LORETO (part V): Hello God, it's me Caitlyn

LORETO IS AN HISTORIC, religious town and a host to many pilgrimages.

When we arrive, however, it’s raining and doesn’t seem so special.

Ducking under a doorway to stay dry we watch a monk stroll in an oversized, hooded, chocolate robe. He’s dark-skinned with white hair and the robe sits heavy on his frail body.

As he passes, the most enormous thunder goes off and echoes through the city. The light above us in the entrance to the crypt flickers and Philly, Berit, and I grab onto each other and huddle against a decorative iron door behind us.

Our professor, George, looks back at us and scoffs, “Funny, because the first thing I think when I hear thunder is to get away from the metal.”

We all laugh, but George admits that the thunder scared him too.

It seems everyone jumped at the sound…except the monk who is still walking towards the Bascilica, in the rain. He’s sort of smiling to himself, as if he was the one who set off the ground-shaking sound.

“Was that God?” I wonder aloud, half joking.

Now in a religious state of mind, I wander onward and see a flock of ladies dressed head to toe in white. Their shoes are orthopedic-style and chunky, stockings covered their legs and a one piece jumper is their uniform. The whole outfit is bleached pure white. Each one seems busily tending to an elderly person, of which there are many.

Looking around I think, “These nuns all look so young.”

I see one talking on her cell phone and wearing a lot of make-up.

Later in the day I spot a few of these nuns in a store getting custom-embroidered aprons and giggling like schoolgirls. They are throwing down money left and right.

“Things sure seem opposite here in Loreto,” I say, puzzled.

It is then that a shiny object catches my eye. A small red cross on their habit lets me know that these nuns were not nuns at all.

They are nurses.

“Well that explains a lot,” I comment aloud to assure myself that I wasn’t going crazy.

As soon as they leave the store I watch as three nurses reach into their purses and light up cigarettes.

“Loreto nurses all smoke cigarettes?” I say to no one. “I feel like I’m in the twilight zone.”

- Caitlyn Slivinski