Smithsonian Exhibition Religion in Early America -- Washington, D.C.

Destination:  The Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s new exhibition, “Religion in Early America,” celebrates the free exercise of religion and the religious diversity that define American faith life.
Masses are not offered at the museum. Check https://masstimes.org/ for more information.
Why to go: The exhibit features artifacts from Christianity, Judaism, Islam and other major world religions. Peter Manseau, the museum’s Lilly Endowment curator of American religious history, is the author of several books and curator of the new exhibit.
“We can’t really think about the role of religion in America today without wondering about how it all began,” Manseau told Catholic News Service.
The exhibit, which will be open until June 3, 2018, displays artifacts and stories of American religious life from the 1630s to the 1840s. Reflecting the many Christian denominations that made up early America, it also features noteworthy items of Jewish, Islamic, Mormon, Native American and other faith traditions.
Some of the exhibit’s biggest draws are the Jefferson Bible, the George Washington Inaugural Bible, Archbishop John Carroll’s chalice and paten and a church bell forged by Paul Revere.

 (CNS photos/Chaz Muth)

The exhibit highlights the influence of the Carroll family on Catholicism in America. Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, became a senator in the newly formed government. His cousin, Archbishop Carroll of Baltimore, became the first bishop in the United States, founded Georgetown University in Washington, and worked to create other schools and religious communities.
Photos: Visitors (above) at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington check out the exhibit "Religion in Early America."
A cross (right) believed to be made from iron taken from the Ark and the Dove, a ship that brought the first English Catholics to Maryland in 1634, is pictured July 26 in an exhibit room at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington. It is part of the "Religion in Early America" exhibit, which will be on display until June 3, 2018.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Check their suggestions for visits with kids at http://americanhistory.si.edu/museum/faqs/parents-visiting-museum-kids
Info: Address — The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Constitution Avenue, NW, between 12th and 14th Streets, Washington, D.C.
Phone — 202/633-1000
Website — americanhistory.si.edu/religion-in-early-america (Find an online tour at the website.)
— Carolyn Mackenzie, CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

World’s Largest Rosary Collection -- Stevenson, Wash.

Destination:  The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum near Stevenson, Wash., in Skamania County houses the world’s largest rosary collection, according to Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
Masses are not offered at the museum, but Our Lady Star of the Sea mission parish at 725 SW Rock Creek Dr. in Steveson offers Mass on Sunday at 9 a.m.
Why to go: Located in southeastern Washington, the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center houses approximately 4,000 rosaries that can easily take hours to examine closely.
The collection was the life’s work of the late Donald A. Brown of North Bonneville, Wash., who was a founder of the Skamania County Historical Society.
Brown explained that his collection began in 1917 when he was living in The Dalles, Ore., but his interest in the rosary as a devotional prayer began years earlier, while he was confined to the Mercy Hospital in North Bend, Ore., recovering from pneumonia. He saw the rosaries being worn on the habits of the Sisters of Mercy who staffed the hospital. Later, Brown embraced the Catholic faith.
The rosaries in the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center are organized according to size. The smallest ones are made from beads the size of a pin head, while the largest rosary on display is over 16 feet long. This rosary’s “beads” were made from Styrofoam balls by children in Malden, Mass., for a school play.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The rosary collection is not the only exhibit in the interpretive center, so kids will have plenty to interest them.
Info: Address: Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum, 990 SW Rock Creek Dr., PO Box 396, Stevenson, WA 98648

(CNS photo/Mitch Finley)

Phone — 800/991-2338
Website — www.columbiagorge.org

— Mitch Finley, CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

El Cristo Rey Chapel -- Grand Canyon, Ariz.

Destination: A short walk away from the south rim of the Grand Canyon sits El Cristo Rey Chapel, a small wooden building that serves as the spiritual home of the Catholic families who work at the national park.
Winter Mass schedule starts on the first Sunday of December through March at El Cristo Rey. Masses are Sundays at 9 a.m. Summer Masses, April to October at El Cristo Rey, are Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. and Sundays, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Why to go: El Cristo Rey, a parish of the Phoenix Diocese, has 26 registered families, who are “always outnumbered by the tourists,” says Father Rafael Bercasio, pastor.

