How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The Virgin Mary has been appearing in our city, bringing her message of peace to a crumbling world. As in Lourdes and Fatima, Our Lady has granted her presence to people just like you. For information call 555-MARY. (1.18)
Lourdes and Fatima are sites of shrines to the Virgin Mary in Europe (France and Portugal, respectively), where she's said to have appeared to faithful followers who happened to be children (Fatima) and a teenage girl (Lourdes). Why Cecilia includes a photo of Mary in her suicide attempt isn't really explained. Is she protesting the rigid Catholicism in her family? Is she fascinated by it? Is it part of her emotional disturbance? Is she praying for salvation after her death? The narrators and the readers are left to wonder. Later, when the girls leave the Virgin cards around the neighborhood, it's a little more understandable as a way of identifying themselves to the boys and an ominous statement of their connection with Cecilia.
Quote #2
Mr. Lisbon read the words three times. Then he said in a defeated voice, "We baptized her, we confirmed her, and now she believes this crap."
It was his only blasphemy during the entire ordeal. Mrs. Lisbon reacted by crumpling the picture in her fist (it survived; we have a photocopy here). (1.19-20)
We guess Mr. Lisbon wasn't the one directing the girls' religious upbringing; he calls the beliefs "crap." Sounds like he feels responsible for giving her an experience that somehow got associated with the idea of suicide. Mrs. Lisbon, the devout one, reacts by crumpling the card. It's probably horrifying to her that her religious beliefs got wrapped up in Cecilia's problems.
Quote #3
Father Moody showed more perseverance. [. . .] "How about we get the Mrs. down here? Have a little chat."
Mr. Lisbon hunched toward the screen. "Afraid she's not seeing anybody right now. [. . .]"
"She'll see her priest," Father Moody said. (3.4-6)
After Cecilia's death, her mother's understandably devastated and withdrawn. She doesn't want to receive any visitors, and her husband plays goalie, defending her from stray do-gooders who might want to cheer her up. The priest knows she's a devout Catholic and figures that she'll make an exception for her priest. He's wrong. She never looks to him as a source of comfort.