Back in the year 2000, we were blessed to go to France and Italy on a family pilgrimage in honor of the Jubilee Year. In planning our four week pilgrimage, we wanted to get to as many Marian shrines as we could. One of these was the Basilica and Shrine for Our Lady of LaSalette which is up in the French Alps very near Grenoble. This is a desolate, lonely spot at the top of the world … but one where we so enjoyed our 4 day stay. Since then, I have had a special devotion to Our Lady of LaSalette, whose message was summed up by Pope Pius IX: “You wish to know the secrets of La Salette? Well, it is this: ‘If you do not do penance, you will all perish!’”

This was a tough message over 150 years ago … it is still a tough message today. Blasphemies against God, His Church and the Mother of God are the standard now. We need to stop … we need to repent … we need to make reparation for these atrocities.

The good news: as Mary promised Melanie and Maximin in that small, mountain village long ago …. “the stones and rocks will turn into mounds of wheat and the potatoes will be self-sown in the land…”

Our Lady of LaSalette, pray for us!