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Our 2013 Shrine Program is available in .pdf format (legal size, 8˝" x 14") by clicking here.

SHRINE NEWS, updated May 18, 2013 (Season, Reflection)

The 2013 Shrine Season opens this coming Sunday, May 26. The weekend Mass moves to Sunday morning at 11:00. Shrine Devotions are Sunday afternoons at 1:00.
This years "grand opening" includes three special events:
1. Blessing of the new Luminous Mysteries.
2. Blessing of the new Second Station of the hillside Way of the Cross.
3. Blessing of the new display of over 300 Christmas Nativity sets.

Starting June 9, besides the regular Devotions, we will have, every other Sunday, additional events at 2:00 p.m. Coming up in June are:
June 9: "Dorothy Day, Woman of Faith," presented by Dorothy's grand-daughter Martha Hennessy.
June 23: A healing service led by Fr. Lance Harlow.

We will keep you posted as other events approach. In the meantime you can see the entire program in .pdf format by clicking here.

Day of Recollection for parishioners of St. Katherine Drexell Parish, Alton, NH
On May 2 we welcomed about 20 women for a Day of Recollection on the theme of the Year of Faith. There were two conferences given by Fr. René Butler, M.S., Shrine Director. The first was on Personal Faith, focusing on how the uniqueness of each person is reflected in one's personal expression of our common faith. The title of the second was, "Honest Faith, Honest Prayer," using the Psalms as an example of how one lifts one's heart and mind to God in all the varied circumstances of life. Four La Salette Associates from Belmont, NH provided hospitality, and two others were among the parishioners taking part in the day. We were blessed with a fine day, so everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch.

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.

The permanent display for the Luminous Mysteries is complete, waiting only for better weather to be put in place. Here are pictures of them in the workshop.

Click on the images to enlarge them.  From left to right we have:      First Mystery: Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan      Second Mystery: The Wedding Feast at Cana      Third Mystery: Proclamation of the Kingdom      Fourth Mystery: Transfiguration of Jesus      Fifth Mystery: The Last Supper—the Eucharist
The pictures were all taken from public domain images on the Internet. They are by five different artists: 1, Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494) 2. Carl Bloch (1834-1890) 3. James Tissot (1836-1902) 4. Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520) 5. Hans Holbein the Younger (1497?-1543)

Another update: On Friday, April 5, Brother Claude and I went to Manchester to begin picking up Nativity sets from around the world that are being donated to our Shrine and will be set up as a permanent display. We filled our van with perhaps as many as 30 large bins on that first visit. We have made two more visits since, and we have at least one more to go, very possibly two.

Mark your calendar: The Luminous Mysteries, the Second Station and the Nativity sets display will all be blessed on the opening day of the Shrine Season, Sunday, May 26, as part of the 1:00 pm devotions.

On another note, I have added on our "Resources and Links" page a link to the Enfield Shaker Museum, our friends and neighbors to the south. For visitors and pilgrims to La Salette of Enfield, a visit to the Museum is not only be fascinating in itself but also provides a better sense of the history of our Shrine.

La Salette reflection on Sunday readings

May 19: In Our Own Language (Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-13 OR Romans 8:8-17; John 20:19-23 OR John  14:15-26)

    After the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon them, the Apostles addressed an international audience, presumably speaking Aramaic while people of different nationalities heard them speaking in their own languages. This, of course, was the work of the Spirit, a unique sign.

    Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this sign had continued to our own day? But this particular manifestation of the gift of tongues seems to have been reserved to that one event. Today missionaries spend a long time learning languages that only a few will truly master.

    At international gatherings of La Salette Missionaries, I have often provided simultaneous translation, and I am keenly aware of how inadequate that can be at times. Finding the right turn of phrase on the fly is always a challenge.

    Mary spoke two languages at La Salette. She started in French, and then at a certain point saw that the children were confused. She said, “Oh, you don’t understand? I’ll say it another way.” The rest of her discourse was in the local dialect, except for the final command to “Make it known.”