(CNS photos)

The chapel is located within the boundaries of Grand Canyon Village, a residential neighborhood of around 1,500 households that includes a school, a grocery store and a post office. Residents are employed as park rangers and naturalists, maintenance workers, and hotel, restaurant and retail staff. Some live there only six months out of the year, although the park is open year-round.
From his base at El Cristo Rey, Father Bercasio also ministers to a mostly Hispanic community founded five years ago about 30 miles outside the entrance to the park.
El Cristo Rey Chapel was officially established in 1960, although priests from the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., began coming to celebrate Mass for El Tovar’s workers around 1919-1920.Father Bercasio celebrates a daily Mass at 8 a.m., and most of the time, he said, he is the only one in attendance. He celebrates two Masses on Sundays, plus a vigil on Saturdays in summer.
“I always commend the tourists for fulfilling their obligation,” he said. “You are in the midst of your gallivanting and still you are here. It is a testimony that your faith does not take a vacation. It’s very inspiring.”
(Grand) Kid friendly: Everyone is welcome to attend Mass at the church.
Info: Address: El Cristo Rey Parish, 44 Albright Ave., PO Box 505,  Grand Canyon, AZ 86023    Phone — 928/351-7282   Website — http://www.elcristorey.org/
— CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

St Padre Pio Relics - LaCrosse and Kenosha, Wis.

(Observer photo/ The Saint Pio Foundation)

Destination: Relics of the renowned 20th century mystic and healer, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina  — better known as Padre Pio — will be touring stopping at two Wisconsin locations during a U.S. tour. The visit is sponsored by The Saint Pio Foundation.
They will be at the Cathedral St. Joseph the Workman in the Diocese of La Crosse on Sept. 20 and at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on Sept. 21.
Masses are offered at both cathedrals. Check their websites for details.
Why to go: The Saint Pio Foundation, is sponsoring the tour on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of Padre Pio’s birth, and the 15th anniversary of his canonization.
St. Pio was born on May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy, and baptized Francesco Forgione. From age 10, he talked of becoming a priest. To help pay for his education, his father, Grazio Forgione, emigrated to the United States in 1899, where he worked for several years.
The future saint entered the Capuchin order at age 15, taking the name Pio. He was ordained a priest in 1910 at the age of 23. During his lifetime, Padre Pio was known as a mystic with miraculous powers of healing and knowledge, who bore the stigmata.
Stigmata is the term the Catholic Church uses to speak about the wounds an individual receives that correspond to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ.  They can appear on the forehead, hands, wrists, and feet.
Pope John Paul II canonized him in 2002.
Hours:  Veneration and services will vary at each cathedral. Check the local website for details.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Visting a saint’s relics can be a solemn occasion. Remind the kids before you go.
Info: General: www.saintpiofoundation.org.
Diocese of LaCrosse: Address — The Cathedral St Joseph the Workman, 530 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601 n   Phone — 608/782-0322 n   Website — www.cathedralsjworkman.org/
Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Address — Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 812 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 n   Phone — 414/276-9814 n   Website — www.stjohncathedral.org/

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story.
Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

St. Patrick’s Cathedral New York City, New York

 (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Destination: St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City may be the most famous Catholic church in the United States. Even Pope Francis spent time there in prayer when he visted the U.S. in 2015.
Masses are offered several times daily. Check the website (below) to make your plans. There is also Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, 1-6 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Why to go: St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City may be the most famous Catholic church in the United States. The cornerstone was laid in 1858 and  the church opened in 1879. New York Archbishop John Hughes planned the cathedral. It was paid for by contributions from thousands of poor immigrants and by 103 prominent citizens who pledged $1,000 each.
Hours: The cathedral is open 6:30 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. daily except on the night of the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, when it closes at 7 p.m. The gift shop in the cathedral is open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.The Storefront gift shop at 15 East 51st St. is open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Because the cathedral is open to guests even during Masses and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, youngsters should be quiet while visiting.
Info: Address — St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 5th Avenue between 50th and 51st streets, New York, NY 10022  Phone — 212/753-2261    Website — https://saintpatrickscathedral.org
— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun -- Tucson, Ariz.

(CNS photos/Nancy Wiechec)

Destination: Despite the May 29 fire (see the June 9 Nation/World section) that severely damaged the adobe structure and frescoes by artist Ted DeGrazia in the Mission in the Sun, it’s still well worth visiting the late artist’s Gallery in the Sun outside Tucson, Ariz.
Masses are not offered in the nondenominational Mission in the Sun that DeGrazia built in 1952 to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe and Jesuit missionary Father Eusebio Kino (see painting, right). There are Mass options in nearby Tucson, though.

