Dolores Schafer has come to feel very close to Mary, the mother of Jesus, over the past year. It was a year ago in October when she came to know Mary’s loving care in a special way while the Pilgrim Madonna statue was staying in their home.

In Springfield, Ohio, the Schafers’ son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Dawn, were experiencing a difficult time with Dawn’s pregnancy. She was hospitalized and delivered twins at 25 months’ gestation, almost 11 weeks early. Doctors did not expect the tiny babies, Noah and Kylie, to survive.

As Dolores and Paul prepared to rush to the neonatal intensive care unit in Dayton, Dolores was thinking about the Madonna, and about how much comfort and protection she has felt while having the Pilgrim Madonna in her home. She prayed for Mary’s intercession.

"Our Lady cares about babies," Dolores said. Also, the Schafers left a note in Sacred Heart’s Chapel of Divine Mercy, asking those who pray there to remember the twins in prayers before the Blessed Sacrament.

The Pilgrim Madonna program was begun about 15 years ago in Sacred Heart Parish, by Tom and Trudy Porter. At the time, there was just one statue of Mary that was moved periodically from home to home. Having the statue in the home helped remind people of the love and comfort that the Blessed Mother offers in both  times of joy and times of trouble.

"At the beginning, there was just one statue," said David Houk who, with his wife Norma, is one of the people who helps organize the moving of the statue from home to home. "The response was so good that a second statue was added."

The Houks became involved with the Pilgrim Madonna because, he said, "We thought this would be a good ministry for us, and we have been doing it for about 12 years. We also were able to start ht e program with another statue in the Seville Mission." A couple of years ago, Tom and Lucy HIrschinger became active and joined in the ministry.

A sign-up book is kept in the Chapel of the Divine Mercy, where people may sign up to have the Madonna visit their home for a full week. "It’s a wonderful way for families to come together to pray and say a daily Rosary before the Blessed Mother," David said. "We have many people tell us that she seems to come to their homes whenever there is some special need."

For the Schafers, the premature birth of the twins was a crisis. The baby girl, Kylie, almost died three times during her three months in neonatal intensive care, Dolores related. All during that time, she said, "Our Lady was in our house. I truly believe Mary’s intercession saved their lives. They were miracle babies." Dolores is grateful to all who prayed for the babies to get well. "This parish prayed!" she said.

Today, Noah and Kylie are a year old, and beautiful, lively children. The Pilgrim Madonna statue recently returned to the Schafers’ home, and Dolores placed a birthday balloon and flowers next to it — to include Mary in the celebration.