By John Paul Tomba
On June 6, 2019, Tradition, Family, Property—Louisiana and TFP-Texas joined forces for a “Call to Chivalry Day” in Lumberton, Texas. The venue was the Terra Maria (Land of Mary) Ranch, owned and kindly made available by the Dr. Odis Gossett family.
As with Call to Chivalry Days in Lafayette, Louisiana, the event was designed to give a small group of Catholic boys a taste of the bigger Call to Chivalry Camp that will be held later this summer.
Ten boys ages 11–17 converged on the Land of Mary from Louisiana and Texas. After a pizza dinner, all helped gather wood for a campfire outside. The prospect of a campfire in humid, 95-degree weather left some without enthusiasm. However, when the s’more supplies were unveiled, the heat was quickly forgotten. The campfire and evening concluded with the reading of a selection from The Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco.
Friday was thankfully much cooler and a perfect day for a field trip. The destination came as a surprise since no one suspected there exist miraculous springs in Nacogdoches, Texas. The springs are called the “Eyes of Fr. Margil de Jesus.” The “eyes” are two separate springs and have been flowing since 1718. Read the entire story of the miracle here . The outing was followed by a meatless, packed lunch, and a stroll through the nearby Oak Grove Cemetery where the graves of three of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence can be found.
The hour ride back to Terra Maria Ranch was spent solving riddles and playing card games. Upon arrival, the young warriors had their fill of glorious sword battles on a sun-soaked battlefield. Afterwards, much to everyone’s delight, a wonderful spread of lemonade, ice tea, cakes, and cookies greeted everyone in the kitchen. The day came to a close with a presentation about symbolism, using the example of two eternal enemies; the lion and the hyena, followed by a Chinese shadow-show relating the story of Spain’s Don Pelayo and the miracle of Covadonga.
Thus ended the Call to Chivalry Day in the Land of Mary.