LEFT: “Altar Valley Padre Kino Entrada 1687.” It is part of the Padre Kino Collection at the gallery.


Why to go: There are six permanent collections at the gallery, among them DeGrazia and Padre Kino, Retrospective Collection, and DeGrazia Paints the Yaqui Easter.
This year, the rotating collection, “The Way of the Cross”
 remains open until Aug. 30.
The influence of DeGrazia’s Catholic upbringing — he stopped practicing as an adult — are evident in the many Catholic and Christian themes in his work.

George Maki, and his son, Chris, take in Ted
DeGrazia’s Way of the Cross series at the
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun. The artist painted
the series in 1964 for the Newman Center
at the University of Arizona.

The mission was the first structure he built on the 10 acres in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. His home and galleries came later. His original “Little Gallery” now hosts exhibits of visiting artists, a tradition begun by his wife, Marion, after his death in 1982.
Hours: The gallery and grounds are open daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course.
Info: Address — DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, 6300 N. Swan, Tucson, AZ 85718 n    Phone — 520/299-9191 n   Website — http://degrazia.org/mission-in-the-sun/l

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Vatican Museums -- Rome, Italy

(CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Destination: If you’re heading to Rome in the next several weeks, a two-part exhibition — one at the Vatican and the other at the Jewish Museum of Rome — explores the significance of the menorah.
Masses are frequent in Rome. Check on the web for a location convenient for you.

Photo: A journalist looks at a replica of the 1st-century Arch of Titus, showing Roman soldiers carrying the menorah, in a exhibition at the Vatican May 15. The replica is the central motif in a two-part exhibition on the menorah at the Vatican and at the Jewish Museum in Rome. 

Why to go:  From a coin minted in the century before Christ’s birth to a 1987 Israeli comic book featuring a superhero with a menorah on his chest, the exhibit, “The Menorah: Worship, History and Myth,” documents the use of the seven-branched candelabra both as a religious item and a symbol of Jewish identity.
Among the pieces displayed at the Jewish Museum stands a towering mosaic inscription describing treasures buried at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome. Dating from the 13th century, while the Crusades were raging, the mosaic’s 37-line inventory includes “the golden candelabrum” Titus brought to Rome.
The exhibit prominently features a replica of the 1st-century Arch of Titus, showing Roman soldiers carrying the menorah and other treasures into Rome. They also give a nod to the centuries-old legend that the Vatican is hiding the golden menorah from the Temple of Jerusalem.
Francesco Leone, the art historian who prepared the exhibit catalogue, told Catholic News Service the most historically reliable explanation of the Temple menorah’s fate is that it was taken as booty from Rome by the Vandals or Goths before the end of the fifth century and melted down.
Admission: The exhibit is scheduled to be open through July 23. One ticket — 25 euros — includes admission to the main part of the exhibit in the Charlemagne Wing just off St. Peter’s Square and to the Jewish Museum, located about a mile away at Rome’s main synagogue.
Hours vary at each museum and the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays while the Jewish Museum is closed Saturdays.  Check details for both venues at the Vatican Museums website (below).
(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course.
Info: Address — Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00165 Rome
Phone — +39 06 69884676 or +39 06 69883145
Website — www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/eventi-e-novita/iniziative/mostre/2017/la-menora.html
— CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Xaverian Mission Center Our Lady of Fatima Shrine -- Holliston, Mass.

(Observer screen grab/ Facebook:
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine a ministry
of the Xaverian Missionaries)

