Saint Fiacre, the patron saint of gardeners, has his feast day on August 30th. Originally born in Ireland, as a monk he moved to France and requested a plot of land to make himself a hermitage. The bishop allowed him as much as he could turn up in a day, and the holy monk used the tip of his staff to turn up only the land that he needed. He cultivated a garden and became very able in the usage of herbs for medicinal purposes. Saint Fiacre also built a hospice for travelers by his hermitage so as to offer them whatever hospitality he could.
Those who work at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse can appreciate the value of Saint Fiacre’s intercession as we keep the gardens beautiful for Our Lady and welcome the pilgrims who come through our doors. Abraham welcomed strangers who were actually angels. Hospitality is, indeed, a virtue which is always rewarding to practice. As the Shrine shows off the glory of Our Lady in the beautiful gardens and welcomes pilgrims under her mantle, the hope is that they find here, as so many did in Saint Fiacre’s hermitage, a place of rest in a place of beauty.
