The Stones of the Shrine

On the eleventh of April 2007, I received an invitation from "Télé Lumière" to visit Medugorje.  The date of this invitation wasn't a coincidence to me, but it was chosen by divine providence. The 11^th of April is significant to me because it is the date of my vocation to religious life in 1993.

I accepted the invitation and went to Medugorje on the first of May 2007, and there I contemplated the shrine of the white statue in the churchyard of the parish.  A crazy idea occurred in my mind.  I desired to buy the stones for the shrine in Lebanon from Medugorje.  While believers were praying near the shrine, I was counting the number of the stones of the shrine and planning.

I spoke to a Croatian using the language of signs until he understood what I wanted to say.  He took me in his car to the industrial area in the town.  We went to a factory of tiles and rocks, and there I chose the white stones of the shrine.

I told the Lebanese group I was in pilgrimage with about my vision.  Enthusiasm entered their hearts.  One by one they offered to carry one or two stones in their luggage. I bought the 130 stones of the shrine from Medugorje. A woman from Himlaya offered to pay the price of the white stones of the shrine.

On Sunday morning, these 130 stones were in the bags of seventy-five Lebanese people.  The next day, the plane flew from Europe to Lebanon, loaded with the stones for the shrine.  One week later, the stones began to be delivered in Deir-El-Kamar until they all arrived. The shrine construction was complete on the 27^th of May 2007.