House of Loreto

In the quiet of St. Boniface Grade School, within the small, sunlit classroom, Sister Mary Claire sat beside a single desk where Kathy Dennison, her only student, was perched eagerly, her eyes reflecting a world of curiosity. The classroom, usually echoing with the voices of many children, today was filled with a tranquil hush as Sister Mary Claite prepared to share a story close to her heart.

"Kathy," Sister Mary Claire began, her voice a gentle whisper that seemed to dance with the dust motes in the air, "I want to tell you about a house unlike any other, a home that held a family graced by God."

Kathy listened intently as Sister Mary Claire wove the tale of the Holy House of Nazareth, where the Angel Gabriel had come to Mary. She spoke of how this simple dwelling, made of earth and wood, had been the cradle of the Holy Family's love.

"But there came a time," Sister Mary Claire continued, "when the land was fraught with danger, and those who loved the Holy House feared for its safety."

Kathy's eyes widened as she learned of the prayers offered up by the faithful, asking for a miracle to protect the sacred home. And then, Sister Mary Claire told of the night when angels descended, their hands lifting the house from its foundations as gently as a mother lifts her child.

"The angels carried it over hills and seas, all the way to a small town in Italy named Loreto. They placed it there so that all who wished could visit and remember the love that dwelt within its walls."

"Why just me, Sister?" Kathy asked softly, her mind alive with images of flying houses and angelic processions.

Sister Mary Claire smiled, reaching out to hold Kathy's hand. "Because, my dear, every soul's journey to faith is unique, and today, this journey is yours. And just as that house was lovingly carried to safety, you are lovingly held in the heart of the Church."

Kathy nodded, a sense of belonging wrapping around her like a warm blanket.

"And when you say the Litany of Loreto, remember," Sister Mary Claire concluded, "you are walking through the door of that very house, joining all those before you in a lineage of faith."

As the bell tolled the end of the day, Kathy left the classroom, not just as a lone student, but as a young girl carrying within her the story of a house and the angels that carried it across the world.