Things Get Serious at a Shrine

Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

One weekend Julia and I visited the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. Yes, that is Spanish for Our Lady of the Milk. It’s a shrine dedicated to Mary nursing the baby Jesus.

The devotion to Our Lady of La Leche goes all the way to the early church during the Roman Empire. It was widely spread by the Spanish when coming to the New World. The Shrine is the location of the first Catholic Mass in the United States. There is an altar on the grounds that is dedicated to that Mass, as well as The Great Cross that can be seen for miles.

Prayer for Fertility at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

People come to the Shrine to pray for fertility, for the health of their children, for safe delivery of those expecting, etc. I know of at least one personal example of God providing a child to parents after praying at this Shrine.

Last Piece of the Puzzle

Julia had been to the Shrine before, while this was my first time. For some background: Julia had completed a dating fast for a year and a half. During that time, Julia had visited this shrine and decided, if she was called to married life, she wanted her wedding pictures taken at the Shrine. She basically told me that I was the last piece of the puzzle.

Moving Back to Ohio

A short time after going to the Shrine, I received a job offer back in Ohio. I did not want to move away from Julia, but it was a good career move. She told me that I if I wanted to support a family someday, I needed to keep progressing in my career. So, I moved to Ohio and Julia remained in Florida. We endured a long-distance relationship for the next 7 months.

Marriage vs Religious Life

For several months, Julia continued to waver between her desires for marriage or religious life. Finally, she had a friend (now a religious sister) tell her that she can’t be half into both vocations. She either needed to fully commit to our relationship, or if she had heard God’s call to religious life, go to a convent for discernment. As she hadn’t heard the call, she chose to fully commit to our relationship. Three months later, I asked her to marry me.

I planned a whole date that started with Julia getting all dressed up and going to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and ended with us in front of a grotto with me down on my knee.

Soon after, she moved to Ohio to plan our wedding. She had never moved from Florida before, but she was ready for the next big adventure!