The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows invites you to join in the 63rd annual Healing and Hope Novena. For nine special nights, July 28 – August 5, 2006, pilgrims will gather at the Shrine to pray for God’s blessings.

Many of us are searching for healing. We may need spiritual healing, emotional healing, psychological healing, or physical healing. Each night of the novena has an important theme that relates to these types of healing. Some of the themes include: Finding Healing and Hope within Physical Infirmities, Finding Healing and Hope within Family Relationships, and Finding Healing and Hope within Financial Stresses. On the final night of the novena, August 5th, the Shrine will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows with the theme Thanksgiving for Healing and Hope Received.

The homilists for the novena include: Fr. Louis Studer, O.M.I., Director of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows; Bishop Robert J. Hermann, D.D., Auxilary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis; Fr. Seamus Finn, O.M.I., Director of the U.S. Social Justice Ministry at the Oblate Provincial Offices in Washington, D.C.; Fr. Richard Hall, O.M.I., Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Laredo, Texas; Fr. John Myler, Pastor, St. Mary’s Parish, Belleville, Illinois; Fr. Tony Rigoli, O.M.I., Pastor, St. Jude Shrine in New Orleans, Louisiana; Fr. Raul Salas, O.M.I., Associate Director, National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows; Fr. Ed Hauf, O.M.I., Ministry of Healing at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows; Bishop Edward Braxton, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois.

If you cannot join us physically, please join us spiritually! Novena prayers and homilies will be available on-line at www.oblates.org/novena.