Our Lady’s Handmaids
Young people, no less than their elders, need community and ways to serve; and the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe works to provide these for the youth in the La Crosse area. One of these, Our Lady’s Handmaids, a thriving group for young girls, was created specifically for the needs of the Shrine community.
Monthly Meetings
Our Lady’s Handmaids meet on first Saturdays and third Mondays throughout the school year, taking summers off. First Saturday meetings consist in reflections, the Rosary, and joining in Mass, followed by cleaning the church. On third Mondays, the group begins with a Rosary, then enjoys activities together, including various handcrafts.
The Formation of the Handmaid
“We’re having fun, first and foremost! We’re having a great time,” says Lisa Ilfrey, previous member of the Shrine’s Board of Directors, who has led the Handmaids since their beginning six years ago. “But underlying it all, we’re making little saints, hopefully.” The Handmaids, Ilfrey explains, are primarily a catechetical group, open to girls who have made their First Communion up to about age eighteen. The idea began when Ilfrey and Cardinal Burke discerned that the girls in the area needed a group similar to the boys’ Knights of the Altar. Preexisting programs ended up not working, leading to the creation of something new and unique.
Cardinal Burke’s Endorsement
“It’s an excellent program and it’s completely integrated with the Shrine,” says Cardinal Burke. “The girls are inducted at a Mass that I celebrate at the Shrine, and their various levels of progress are recognized.” The Handmaids’ work in the church, his Eminence adds, is not janitorial in nature; the maintenance staff deals with that aspect of cleaning. Rather, the Handmaids keep the church beautiful, with tasks like looking after the sacristy, arranging books, and bringing in flowers.
Contributions to the Church
While the girls provide a good service to the Shrine, their gathering is above all for their own benefit. “Its primary purpose is to bring girls and their families to the Shrine,” says Ilfrey, “because Our Lady is constantly calling us to convert our hearts and prepare them for her Son.” As the above indicates, the families take part as well; each Handmaid is accompanied by a parent or another adult, and parents take turns bringing snacks.
Finding Time
Taking time for such involvement can be challenging for a family, as Ilfrey acknowledges, with the many factors competing for families’ attention. “It’s easy to get worried and hear other people saying, ‘Oh, it’s so important that you do this, it’s so important that you do that,’ and then you get bogged down.” To handle this sometimes overwhelming pace of life, she recommends prioritizing the service of God: “If you seek to put God first in your life, everything else will fall together. It’s hard sometimes to trust that, but I’ve seen firsthand what amazing things can happen if you put God first.” As this experience demonstrates, if a young lady and her family find that participation in the Handmaids brings them closer to the Lord, the time investment will be well rewarded.
Sign up!
Those interested in learning more about Our Lady’s Handmaids may contact Lisa Ilfrey at Handmaids@guadalupeshrine.org. There is no cost for membership.