    One would think that Mary might have anticipated this problem. But, as the sign of many tongues at Pentecost showed that the Gospel message was universal, the Beautiful Lady, through the sign of just two languages, showed that her message was likewise not restricted to one place.

    As Fr. Marcel Schlewer, M.S. points out, Our Lady spoke her people’s language in more than one sense. In the local dialect, in fact, she spoke of the things that mattered in their life—blighted crops, famine and children dying—showing that these things mattered to her, too. This was her “mother tongue,” i.e. her speaking as a mother. She also spoke to their hearts through the language of tears.

    It is not surprising that different aspects of the Apparition of Our Lady of La Salette speak to each of us in different ways. We are each unique, after all, and we might say that the Holy Spirit, as at Pentecost, was at work to ensure that each of us would hear Mary “in our own language.”

May 12: That the World may Believe (Acts 7:55-60; Revelation 22:12-20; John 17:20-26)
    You may recall the controversy that arose when Jesus Christ Superstar first appeared on stage in New York. Among other things, some took exception to the very notion of “superstar” as applied to Jesus, as if he were seeking the adulation of his fans.
    And yet, in today’s gospel Jesus doesn’t hesitate to pray to the Father “that the world may believe that you sent me.” Two more times in the same passage Jesus expresses the same desire in different words. He also refers twice to his “glory.”
    It isn’t for himself, that’s clear. Always his goal has been to bring people to the Father. Still, if you want to bring someone else to a particular place or person, first you have to draw them to yourself, to attract their attention in some way. If you don’t, how can you lead or guide them?
    Our Lady of La Salette certainly attracted the attention of others—Mélanie and Maximin first of all, then the local people, Church authorities, civil authorities, the press. Even traveling salesmen wasted no time getting highly inaccurate images printed! Some people were, predictably, fiercely opposed; others were prepared to believe even before any kind of investigation took place.
    In all this, the two children also attracted a good deal of attention. This was a new experience for Mélanie in particular; but according to Fr. Jean Stern, M.S., who probably knows La Salette history better than any person living, it was not a healthy experience for her. Be that as it may, attention to the children meant attention to the Beautiful Lady, and her purpose was precisely to turn the attention of her people to her Son.
    In the first reading, Stephen is an ideal witness to and for Christ. But his adversaries directed their attention and hostility to him instead.
    Whoever attracts the attention of others in order to bring them to Christ runs the risk of getting too much attention. It’s a delicate balance. Unlike Stephen, we are not ideal witnesses. If our personal integrity is called into question, we become a distraction, turning attention away from Jesus.
    How then will the world come to believe?

PRAYER REQUESTS
For the repose of the soul of:

Bishop Felix Ramananarivo, M.S., Bishop Emeritus of the diocese of Antsirabe, Madagascar, who returned to the Lord on May 12, at the age of 78.
Fr. Felix Adelino Malenga, M.S., of Angola, who was called to God on April 28, at the age of 42.
Mrs. Viola Smith, aunt of La Salette Missionaries Fr. Robert, Fr. René and Fr. Norman Butler

Fr. Henry Brodeur, M.S., of the La Salette community in Attleboro, MA, who died on April 1.
 

We continue to remember our sick:
Fr. Eugene Barrette, M.S., of our La Salette community in Hartford, CT.
Brother Raymond Tétreault, M.S., of our La Salette community here in Enfield, NH
Fr. Leo Maxfield, M.S. ("Fr. Max"), of our La Salette community in Enfield, NH.
Fr. André Patenaude, M.S. ("Fr. Pat"), of Riverside, RI. He continues his steady recovery from his serious illness of last summer.

Although Sunday devotions will not resume until the spring, the prayer intentions left at the feet of the statue of Our Weeping Mother in the Shrine Chapel are not forgotten. After remaining a week or two in the Shrine Chapel, they are brought to the La Salette Community Chapel in the "North House," where they are kept for many weeks. Our La Salette Associates will often take them as well, in order to pray for them at home.