Destination: If you plan a trip east during the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s appearance in Fatima, Portugal, a visit to Our Lady of Fatima Shrine might make a good spiritual rest stop.
The Xaverian Missionaries, who maintain the shrine, are a religious community of priests and brothers founded in 1895 by Saint Guido M. Conforti, who was inspired by the life and dreams of St. Francis Xavier.
Masses are Sunday, 11 a.m. (Shrine Church); Monday–Saturday,  Morning: 7:30 am (House Chapel); Tuesday, 7 p.m. for vocations (House Chapel); Wednesday,  7:30 p.m. (Shrine Church); Saturday, 10 a.m. Votive Mass to Our Lady (Shrine Church).
Why to go: Since it opened in 1947, its Facebook page says, “the shrine is a place of prayer and education for thousands of people annually.” Parish groups come for summer pilgrimages. In December there are Christmas lights that draw thousands. Throughout the year the Xaverian Missionaries hold education programs and retreats.
Special events: Fatima Days will resume in May and continue until October on the 13th of each month with a 7p.m. Liturgy of the Eucharist; 8 p.m. outdoor candlelight rosary with prayer of the Hail Mary in the different languages of the participants; 8:45–9:30 p.m. Fraternal Agape in the Shrine Hall (coffee, tea, cookies etc.) On May 13, there will also be a 6:30 p.m. praise and song gathering.
Amenities: The shrine is open daily, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Our Lady of Fatima Gift Shop is open 11a.m.– 6 p.m.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Absolutely.
Info: Address — Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, 101 Summer St., Holliston, MA 01746
Phone — 508/429-2144
Website — www.xaverianmissionaries.org/fatima-shrine-holliston-ma/
Facebook — Our Lady of Fatima Shrine a ministry of the Xaverian Missionaries
— CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

St. Anthony Franciscan Monastery Estate -- Kennebunkport, Maine

(Observer photos/www.franciscanguesthouse.com)

Destination: Established in 1947, St. Anthony Franciscan Monastery is open to the public from sunrise to sunset.This could be a rest stop on a trip to Maine  or to other East Coast destinations, such as Boston. Beginning in April, the neighboring Guest House operated by the friars, will be open again. Both monastery and Guest House details are on the Guest House website.
Masses are offered weekdays at 7:30 a.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.; and Sunday, 8, 10  and 11:15 a.m.
Why to go: The Friars welcome visitors to view the quiet beauty of riverside walking paths, English-style gardens, woodlands, and outdoor chapels. The walking path is paved, has views of the river, and benches. A “Walking Tour of the Shrines” brochure is available at the Franciscan Guest House front desk.
Originally the site was a private estate, with landscaping organized by Frederick Law Olmsted Brothers, designers of Central Park in New York City.
In 1947,  the Lithuanian Friars of St. Casimir who had fled the Soviet Invasion of Lithuania, bought the estate. It became a religious center for the friars, the Lithuanian diaspora, and many others.
In the 1950s the friars built St. Anthony’s high school primarily for boys of Lithuanian Heritage, and it remained open until 1969. Some of the friars who served as both administrators and teachers still live at the monastery.  When the high school closed, the property became a year round hotel, guest house and retreat center.
The friars’ Lithuanian heritage lives on in guest house breakfast breads, through informal language lessons for the guests, and in cultural events throughout the year.
Amenities: A gift shop is located under the chapel and is open from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 pm daily from March 1 to Dec. 31.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Absolutely.
Info: Address —  Franciscan Guest House, 26 Beach Ave., Kennebunkport, ME 04043
Phone — 207/967-4865
Website — www.franciscanguesthouse.com
 
— CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Divine Mercy Cross Stitch -- Monastery of the Holy Cross, Chicago

(Observer photo/ www.facebook.com/pg/ChampionShrine/)

Destination: A hand made cross stitch of the Image of the Divine Mercy, measuring 84 inches by 40 inches, will visit the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Chicago during Lent and through the Octave of Easter. The visit will culminate with Vespers on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23.
Masses are offered at the monastery at 10 a.m. Sunday and 6:35 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
Why to go: The Divine Mercy cross stitch, was crafted by Brigitta Gedvillas (right in photo) with the assistance of her husband, Jerry, of Houghton, Mich., in the Diocese of Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She began the work in 2005 and they finished in 2013. It contains 237 colors and 13.52 miles of floss. The computer generated pattern for the image consisted of 500 sheets of paper and 10 rolls of tape.
During the eight years of its fabrication, Brigitta faithfully prayed for the poor souls in purgatory as the 514,503 stitches of the image took shape.  Following in the footsteps of St. Faustina, who first received the image from Jesus in a 1931 vision, to make this mystery of His Divine Love known to the world, Brigitta  says she experienced great consolation and grace from God while enduring spiritual attacks on her faith and life from the devil, because of her cooperation with the dictate and desire of God: “My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy” (from the Diary of St. Faustina, # 699).
The monastery church will be open for private prayer and veneration of the Divine Mercy cross stitch from Ash Wednesday, March 1 through Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23, Monday through Saturday, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with Vespers chanted daily at 5:15 p.m. with the monks.
Public prayers scheduled on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 23, include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 3 p.m., Chaplet of the Divine Mercy at 4:30 p.m., Solemn Vespers at 5:15 p.m. and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:40 p.m.
This extraordinary display of the Divine Mercy Image is free and open to the public.  All are welcome and invited.
Admission is free and parking is available on the street and on the monastery grounds.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course, but remind them this is a working monastery and that prayer is an important part of the monks’ lives.
Info: Address — Monastery of the Holy Cross, 3111 S.  Aberdeen Street, Chicago, IL  60608
Phone — 773/ 927-7424
Website — www.chicagomonk.org
— Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary - Panna Maria, Texas

