Karen Andrulonis joined our Lady’s Association on June 10, 1980. Karen also became a Promoter of our Lady’s Association, enrolling many members, and receiving the special papal blessing granted to Promoters (along with other spiritual benefits granted to Promoters). Karen tells us that she’s not one to solicit people to join something, but she likes the option to send the names of friends and relatives (living and deceased) to our Lady’s Association and enroll them as members.
The Association Helps Out
Karen appreciates her affiliation with our Lady’s Association. She says that the services we provide such as Perpetual Memberships, prayer petitions, Votive Lights, and religious articles, make it easier to deal with events that happen in her life. Karen often enrolls a deceased friend or family member as a perpetual member at their death.
Karen also sends e-cards to her internet friends and requests Votive Lights to be burned for them at our Lady’s Shrine via our web site at amm.org. She enjoys the convenience and immediacy of using our web site. Karen appreciates that she doesn’t have to get in her car to go shopping for an appropriate gift when she can find one from our Lady’s Association via the internet.
Association Pilgrimages
She has been on several Association pilgrimages. Karen’s most recent trip with us was on our 2007 pilgrimage to Holland, Belgium, and Germany. Her first pilgrimage with our Lady’s Association was to the Holy Land in 1995. And the Holy Land pilgrimage made quite an impression on Karen. She relates, “I enjoyed all the pilgrimages that I went on with the Association. The people in our tour groups were very nice. I made new friends. The sights we went to (both religious and secular) were beautiful and meaningful, especially those places we visited during the Holy Land pilgrimage. To think I was at the places that were part of the lives of Mary and Jesus! When I am at Mass and I hear the readings and Gospels, sometimes I think to myself…‘I was at the site where that took place!’”
A Visit to Perryville
After her Holy Land pilgrimage, Karen decided to visit our Lady’s Shrine here in Perryville and attend our annual May Procession. She talks about her visit, “I seem to recall that on the Sunday of the ceremony, it rained and the May Procession and crowning had to be held indoors. I also took the tour of the Shrine. I would most definitely encourage people to visit our Lady’s Shrine in Perryville. It is beautiful; almost like being on one of the Association pilgrimage trips.”
Her Devotion to Our Lady
When asked about her devotion to our Lady, Karen replied, “I do pray to our Lady and when I feel I have the time, I tell her about my frustrations, hurts, pain, sufferings, and problems, and those of my loved ones. I request prayers and Votive Lights from the Association for my loved ones and myself when we are experiencing problems of one kind or another, in the hope that we will receive healing. But I have difficulty thinking of myself as being ‘very devoted’ because I don’t spend the amount of time in prayer and dedication to our Lady that ‘very devoted’ people do.”
Karen considers herself honored to be asked to share her personal experiences with you. It is her way of thanking our Lady for her many blessings. I am very grateful to Karen for her willingness to share a bit about herself with you.
I invite you to send your petitions to our Lady’s Altar where they will join Karen’s and the petitions of other members of the Association. Here they will be remembered in my daily Masses and prayers, the prayers of other members of our Lady’s Association, and the prayers of the Vincentian Family in the western part of the United States.—Father Grodecki
Karen Andrulonis joined our Lady’s Association on June 10, 1980. Karen also became a Promoter of our Lady’s Association, enrolling many members, and receiving the special papal blessing granted to Promoters (along with other spiritual benefits granted to Promoters). Karen tells us that she’s not one to solicit people to join something, but she likes the option to send the names of friends and relatives (living and deceased) to our Lady’s Association and enroll them as members.