On my second day of travelling back home, I stopped at Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, NE. It is located right off the highway, but you wouldn’t know it was there unless you knew. A small group of people from diverse backgrounds were united by the Holy Spirit with a vision of the Holy Family Shrine. Through a unique and divine series of events, they discovered they had been enlightened to the same idea: to create a place off of Interstate 80 for travelers to pray and discover the Catholic faith. After two years of searching for a perfect site for the Holy Family Shrine, a site located off the Gretna exit, in the bluffs overlooking the Platte Valley, was secured. You enter into the gift shop which houses the start of the water feature. A large spiral sculpture hanging from the ceiling drips water into a pool which feeds a series of stone channels that lead all the way to the altar of the chapel. The chapel itself is a tall wooden framed structure enclosed with glass. Behind and above the altar is an etching of the Holy Family in a large pane of glass. You can see the interstate from the inside, but you hear the peaceful sound of the water. I spent a lot of time there in the chapel, praying for my family and friends. Then I enjoyed meandering the grounds. It was like a little retreat. The rest of the drive was thankfully uneventful. I talked with one of the caretakers who told me about a couple of potential miracles that occurred there. It truly was an unique place. I am so grateful to see such beautiful, unusual, and serene prayer spaces.

I Found God today in a beautiful, serene Shrine.