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I am a La Salette Associate, connected with the large group of Associates at the La Salette National Shrine in Attleboro, MA. I am a native of Costa Rica, with many family members still living there.
La Salette in a Small Chapel
The statue of the Weeping MotherThree years ago in a return visit, I decided to bring the image of Our Lady of La Salette, a large statue of the Weeping Mother, to place in a local chapel near my sister’s house in Costa Rica. It was my gift to the local Catholics. On the day of the blessing, I was invited to speak at the conclusion of Mass and provide some information about La Salette in Spanish for the congregation. Three years later I received the inspiration to provide even more details about the history and message of La Salette to that Costa Rican community.
One of the first steps in my recent journey back home came from a discussion with my sister. She works in a High School in Costa Rica. She had spoken with a School Religious Educator who heard that I was going to give a presentation during my upcoming visit in May to a small prayer group. She asked if she could also have an image of Our Lady of La Salette to use in their school. For the entire month of May, the students reflected on the Apparition of Mary at La Salette and they placed a La Salette poster in the school as part of a display.
Making La Salette Known to Several Groups
On May 18, I was invited to a small church where local Catholics gather every Monday to pray. They invite different speakers almost every week. After they had joined in singing, praising God and praying the rosary, I was given the opportunity to speak to them about the La Salette Apparition.
It was my first public presentation on this subject though I had heard many presentations and attended retreats on that topic. Fifty-five people were there to listen to my message. Most of them did not know anything about the Apparition of Our Lady of La Salette. At the conclusion of my presentation, I distributed the La Salette pamphlets and prayer cards in Spanish which I had brought from Attleboro.
One day later, my family and I had lunch with a priest who works at a nearby nursing home. When I showed him the images, with different beautiful images of Our Weeping Mother, he asked to take three of them to be framed. The images of Our Lady of La Salette will now be present in the Nursing Home and decorating their chapel.
Eugenia giving her presentationOn Friday, May 22, the original planned day of my talk, I visited the chapel near my sister’s house. This is the Franciscan chapel where my large statue of the Weeping Mother resides. We prayed the rosary and after each mystery, we said the Invocation of Our Lady of La Salette. I then gave my presentation. My nephews performed a beautiful song with their violins.
The chapel was filled with all of the materials that I brought from the Attleboro Shrine, including small statues, brochures, and images, free for the taking. My presentation was given in the form of a printed letter which I read to them, telling about the event of the Apparition. I reminded them – about eighteen people – in several different ways about the message of Our Lady of La Salette and its application to their lives.
By the Grace of God and His Holy Mother…
Overall it was a simply beautiful night and I realized why it took three years in order to be ready for such an event. I first needed to prepare and grow spiritually before I could share my reflections on Mary’s message. I prayed to the Holy Spirit to lead my way to Our Blessed Mother.
Also I could not do this without my faith community and my own La Salette Associates who supported me by their prayers and encouragement. I have grown immensely over the last several years through our meetings and get-togethers, and God had a plan for me.
Bringing the message of Our Lady of La Salette to Costa Rica was not my own doing. I feel that this was inspired by God and by my communities of La Salettes in Attleboro. I thank God for the grace to be able to make Mary’s message known to the people of my own native country of Cost Rica, who have embraced so warmly her message and her mission.
The small prayer group in Costa Rica
who heard Eugenia’s presentation on La Salette