Trinity, draped it in white and laid upon it their finest grains, fruits,
vegetables, seafood and wine. The poor were invited to share in the
prayers and festivities.
The act of making an altar and attending carefully to the
surrounding ritual fulfills a promise made to the saint for an answered
prayer, begs his intervention during personal crisis or special
intention, or asks him to watch over the souls of the deceased.
It is believed that Saint Joseph rewards each individual
outpouring of effort and charity and will intercede to help in
recovery of illness, the conception of a child, success in business or
the safe return of a soldier in times of war, to name a few.
Many people came together to make this altar a success. Since
it is impossible to name everyone, we would like to thank the Rosary
group, the Women’s Spirituality Class, the Prayer Partners and all
of our other friends for helping make this Altar such a success. We
especially thank our own carpenter, our own St. Joseph, Fred Lieux
for all of the things he has built for the Center but especially for his
unselfish building of our altar.
Continued from page 1
Often when people visit the Cy-
press Springs Mercedarian Prayer
Center they notice the dolphins and
ask about the significance of the dol-
phin to the Prayer Center. Below is
an excerpt of an article written by
Michaela York and included in the
latest cookbook of Chef John Folse,
Hooks, Lies & Alibies which explains
the wonderful gift of “the Dancing
Fish”.
Baton Rouge was blessed several
years ago with the arrival of Sister Dulce
Maria, a nun of the Mercedarian Sisters
of the Blessed Sacrament. A religious
for nearly 50 years, all Sister every really
wanted in life was to live in community,
pray and teach; but Papa, as Sister affec-
tionately refers to God, had other plans.
Some years ago, after a particularly
difficult day ministering to the needs of
immigrant families in California, Sister
prayed before the Blessed Sacrament.
She said, “I was in humungous pain and
Papa asked me, ‘what’s wrong?’ I said,
‘
Papa, I am in pain.’ He said, ‘Show me your hands.’ I put out my
hands, but it was not my hands. My hands were like a crystal, like a
glass and inside my hands were His own, wounds and all. He said, ‘Put
your hands where they hurt,’ and when I did I woke up.” Sister consid-
ered the experience a wonderful dream from God.
After a particularly excruciating next day of helping people find
apartments, get jobs and receive medical care, Sister returned home to
find Catherine Alexander Georgette, her little pug dog, covered with
welts. “Georgie” had eaten poisonous fish and was suffering from a
severe reaction. Sister held Georgie and prayed, “Papa, please don’t take
my dog. I know she has no glory to give you, but please.” Sister felt as
though another hand was upon her own, and as she stroked her dog,
the welts vanished. Papa had answered her prayer and healed her pug.
Time passed and Sister was called to the home of a lady dying of
pancreatic cancer. As was common, Sister had Communion to ad-
minster, but the woman was in too much anguish to receive it. Again,
Sister felt a hand, a force upon her own, that was placed near the wom-
an’s pancreas. As Sister prayed, searing pain surged through her hand,
which she could not physically remove from the sick woman’s body.
When the pain subsided, the lady slept, and Sister’s swollen hand was
released by the invisible power that held it. Papa was calling, and Sister
understood. God would heal His suffering people through her touch.
Sister kept silent about her gift, but word spread, and she was
sought out for prayers and healing. As she lays hands on the suffering,
Sister prays the words given to her by God: “In your name Lord and
through your power, heal your servant of (name of problem). I receive
and accept (name of problem) into my hands and I give it to you.”
As Sister continued to pray and worry about the people to whom
she ministered, Papa gave her 10 promises. But, Sister questioned
whether these promises were God given or a result of her own anguish
for those who suffered. To alleviate Sister’s concern, God would give
her “the sign of the dancing fish.” She would receive a dolphin, but no
one would give it to her and, she would not purchase it. Not long af-
ST. JOSEPH ALTAR
Dolphins, Dolphins and More Dolphins
terward, as Sister left a breakfast meet-
ing, something flashed in her face, and
when she stooped to pick up the ob-
ject, it was a bracelet with 10 dancing
dolphins.
Some years later, God gave Sis-
ter another sign of the dolphin. She
was working as a school principal in
the Mojave Desert, but Papa said He
was sending her east. This time, Sister
asked for the sign of a white dolphin.
One day, Sister’s precocious 8th grad-
ers gave her a present: a white, antique
dolphin. Sister understood. “Every
time there’s going to be a miracle, I
get a dolphin.” So, she waited for the
priest God promised who would move
her east.
Today, dolphins surround Sister
at the Cypress Springs Mercedarian
Prayer Center, built in 2009 through
efforts of The Sister Dulce Foundation.
Through the portal of Baton Rouge,
Sister lays hands on God’s suffering
people: those with cancer, families of
the terminally ill, people needing spiri-
tual guidance and lost souls searching for God. Sister is still reluctant
to publicize her gift, yet she receives calls and visits from those seeking
God’s healing grace throughout the country and around the world.
Humbly, Sister says that her job is simply to pray and listen; Papa does
the work, she’s merely an instrument in His hands.
While suffering is a fact of life, all suffering can lead to greater
communion with God. “We have forgotten this is not the only life
there is,” Sister says. “We are walking toward our eternity; we will be
eternal some day; and what a joy to be eternal with the Lord.”
