Monte Cassino Shrine - St. Meinrad, Indiana

(Photo from Saint Meinrad Archabbey)

Destination: A day’s drive from nearly anywhere in the Rockford Diocese, the Monte Cassino Shrine at St. Meinrad, Ind., is a great stop on a fall colors drive. The shrine is one mile east of Saint Meinrad Archabbey along Indiana 62.
During May and October, Mass is held at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Why to go:  “Surrounded by trees and panoramic views of the Anderson Valley,” the Web site reads, “the shrine, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a testament to the age-old tradition of seeking God.”
The shrine is also a testament to how a novena to Our Lady of Monte Cassino saved the people of St. Meinrad from an 1871 smallpox epidemic. To this day, seminarians hold an annual pilgrimage of thanksgiving at the shrine around Jan. 13.
The shrine, which began as a simple wayside niche that housed a lithographic print of Mary, is now built on native sandstone. Inside, above the altar, is a wooden statue of Mary and Jesus that was hand carved in Switzerland.
Special events: Each May and October, there are Marian pilgrimages at the Shrine.  Speakers and topics this month are: Oct. 3 — Father Sean Hoppe, OSB, “Mary, Queen of Peace”; Oct. 10 — Brother Maurus Zoeller, OSB, “Marian Shrines and Pilgrimages”; Oct. 17 — Father Prior Kurt Stasiak, OSB, “Mary, One Who Trusted the Lord”; Oct. 24 — Father Joseph Cox, OSB, “Mary, the Good Soil”; Oct. 31 — Father Pius Klein, OSB, “Mary, Mother of Faith.” The hour-long pilgrimages start at 2 p.m.
Ammenities: The Archabbey Guest House has rooms for visitors.
Access: The shrine chapel has a short step at the door and the abbey campus is on a picturesque, but hilly, 2,500 acres.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The Abbey is also home to a college and would be a great place for a “visit day” for high school students, especially young men considering the priesthood. Younger children, of course, are always welcome.
Info: Address — Monte Cassino Shrine, St. Meinrad Archabbey, 200 Hill Dr., St. Meinrad, IN 47577. Phone —800/581-6905. Web — www.saintmeinrad.edu

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org