We are faithful in praying for all our pilgrim visitors, our friends and our benefactors, and invite you to join us in doing the same.

Our Mission
   Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette Program Center offers educational and spiritual services in a professional manner to the People of God.  We work with small and large groups using the dynamics of the learning situation to help persons become informed in their Christian convictions. Community experience is a vital technique in formation.  All of our programs are informally structured and seek to build a sense of  community and hospitality among participants.  People of all faiths are welcome.

In addition to our Shrine programming, some of which is scheduled with the diocesan offices and renewal movements within the Church, we host pilgrimages and programs for other groups, inc. civic and ecumenical.  Group food service of either a light lunch or a pasta dinner may be available by pre-arrangement for a nominal fee, but a bag lunch usually works best. Please contact the La Salette Shrine Program Center for further details.

 
Our Lady of La Salette Chapel  
      The Shrine Chapel has a character that fits the setting. Its rustic simplicity mirrors the simple and quiet beauty of the surrounding countryside and Lake Mascoma. 
       Wagon wheel lighting reminds all pilgrims that the life journey they are on is slow and steady and that God is calling us forward.
       The old wooden pews provide just enough comfort to prevent our minds from wandering but not enough to distract us from the journey.

Gift Shop ~ 603-632-4301
Manager - Brother David Carignan, MS

        La Salette Gift Shop offers a variety of religious articles of varying prices to accommodate all of life's special occasions that you would want to honor with the depth of the sacred: statues, crucifixes, rosaries, religious jewelry, Nativity figures and more.  We carry a wide selection of books and music as well.

The La Salette Cross
       The children to whom Mary appeared at La Salette, France, on September 19, 1846, described the crucifix on Mary's breast as more radiant than anything else in the apparition.
       A hammer hung on one side and pincers on the other. Although Mary did not explain the significance of these implements, it is thought that the hammer represents sin, which nailed Jesus to the Cross.  Just as the pincers removed the nails, penance and prayer help us reconcile the world to God.
      Around the world, the La Salette Cross has become the characteristic symbol of Mary's message to be reconciled to God.

 
La Salette Cafeteria

       The Cafeteria has a fully equipped kitchen. Food service is available during the Christmas Light season and for our programs.   

         
          The Cafeteria & Program Center is largely used for day retreat groups and hosts a variety of civic groups.  These groups need to contact us far enough in advance to secure its use.  A donation is requested.
 

Grounds
         La Salette Shrine is located on the shores of Lake Mascoma, on Route 4A in Enfield, New Hampshire. 
        The Shakers (see "The Miracle of Enfield" below) called this patch of heaven "Chosen Vale." Mascoma's blue waters mirror the birch, pine, and maple that populate the surrounding hills and mountains and give this valley a unique beauty the year 'round. It is no surprise that the spirit jumps into prayer once arrived.
 

Last Supper Reconciliation Chapel
         A small A-frame chapel is located on the edge of our property. It contains a beautiful wood carving of the Last Supper. It is used especially during the Christmas lights season, for children (and others) to write a Birthday Card to Jesus.

Pavilion
        On the hill is located the Pavilion. The Pavilion which seats approximately 80 is used as a place for prayer services, music and relaxation.

