hair on my head over two inches long.

Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible."

We attended the 52nd International Military Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, with members of our base chapel community including our Padre. Flint and I had ridden a bus for 28 hours from Hohenfels, Germany, to 36th PMI in 1994. Fortunately this time, we flew directly on Mistral Air, on a bright yellow plane with 'posta Italia' written in blue.

I remember watching the old movie Song of Bernadette when I was growing up, and I remember how I felt watching it. That we would make a second pilgrimage to the grotto where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette thrilled us. Through the Knights of Columbus, we met the North American Volunteers whose service to those with both visible and invisible afflictions is invaluable. Their good work includes caring for our wounded warriors some of whom we were honored to meet. Wounded Warrior Project 

As this was a military (Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA) pilgrimage, we watched uniforms from all over the world in several processions with our U.S.A. troops making us feel so proud. (The history of the military pilgrimages dates back to the years after World War 2 when the Germans and French wanted to reestablish positive relations between the two countries.) One of the happiest moments was seeing the Italians in formation, stopped in the middle of a street, singing their national anthem. Of course, everyone cheered, then traffic (largely pedestrian) moved along.

Lourdes Lourdes, France lies at the foot of the Pyrenees

Mountains. Although cluttered with shops containing medals, rosaries, and empty bottles for the holy water and hundreds of hotels that provide lodging for the thousands of pilgrims each

week, the sweet, tranquil spirit of this place of miracles, is like that of no other place I have ever visited.