Divine Moments & Apparitions

A weathered seventy-seven-year-old man who, through the divine grace of God, has survived danger and numerous life-threatening medical conditions-including terminal mesothelioma lung cancer that should have claimed his life years ago. This book speaks against all odds, as he remains a living testament to God’s will, continuing to walk this earth to watch his grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow. In his heart and mind, he also believes he has been given the responsibility to help preserve a small piece of the Ursuline Sisters’ history in Frontenac, Minnesota.Within these pages, he recounts undeniable divine moments and apparitions that began in his youth and continue today. Among the most recent signs is the appearance of what he calls a 'spiritual rod,' captured on security cameras in his backyard as the sun rises over Wells Creek. To him, this recurring image is a divine message- one that can only come from the hand of God. The meaning of that message is revealed in a short story within this book.Connecting the Legacy: Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Bernadette, and the Ursuline SistersThe true spiritual heart of John Lund’s memoir does not lie merely in his narrow escapes from danger, but in his hallowed ground where these memories were finally put to paper. The writing of this book is inseparably bound to the Ursuline Sisters, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Saint Bernadette Soubirous through a historic chain of:The Ursuline Sisters' Sanctuary: In 1890, the Ursuline Sister built the Glengarda Cottage as part of their 124-acre Villa Maria estate. They dedicated their lives to service, prayer, and guiding young women.The Grotto of Massabielle: Just 500 feet from Lund’s cottage sits a historic stone grotto commissioned by the Ursuline Sisters in 1893. Built as a replica of the famous healing shine in Lourdes, France, it houses a statue of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Lourdes) and a small stone statue at feet feet.Saint Bernadette’s Apparition: The grotto’s lower statue depicts Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the 14-year-old peasant girl to whom the Virgin Mary appeared in France in 1858. In a profound modern parallel, Lund recounts capturing a saintly silhouette on his security camera right outside his cottage window. He deeply believes this silhouette presence was Saint Bernadette herself, delivering a timeless message of prayer, repentance, and divine comfort.Ultimately, this memoir serves as a bridge across centuries. The same quiet, unwavering faith that guided Saint Bernadette in France and inspired the Ursuline Sisters to build a sanctuary in Minnesota is what gave an ordinary military veteran the strength to survive a terminal cancer diagnosis and preserve this hallowed ground.