My husband and I met over a mini vacation with friends in 2010 in Orlando, Florida. We started dating officially in May 2011 after 4 years of traveling and getting to know each other we got engaged in 2015 and within 6 months we got married. We decided to start a family soon after our honeymoon in June 2016. It was not as easy as we had hoped. My husband’s mom told us about Our Lady of La Leche and during our first anniversary we decided to visit the Shrine to ask for Our Lady’s help and guidance. We met Father Ivan as he was making a prayer to Newfoundland dogs and it caught our attention because we have a dog and we were missing him, so we joined the blessing. We noticed Father Ivan was Colombian and my in-laws wanted to talk to him. He was happy to meet us and he told us some powerful words that touched our hearts. He spoke to us as if he knew what was in our minds and hearts. He then invited us to pray with him and he blessed my belly. He told us the story of Our Lady of La Leche and told us to recite the prayer daily. We then parted ways and he asked us to keep him informed. About a year later we shared the amazing news with him that we were expecting a little one! We visited again in December 2017 on our way to a family vacation in North Carolina. We had to stop and see Father Ivan and pray in the Shrine. We walked the grounds and felt so calm and peaceful. We stayed in contact with Father Ivan until our son was born in May 2018. We are forever grateful and blessed. Our Lady was with me during my delivery. I can’t explain it but I never felt alone and she helped me through the pain and the 16 hours of labor. We are now going to celebrate our son Lucas Ethan’s baptism in the Shrine as a thank you to Our Lady of La Leche.

Julia G., Broward, Florida

After years of trying to get pregnant, I called Catholic Charities about adopting and told my husband, Sean, this was it, I could not do it anymore. I finally surrendered. My mother, grandmother and I went to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. When we walked in, a woman said without knowing why I was there, "Miracles happen everyday here, we have people who have been trying for 10 years to have a baby and 9 months later come in with a baby." We lit our candle, got on our knees and prayed, and I truly surrendered and put it in God's hands. This was the month we got pregnant. Tripp was born in 2004 and was baptized at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche around Easter. We now are the proud parents of five healthy children, ranging from five to twelve. You never know how the Holy Spirit works or how God is using you. When you look back, it's easy to see God's plan but while you are in it, you feel lost and helpless. God gave us the perfect baby at the perfect time for our family. I know what a gift my children are and think usually I am more patient because of it. Blessings upon blessings. God knew what He was doing in His perfect timing.

Devon and Sean L. – Jacksonville, Florida