Another update, Texas 2014

February 2014

 

We have had a few shows down here that have been pretty good. The different artists travel to the parks so that each park can have shows and we can go between the different close ones if we choose to.

 

 

Patsy Cline artist

 

 

 

Elvis' Lamb.

 

Me and Elvis - uh huh!!

 

 

We had a Patsy Cline tribute artist that was really good here in March and an Elvis tribute that was a short show – can’t really comment as I am trying to be kind.  He was supposed to show up in his pink Cadillac, was late and showed up in a Lamborghini instead?? that also did not have current tags on it, local so I guess we supported the economy!  I did get a picture though!

 

We went on Wednesday to visit friends Mike and Bonnie in Mission TX and on the way we picked up our sign for the RV that we had made up.  Story on this, we met the couple that did these in Trout Water Lindsay two years ago and we hooked up with them down here and had the sign made.  What was great with Melinda is I could take one of my own pictures and have the sign made up.  Since I have close to a thousand pictures (I know I need to get rid of some) I narrowed it down to what we really were part of so we have Lake scene that I had taken several years ago. 

 

 

 

 

 

Since it is Pharr, away, we did some touring as well.

 

 

 

 

We went to the  San Juan Basilica on the way down for a tour.

 

 

There were quite a few people here when we went through going through Shrine and offering prayers.  There is a separate room that they keep the candles in  once they are lit.  The area they call "Miracle Room" has benches and kneelers where people can light candles and pray, I did not take pictures as I did not want to disturb anyone.  Once the light the candles, since there are so many, there is a custodian that removes racks of them and moves them to an actual candle room where they stay for a certain period of time (I did not find out how long) They do have you buy their candles, I know part of it is money of course but with all the carcegenics out there in stuff, it makes sense to use only approved ones in a small area.   On the grounds outside, they have Holy water that people can come and fill any container they have.

 

 

**This copy is of their actual downloadable brochure**

 Our History

     For centuries Christians have made pilgrimages with a spiritual purpose to holy places. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, hundreds are drawn to the Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, and the number of pilgrims continues to grow. Averaging more than one million visitors a year (20,000 a weekend), it is one of the most visited shrines in the United States.

The history of this Marian Shrine begins in 1920, when the Reverend Alfonso Jalbert, O.M.I., built a small wooden chapel in San Juan, Texas as a mission church of St. Margaret Mary Church in Pharr, Texas.

The origins of the devotion to Our Lady of San Juan del Valle are found in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, a town founded near Guadalajara after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Spanish missionaries placed a small image of the Immaculate Conception in the church of San Juan de los Lagos.

In 1623, an acrobat traveling with his wife and children stopped in San Juan de los Lagos to give a performance.  While practicing their act, the youngest daughter lost her balance and was killed. An Indian woman, who was the caretaker of the church, begged the parents to place the image of the Virgin Mary over their daughter's body and prayed for the Virgin's intercession. The child was then brought back to life. As word spread of the miracle, the devotion to Our Lady, under the title of “La Virgen de San Juan”, started to grow throughout Jalisco. Today, she is recognized by many people throughout Mexico as well as the United States.

In 1949, Rev. Jose Maria Azpiazu, O.M.I., became pastor of the parish of St. John the Baptist in San Juan, Texas.  He was convinced that fostering a devotion to Our Lady of San Juan would benefit the people and help draw the community together. After receiving permission from the bishop to foster the devotion, he commissioned an artist in Guadalajara, Mexico to make a reproduction of the statue venerated at San Juan de Los Lagos and this reproduction was first placed in the San Juan chapel. 

Bishop Mariano S. Garriaga approved the construction of a new church and the Shrine was built five years later in 1954, and dedicated to the Virgen de San Juan. At the time San Juan was a part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.  Sixteen years after its construction, a tragic event on October 23, 1970 destroyed the entire Shrine. While 50 priests were concelebrating Mass with another 50 people in attendance, and 100 school children in an adjacent cafeteria, the pilot of a small low-flying airplane crashed into the roof of the shrine and exploded into flames.

 While the overall loss was estimated at $1.5 million, many claim it was a miracle that no one was hurt or died in the tragedy. The pilot of the plane, Francis B. Alexander, was the only fatality. Our Lady of San Juan was protecting her children at that moment. Also, Father Patricio Dominguez, O.M.I., a missionary priest, along with the help of Pedro Rodriguez, a sacristan, rescued the statue of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle, and Ron Anderson, then a Diocesan Priest, saved the Blessed Sacrament before the altar was engulfed in flames. 

After the Shrine was destroyed, the Shrine’s dining room temporarily housed the statue of Our Lady of San Juan.

In 1972, Bishop John J. Fitzpatrick separated the administration of the Shrine from the parish. He made plans to build a parish church on the site of the destroyed Shrine and build a bigger church to serve as the Shrine on the grounds north of the former Shrine. The ground breaking for the new Shrine took place on November 27, 1976. The new Shrine was dedicated on April 19, 1980. Cardinal Medeiros joined Bishop Fitzpatrick at the dedication along with an estimated 50,000 people.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops designated Our Lady of San Juan del Valle a national Shrine on March 24, 1998, and the following year on June 12, 1999 Pope John Paul II designated it as a minor Basilica.

Main Shrine - Our Lady of San Juan del Valle

Altar area

Detail on shrine

Detail

Virgen- Our Lady de San Juan del Valle

Outside windows on church

 

Holy Water

 

We then went to Papadeaux Seafood grill for lunch, loved this place when we were here a couple of years ago and that is where we went with them at that time, so was nice to reminisce and visit.

 

 

March 15, 2015

There was a Pet parade and adopt a pet day at park so the animals paraded around.  Our friend Donna took Mario in the parade. He was the only cat so did really well among all the dogs.   Ken said he wanted to him but that was not going to happen, Mario on a lead is just a kitty being dragged so they took him in his carriage.  Go figure Ken made friends with another cat; I said maybe we should get one, but, he did not go for that!  Pretty laid back kitty, and he did let Donna put my St Paddy’s Day shamrock necklace on him so he was dressed up.  PS 2-4, we still love you, Uncle Ken and Aunt Sandra!!  Monty, get Mom and Dad (E & J) to show you the little one all in pink and black....

 

 

 

 

 

Ken and Mario

Ken, Mario, Donna

Mario

Donna and Mario

A few of the dogs on parade