Seeking Miracles: Our Devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes

David and Mercedes Rizzo discuss how devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes has become significant for their family.

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital near where we live has always held a special place in our hearts especially for Mercedes, who was born there. One of its most striking features of the hospital is the thirty-foot-tall limestone statue of the Blessed Mother, which sits atop the building, looming 185 feet above the ground. This statue is not easy to miss. It is a reassuring symbol of comfort to patients, family members, and staff when they enter the 75-year-old building.

In 2011, when an earthquake caused a crack in the statue threatening its stability, it was temporarily removed so it could be repaired. This was no small feat, as the statue weighs 15 tons. When it was repaired, lights were added to the base of the statue so that it can be illuminated different colors depending on the occasion. Red, pink, and blue highlight awareness of heart health, breast cancer, and autism. When the statue is lit green, this means that someone has received a kidney, liver, or pancreas transplant.

Recently, we visited the hospital when the statue of Mary was lit green. Seeing the green illumination when we were driving in caused us to pause and say a prayer for whoever received the organ and for whoever donated it. 

Our Trip to the Grotto

The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on February 11th. Visiting Lourdes, France, has been on our bucket list for a long time. Miracles occur there. For us, having a daughter with a disability has led us to seek miracles on occasion.

Lourdes, France is a long way from us, but we heard about a replica of the grotto of Lourdes in Maryland (The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes). We took the drive, and were glad that we did. The grounds are breathtaking including a statue of Saint Joseph standing while Mary is lying down with the infant Jesus at her side after giving birth. This is thought to be the only known statue of the blessed Mother lying down.

There is also a very tall obelisk with a golden statue of Mary based on the Miraculous Medal of Saint Catherine Laboure. Also, there is a beautiful set of mosaics based on the mysteries of the rosary. There were so many beautiful statues including two of our favorites: the young Bernadette Soubirous in a field of flowers; and Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes, set in the stone Grotto.

We had a good time at the Shrine; however, for some reason we do not know Danielle became very upset and loud. The more we tried to calm her, the more upset she became. After a while, she calmed down enough to light a candle.

As we were driving home through the small towns and rolling farmland around us, we pondered the mystery of autism and the incomprehensible nature of God and His grace. Danielle’s difficulty at the shrine and the stress it caused her made us realize the need to pray and persevere even during the difficult times. This included the times when the reality of what our daughter is going through makes it hard to keep the faith. This compelled us to enter deeper into faith, and not give up. As we walked with Danielle through this grotto, a place that ought to have been serene but wasn’t, we persisted and helped her through it. In the end, we had to rely on God and His promise to Danielle and to us, remembering that we are all beloved sons and daughters of a loving Father.

Seeking Miracles, Seeking Strength

In a recent film about Lourdes called The Miracle Club, a priest tells a person seeking a miracle the following: “You don’t come to Lourdes for a miracle; you come for the strength to go on when there is no miracle.”

We understood how gaining strength to go on is miracle enough.

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Copyright 2026 David and Mercedes Rizzo
Images: copyright 2026 David and Mercedes Rizzo, all rights reserved