I had an unusual day yesterday. I traveled to the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center in Baton Rouge to bring a new friend (our husbands have been friends for a long time) to see Sister Dulce Maria.
As I am known to do, I did research before I took the trip because I’m not fond of surprises. I found Sister Dulce’s history fascinating. I read about the center and her calling from God to be a healer. You can read her story here – http://www.cypressspringsprayercenter.org/index.php/History/sister-dulce-maria.html
During the five years she was at St. Leo’s, Sister said she put herself on the back burner. She would just work all the time sometimes going three days without sleep. “But God sustained me. When I got my gift, I was exhausted. I needed to rest a while. A vision sounds pretentious, but what really happened was while praying, I felt a tremendous pain. The Lord asked me ‘What is wrong.’ I said ‘I am in terrible pain.’ The Lord said, ‘Show me your hands‘ and when I did my hands were transparent like glass and inside my hands were His hands, wounds and all. Then He told me ‘Put your hands where it hurts.’ When I placed my hands on the pain, it completely disappeared and I woke up. I thought I had been dreaming, but I realized now that it was a vision through which I received the invisible stigmata,” Sister shared.
Sister Dulce did not want to initially accept the Lord’s call. She felt that she didn’t have time for this. She still had a mission to run. But the Lord’s hands guided her. His hands and His wounds are in her hands. The Lord taught her little by little and she began to use her hands and prayers to help His people.
Sister is quick to emphasize that she doesn’t like to be called a healer. “It is the Lord who is the healer. He has to be in the forefront. It’s God’s hands bringing His merciful love to others. I don’t look into a crystal ball, but it is the Lord who sees pain. I’m being used as the instrument of God. It’s like I’m able to see with my hands,” she clarifies.
“Sometimes people think of me as a fat, frumpy, little nun. But, I’m really a very simple uncomplicated person who brings God’s mercy and love to others. He has decided He’s going to use me to bring His mercy, love and power to people. He used a very simple vessel to do a great work. I work very hard to be a faithful servant of the Lord,” shares Sister. “It’s through His grace and power that I accomplish what I do. I have no gifts. The one gift I have is that I was chosen and given the privilege to bring His love and mercy to His people.”
Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you chose to explore the site, I promise you, that you will be as fascinated as I was. When my friend was called to the back, she gestured for me to accompany her and I did. As we waited for her time with Sister Dulce, I had the chance to look around. The building is very nice and the walls are painted a peaceful green. Most of the volunteers working there are former cancer patients I was told. The love emanating from each of these women put everyone at ease, even the first-timers like myself.
When the door opened for our turn, we stepped inside another simple room painted a serene green. Sister Dulce is just as she describes herself – a fat, frumpy, little nun, but she has such a huge presence. Her smile radiates kindness and God’s love to all who are blessed to enter the little room. Her personality fills the air and I was immediately at ease.
As we were taking our leave, she reached out to me and she told me she was so happy that my friend had another angel to bring her to Baton Rouge. I could only nod and agree; words didn’t seem necessary. She also held my eyes with hers as she told me to be sure to come and see her if I needed her.
Later, as we were having lunch, I questioned my friend about her comment. I asked if it were normal for her to make such an offer. She said no, that Sister knows things.
Before we made the trip, I had wondered if Sister Dulce might pick up on my blood diseases if she were to touch me, as she had when I said goodbye. When she told me to come and see her if I needed her, the blood disorders were not what was on my mind. What I truly felt drawn to inquire was did she heal broken hearts. Something told me she already knew the broken parts.
