The Guatemala Commission would like to extend an invitation to one and all to its sixth annual Celebration. The Celebration will be held on June 4 at the Barrister Winery in Spokane. Festivities will begin at 5:30 p.m.

 A hearty group of travelers joined Catholic Charities Eastern Washington recently for a pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and beyond. The group departed Spokane on March 18 for our third annual faith-based trip. Over 10 days, 25 pilgrims and one hardworking monsignor made stops in Portugal, France and Spain on a pilgrimage that took us to Marian shrines, basilicas and monasteries on mountaintops.

La confianza de San Juan Pablo II en nuestra Santísima Madre a menudo se remonta a la pérdida de su propia madre, Emilia, antes de los nueve años. Quienes lo conocieron mejor creyeron que María le proporcionó al difunto Papa una influencia maternal. El Santo explicó esta devoción en sus comentarios a los jóvenes en el mensaje de la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud en 2003: “Jesús te da a tu Madre para que te consuele con su ternura ... A lo largo de mi vida he experimentado la presencia amorosa y contundente de la Madre de nuestro Señor ... María es la Madre de la gracia divina, porque ella es la Madre del Autor de la gracia. ¡Encomiéndense a ella con total confianza!”

St. John Paul Il’s trust in our Blessed Mother has often been traced back to the loss of his own mother, Emilia, before he was nine. Those who knew him best believed that Mary provided the late Pope with a maternal influence. The saint explained this devotion in his comments to young people in the World Youth Day message in 2003: “Jesus gives his Mother to you so that she will comfort you with her tenderness. ... Throughout my life I have experienced the loving and forceful presence of the Mother of our Lord. ... Mary is the Mother of divine grace, because she is the Mother of the author of grace. Entrust yourselves to her with complete confidence!”