The Miracle of Enfield: A Vale Chosen by God Himself
        It’s 1782 and many of the folks in Mascoma Valley have become involved in Protestant religious revival.  Since the Nineteenth Century is just around the corner, many wonder if the Lord might not choose this time for his Second Coming.  And if he does come, what might he expect to find among his followers?
        At the invitation of one of the townspeople, two brothers come to the valley to address the faithful on the Shaker religious beliefs.  Their celibate community claims that Mother Ann—their foundress—is the feminine counterpart of Christ and that both men and women must now work diligently to build a perfect earth if they are to be acceptable for a perfect heaven.  A number of the townspeople like what they hear and before long, a community is born.
       The Shakers call Mascoma Valley, “Chosen Vale” and they find God’s presence here in a special way.  Over the years, their example attracts new believers and by the mid-century over 350 members share their lifestyle in Enfield, N.H.  Numerous buildings spring up and the Great Stone Dwelling House (1837) effectively becomes the largest Shaker dwelling house ever built.  Even to this day, this magnificent building stands as a tribute to lives dedicated to God.
       The Shaker industriousness knows no boundaries and seeks perfection in all things.  Their farm skills lead to the development of our modern seed industry; to patent medicines; and to new forestry techniques.  They weave indestructible sweaters, create beautiful and simple furniture, and set to paper a whole repertory of music to praise God and his creation.
       Times change, however, and with new times come changes in values and lifestyles.  As the Twentieth Century draws near, the Shakers become aware of a dwindling membership.  They begin to speak the unspeakable—some of their settlements will have to be closed.  Might this be a sign of the Lord’s Second Coming?  The Shakers are finally faced with closing their Chosen Vale community in 1923.  For four years, the property sits idle.
       In 1927, at the invitation of a parish priest in Lebanon, N.H. Father Zotique Chouinard, M.S., a La Salette Missionary contacts Elder Bruce in Canterbury and begins negotiations for acquisition of the property.  In early December of that year, the Shakers sell Chosen Vale for $25,000 — the sum Father Chouinard was authorized to spend.
      The Enfield property now enters a second phase not unlike the period of the Shakers:  young men are to be trained for the celibate religious life and for the Catholic priesthood.  In August 1928, the Sisters of Saint Martha arrive to attend to the cooking and household tasks once carried out by the Shaker Sisters.
      For forty years the use of this property continues to evolve, but manages to maintain the prayerful commitment of a celibate life dedicated to God along with a quest for practicality and a respect for roots.  The beautiful and stately Mary Keane Memorial Chapel is added in 1930 thanks to the generosity of an eminent benefactress.
      In 1974 the seminary closes its doors as a result of soaring costs and a change in lifestyles, which results in reduced numbers of vocations at the high school level.  Chosen Vale enters yet another phase.  The scenic shores of Mascoma begin to attract families seeking a sacred place in which to rest and be recreated.  Some even sell their homes to be near the La Salette Missionaries in their search for God’s will today.
In the heart of this great valley home there lies a place of special value and sacredness: The Shaker and La Salette Cemeteries.  These sacred grounds bear witness not to death, but to life, to life lived out fully in the service of God.  Here lie in peace such heroes as Moses Johnson who built a number of Shaker Meeting Houses; Caleb Dyer who built many of the great edifices in this Chosen Vale and who brought the Shaker Community to its apex; Rev Zotique Chouinard, M.S. who saw the dream of a LaSalette Community come to life at great personal expense to himself and to the early fathers and brothers; Miss Mary Keane who returned to God the hundredfold of gifts with which he had blessed her; and so many others who were able to find here a special presence of God and who proclaim to all that this valley is special, that this is God’s Chosen Vale.
        La Salette continues to be a special gift from God.  The community which flowed from the apparition of Our Lady at La Salette France in 1846 has grown to encompass mission areas all over the world.  The Enfield community sprang from a residence and mother Province in Hartford, Connecticut.  From Enfield has come a whole new religious Province in the Philippine Islands.  The movement goes on.  Where the future and God will lead cannot be foretold.  Who would have dreamed back in 1782 that today this Chosen Vale would serve families in a special way?  Who would have thought in 1846 when the Shakers were erecting a Sacred Stone that two weeks later Our Lady would appear at La Salette and re-echo the message that “from this ground a spring would flow that would bring healings from afar?”  Who would have dreamed in 1927 that Miss Keane would make possible in 1930 a Church that none could even imagine?
        Many refer to our on-going story as The Miracle of Enfield.  Why doubt it?  Nothing short of a miracle could have brought us to where we are today.  The signs of God never cease to amaze us as we live each sunrise and sunset under his watchful eye.  As St. Paul would say:  If God is for us, who can be against us?

Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! 

Now and forever, praised be Jesus Christ!