St. Martin of Tours Church

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This is the church where I went to Mass, while on vacation at Sint Maarten.  The island was named after St. Martin of Tours because it was his feast day when Columbus sailed by and saw the island for the first time.  The church is named St. Martin of Tours.  The Divine Word Missionaries serve there.  So you can imagine my surprise when I sat in a pew and looked up and saw a tall Dominican.  I was sitting under a statue of St. Dominic.

The smile that exploded across my face, made hubby roll his eyes.  :-D

If that weren't blessing enough, I looked across the aisle, and there on that wall pedestal was another Dominican--St. Rose of Lima.

I have no idea why Dominicans were honored in this church, named after St. Martin of Tours, on an island that was French/Dutch, and ministered by Divine Word Missionaries.  I can't find a history of the church and I emailed them and have received no response.  Also puzzling, is a statue representation outside the church.  There is a representation of the apparition in La Salette France.  Why here?

On the left is the entire set up.

On the right is a close up Mary sitting and weeping. Mary is weeping because people are defaming the Sabbath.  You can read more about the apparition of La Salette at this site

There's an Order of priests and Lay People that are dedicated to spreading Mary's message.  They are known as La Salettes or the Missionaries of La Salette.  I know this because nearby my home town, in Attleboro, Massachusetts, is a shrine called La Salette Shrine.  It is famous for its Christmas lights.  I've been there many times, not only at Christmas, but for Jon Polce concerts, (he's there once a month), retreats, their religious store, other events, and just to walk around their beautiful grounds.  They also have daily Confession, which is good to know.  I know La Salette Shrine very well, which is why I immediately recognized the statue at St. Martin of Tours Church, in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Netherlands West Indies, as Our Lady of La Salette.

It was good to know that this vacation was in line with God's will.  I received so-o-o many blessings.  Deo Gratias.