The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa was founded in Doylestown in 1953. And over the nearly 70 years of its existence, presumably the bulk of Bucks County natives — at least the ones interested in seeing it — have been there. But according to former local resident John Hook, a reunion that returned him to the area finally got him onsite to discover its joys firsthand. He explains in statecollege.com.

Hook and his wife lived in the county for seven years before moving to State College. When friends invited them to a reunion of sorts — an event they eagerly anticipated, given the extended COVID-19 lock downs — they made the trip.

Before attending the party, the Hooks made a side trip to the shrine, a bucket-list destination that had somehow slipped through their fingers as residents.

Hook described a meaningful bit of happenstance as they drove to Our Lady of Czestochowa.

“The Beatles song Let It Be appropriately played from the shuffle mode on our phone’s playlist: ‘When I find myself in times of trouble; Mother Mary comes to me; Speaking words of wisdom; Let it be,’” he wrote.

Of his time spent there, Hook described it as “…a place where people can find quiet, peace and refuge from our busy world.”

More on the Hooks and their time in Bucks County is at statecollege.com.