St. Michael parishioner Madeline Miller receives her first Holy Communion from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York during Mass May 4 at the Grotto in Lourdes, France. Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari of Belmont Abbey and Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro also concelebrated the Mass. (Photos by Megan Bean)GASTONIA — The Miller family of Gastonia had long awaited an opportunity to travel to Lourdes with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to assist the malades (those who are seriously ill) on one of their annual pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France.
As Divine Providence would have it, their daughter Madeline completed her preparation for first Holy Communion at St. Michael Parish just in time to be able to receive the sacrament while they were on the Order of Malta’s 34th annual pilgrimage to the famous Marian shrine and its healing waters.
“We have wanted to go on this pilgrimage ever since my parents went for the first time many years ago,” says Ginny Miller, Madeline’s mother. “My dad, Kip Rolland of Dallas, Texas, is a Knight of Obedience in the Order of Malta, and I have learned about the order and their works from him.”
She recounts that the first time her parents, Martha and Kip, went to Lourdes, they came home and couldn’t stop talking about how amazing and fulfilling the experience was. “They indicated it was very hard to put into words their experience there, and since then we really wanted to go.”
Miller’s husband Mike served on the medical team during the pilgrimage last month. She served as a volunteer and her daughters, Kate and Madeline, were pages.
The Millers had made arrangements for Madeline to receive her first Holy Communion at the shrine before the end of their pilgrimage.
“The thought of having our daughter receive the sacrament of her first Holy Communion in Lourdes, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette, just seemed like it would be an amazing and blessed experience for her,” Miller explains.
“We did not know which Mass or who would be giving her first Communion until we got there, but did know it would be happening.”
Madeline’s first Holy Communion took place at the Grotto Mass on May 4, with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, as the main celebrant. Benedictine Abbot Placid Solari, chaplain of the North Carolina chapter of the Order of Malta, and Monsignor Anthony Marcaccio, pastor of St. Pius X Church in Greensboro, were concelebrants and accompanied the North Carolina pilgrims and malades.
“We did not realize that Madeline would be the only one receiving first Holy Communion that day, so that was a surprise!” Miller recounts.
“It is hard to put into words what it was like to see our daughter receive her first Holy Communion in the Grotto at Lourdes. Just being there and standing at the sight where 18 Marian apparitions occurred and where Bernadette dug the spring that has produced so many miraculous healings was almost emotionally overwhelming. There is such peace and hope there,” she says.
“To see Madeline stand there in her beautiful white dress before the statue of Our Lady – I was so proud of her and in awe that she was able to receive this holy sacrament in such a sacred and beautiful location. It was hard to hold back the tears.
“Plus, to have Cardinal Dolan give her first Communion was pretty amazing! The whole Mass was beautiful.”
Madeline says it was very special to receive her first Holy Communion in Lourdes. She will never forget how chilly it was that day, and how a sweet Italian woman in the audience came up and wrapped her scarf around her to help her stay warm.
“After the Mass, when we walked over to return the scarf, she hugged all of us and was crying,” Miller recalls. “She pulled a prayer card of Padre Pio from her pocket and gave it to Madeline. Even despite the English/Italian language barrier, it was as if we all knew what the other was saying and feeling.
“I know that has meant a lot to Madeline.”
Miller says her daughter thinks “it’s pretty cool that Cardinal Dolan walked over afterwards and hugged her and gave her $10 as a first Communion gift. She has loved telling everyone that, too!”
Beyond receiving the sacrament, Miller says, it was wonderful to see both Kate and Madeline get to work right away on the pilgrimage assisting the malades.
“They loved meeting everyone, made good friends with the two other girls who were pages also,” she says. “And I loved seeing the joy on their faces as they were serving the malades and just being a help to whomever needed it. There is something so satisfying to your soul to see your children doing God’s work.”
— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter