Be sure to stop at the Hall of Saints...
Chapels...
Outdoor prayer spots...
A picnic area...
(Yes, my crew were all hungry, a bit tired, and not wanting to smile for a picture. ;) )
Plus, there is a gift shop and Russian icons display, which we, unfortunately, missed since we got there after 5 p.m. in order to go to a 6 p.m. Mass. (The gift shop and icon display close at 5 p.m. daily.)
However, just outside the gift shop and Russian Icon display area, we found a favorite sculpture, the Generations Statue, a moving depiction of the Holy Family embraced by Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin and grandparents of Jesus.
And, nearby, was a striking sculpture of St. Micheal...
And and older, sweet statue of St. Anne and St. Mary.
Nearly every turn there brings you to another place to contemplate and pray...
To be reminded of miracles...
To recall the saints...
To remember the simple power and beauty of prayer...
The pray for the intercession of the Holy Family...
For our own families and for the whole world.
To remember, as St. Therese de Lisiueux says that "prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”
If you are ever in the area of Sturbridge, MA, I encourage you to stop at St. Anne's Shrine. It is simply lovely.
St. Anne, pray for us.