(Photo provided)

Destination: Should your travels take you to Texas, you may want to plan a stop to see the oldest Polish Catholic Church in the U.S., Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Panna Maria, Texas. The town’s name, by the way, means Virgin Mary.
Masses are offered in English now at 9 a.m. Sunday; 5:30 p.m. Monday; 7:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday, and 5 p.m. Saturday.
Why to go: While Texas may not have as many folks of Polish descent as other parts of the country (including our own Rockford Diocese), the settlers of Panna Maria were among the first. And the town is proud of its heritage. The parish is one of the historic highlights on its website. (Don’t be surprised that it isn’t a parish-only site, but it is the one listed by the Archdiocese of San Antonio.)
The first settlers left Upper Silesia, Poland on Sept. 26, 1854, led by Father Leopold Moczygemba. The 150 Polish immigrants arrived in Texas on Christmas Eve the same year. At the spot of what would become Panna Maria, Father Moczygemba celebrated a midnight Mass of Thanksgiving under the town’s now-famous Oak Tree. Several groups of Silesian Polish immigrants followed them in the years soon after the town was founded.
On Aug. 14, 1855, Father Moczygemba blessed the cornerstone of the church. On Sept 29, 1856, he consecrated the parish, the first permanent Polish Catholic church in the United States. The community also founded the first Polish Catholic school a few years later.
The original church burned down after being struck by lightning on Aug. 15, 1875. A new church was built within two years and remains in use today.
Special events: A Homecoming Turkey Dinner is held on the second Sunday of October every year. The turkey is cooked over open wood fires throughout the night before. Meals are served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Panna Maria Hall.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Absolutely.
Info: Address —  Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Farm Road 81, Panna Maria, TX 78144
Phone — 830/780-2748
Website — http://www.pannamariatexas.com
— Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament -- Hanceville, Ala.

(Observer photos/ http://olamshrine.org)

Destination: The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament was the home of Mother Angelica, the founder of the EWTN media ministry, and of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. The shrine is about an hour away from the EWTN studios.
Masses are offered Mondays at 7 a.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7 a.m. and noon; and Sundays at 7 and 10 a.m.
Why to go: The shrine church and monastery are modeled on Italian churches of the 13th century, when St. Francis began his evangelism and founded his orders. The shrine’s piazza allows vistors to make a symbolic transition from their hectic day-to-day lives to the silence of prayer and liturgy.
A monstrance, more than 7 feet tall, dominates the main church and makes the Blessed Sacrament visible to vistors in the church and the nuns who live there, but who pray on the other side of the reredos (the decorative altar screen).
The lower crypt chapel houses crypts of deceased Poor Clare nuns. Visitors are welcome to pray there.
Another stop: If you plan to visit the shrine, the EWTN studios are also open. You can tour the facilities or sit in on show tapings. The EWTN grounds are also home to the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA) Friary.
You can arrange pilgrimages for groups or individuals at either place by emailing pilgrimages@ewtn.com or phoning, 205/271-2966.
Amenities: The El Niño Gift Shop at the shrine is open Monday through Saturday, 8:15 a.m-4:45 p.m. (The Religious Catalogue Shoppe at EWTN is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.)
(Grand) Kid friendly: The whole family is welcome, but everyone is asked to be silent in the main church and lower crypt church. Comfortable dress is fine, but sleeveless tops, tank tops, shorts, or skirts above the knee are discouraged. Women may wear slacks or jeans. Visitors are asked not to leave Mass in the main church until exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the nuns have finished singing. Taking photos is also prohibited in the churches.
Info: Address —  Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 3222 County Road 548, Hanceville, AL 35077  Phone — 205/271-2917 Website — http://olamshrine.org
— CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org