Tiny Slice of Heaven On Earth

Have you ever driven down Bluebonnet Boulevard all the way until it ends? Bluebonnet turns into Coursey then George O’Neal and at the very end of an unassuming road is, in my opinion, a little tiny slice of Heaven on Earth. Here you will find the home of the Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center. More famously, here is the home of Sister Dulce, our local healing nun.

Who is Sister Dulce?

Sister Dulce is a well sought out nun and healer. From near and far, people travel to the prayer center for hope, healing, and to find peace during times of great turmoil. The mission of Cypress Springs reads as follows: To offer a place of healing and evangelization where God’s suffering people and their families, young and old, can find spiritual consolation and guidance, comfort, and peace. A place that will continue to nurture families even after the journey of their loved one is complete. 

Sister entered the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as a teenager and has traveled the world fulfilling their mission. Prior to her healing ministry, she spent her days in schools as a teacher and administrator. Sister Dulce came to Baton Rouge in 2001 to begin a ministry. She calls her ministry a prayer ministry, as she sees herself as a messenger of God and not a healer. Since 2001, her ministry has grown tremendously. The prayer center where she now resides was built in 2009.  

The Ministry

Sister Dulce offers a variety of ministries from in-person appointments, phone conversations, prayer groups for both men and women, and an active prayer list for those in need. Most of the visitors to Cypress Springs are sick, some terminally. Although not all find total healing from their illness, most do feel peace in her presence. I know this because my husband and I leaned heavily on her during some very dark days of his cancer journey.

The Chapel and Prayer Center

Have you ever told someone, I’ll pray for you and afterward feel you did not pray enough, or perhaps you forgot to pray when you said you would? Often, we hear of tragedies and people going through difficult times. We are living in a hurting world. My favorite thing about this prayer chapel is the ability to physically do something for a friend or loved one amidst a difficult time. In the gift shop, medals can be purchased for under two dollars. These medals are of various shapes, including body parts for specific illness-related intentions, or a medal can be purchased representing a whole person. After purchasing a medal, you walk over to the chapel and pin the medal to a cloth draped over Jesus on the cross. No matter your faith or religious practice, this simple act is a way to lay the intention down and offer it to a power much stronger than we are. Every person who comes behind you to pray and kneel at this cross will be praying for you also. In a world seemingly fractured, the quiet chapel and beautiful grounds of the prayer center are a place to go in Baton Rouge for a little slice of peace.