The Ringling Museum - Sarasota, Florida

(Photos provided)

Destination: If you are planning vacation to Florida, consider a stop at The Ringling, the State Art Museum of Florida. Its story begins in 1911 when the circus impresario John Ringling and his wife, Mabel, bought 20 acres in Sarasota and poured their love tor the Florida city, for Italy and art, into the property. In addition to the art museum, of course, there is also the Circus Museum on the grounds.
While there are no Masses on The Ringling grounds, there are several parishes to select from in Sarasota. Click on Find a Parish at http://dioceseofvenice.org
Why to go: In the vast collection of The Ringling museum, there is a significant number of religious art. Its website says the museum’s 31 galleries feature “old masters, contemporary art and exhibitions from around the world.”
But art’s not the only reason to visit The Ringling. Ca’ d’Zan, or “House of John,” in the Venetian dialect, is the  Ringling’s 56-room mansion, billed as “a testament to the American Dream of the Roaring Twenties.” There are also the Bayfront Gardens, the Historic Asolo Theater and an education center.
Hours: Most days The Ringling is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m; Thursdays until 8 p.m. Ca’ d’Zan closes at 5 p.m.and the Bayfront Gardens are open 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Admission varies, but includes seniors (65 and older) is $23; children 6-17, $5.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Did we mention the Circus Museum?
Info: Address — The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 Phone — 941/359-5700 Web — www.ringling.org

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

Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche - St. Augustine, Florida

 (Photo/www.missionandshrine.org)

Destination: Spanish settlers in the New World began their devotion to Our Lady of La Leche (The Milk) at St. Augustine’s Mission of Nombre de Dios (Name of God) in the 1560s. It is on the site of the first parish Mass celebrated in what is now the United States, on Sept. 8, 1565, the feast of the Nativity of Mary.
Today, it is a popular site for expectant mothers to pray for healthy babies and couples to pray for children.
Regular Mass is not offered at the shrine, but check the Diocese of St. Augustine website (www.dosafl.com) for nearby churches.
Why to go: Eric P. Johnson, director of the shrine, knows the power of this place and its history, according to an article in St. Anthony Messenger. The historic Mass there in 1565 marked St. Augustine as the birthplace of Christianity in America, not only for Catholics but for Christians of all denominations.
“This is where the Gospel was preached to the native people for the first time,” Johnson explains.
The shrine is also known as a place, according to the article, where the sorrowful also come to pray.
“They come seeking solace and forgiveness,” says Johnson, in the article. “This place offers an incredible sense of peace and an atmosphere of prayer. It allows the small but significant miracles to take place in the heart and the spirit.”
There are several other smaller shrines on the grounds, including one for Our Lady of Guadalupe and one for Lady of Perpetual Help. Prince of Peace Church is also on the grounds.
The site has also been researched by archeologists from the University of Florida, who have discovered a moat from a 16th century Spanish fort on shrine grounds.
Access: Depending on where you go on the grounds, there are some stairs to manuever.
Amenities: The shrine gift shop is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The shrine offers a good place for a quiet walk with children who may have been in a car too long.
Info: Address: Shrine of Our Lady of Leche, 27 Ocean Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 904/824-2809 or 800/342-6529. Web: www.missionandshrine.org

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

Shrine of Our Lady of Charity - Miami, Florida

(CNS file photo/Archdiocese of Miami)

Destination: In 1961, not long after Cuban refugees began fleeing Fidel Castro’s new regime, one of their first acts of gratitude after reaching U.S. shores was to thank Our Lady of Charity the patroness of their homeland. An image of Our Lady of Charity (right) arrived from Cuba on the day 30,000 refugees gathered to celebrate her feast day at the old Miami Stadium. In 1967, construction started on a Miami shrine to house the statue.
Masses are at noon Monday through Saturday and at 3 and 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Why to go: The shrine, funded largely by Cuban refuges, still serves the faithful in Spanish. The website, in fact, is labeled in Spanish — Ermita de la Caridad — Santuario Nacional. In addition to celebrating the Cuban devotion to Our Lady of Charity, one of the key elements of the shrine is a large mural behind the altar that illustrates the history of Cuba — from the voyages of Christopher Columbus (left, bottom corner), who sailed under the flag of Spain — to the 20th century. It also features a central image of Our Lady and the child Jesus.
In the photo, the late Bishop Agustin A. Roman of Miami stands outside the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami.
Amenities: A gift shop at the shrine is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Access: Be prepared for the stairs into the shrine.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Outdoor sites are always fun for kids, but there will be some pilgrims in prayer.
Info: Address: Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, 3609 South Miami Ave.,  Miami, FL 33133. Phone: 305/854- 2404, 305/854-2405. Web: http://www.ermitadelacaridad.org (Choose English or Spanish on the home page, but keep in mind that many pages appear only in Spanish.)

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

Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine - St. Augustine, Florida

(Photos courtesy of the
Diocese of Saint Augustine)

Destination: The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, “America’s First Parish,” is the oldest Catholic parish in the United States.
Masses at the cathedral are at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday; 5 p.m. Saturday; 7, 9, 11 a.m. and  5 p.m. Sunday.
Why to go: Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés’ expedition from Spain landed in what would become Florida on Aug. 28, 1565. The day he spotted that first land, which is now Cape Canaveral, was the feast of St. Augustine. He decided to name his first settlement after the saint.
Menéndez and his crew sailed further along the coast, eventually stopping in early September at a site called Mission Nombre de Dios (above, left), which is where Father López de Mendoza Grajales celebrated the first Mass of the new settlement. Today’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine (above, right) is down the street from the site of the first Mass.
In 1586, the English, led by Sir Francis Drake, burned the settlement and the church. By 1786, the Spanish again controlled the area, and the crown ordered a new parish church for St. Augustine be built. The cornerstone was laid in 1793 and the church completed in August 1797.
After an 1887 fire, started in a nearby hotel, damaged the church, the pastor made a nationwide appeal for help in rebuilding. At that time, the church was enlarged and a bell tower added.
A nearby chapel, the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, is the oldest Marian shrine in the U.S.
Special events: At 5:30 p.m. on the Fridays of Lent, the parish hosts a soup supper at the Bishop Baker Center. Stations of the Cross follow.
On March 5 at 6 p.m., the cathedral’s First Friday Art Walk Concert series will feature sopranos Cara and Catie Hutson and Ellen Marini.
Amenities: The Cathedral Bell Tower Gift Shop is located inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine and to the left. It is closed during any liturgy, but is otherwise open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10-11 a.m. and noon-5 p.m.
Access: Parking is restricted in several areas around the parish. Check the Web site for details.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The cathedral is a working parish with a school attached, so children are more than welcome.
Info: Address: Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, 35 Treasury St., St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 904/824-2806. Web: www.thefirstparish.org

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

Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe - Orlando, Florida

(Photo courtesy Florida Catholic files)

Destination: Near the resorts and tourist stops in the Orlando and Tampa, Fla., area, the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe provides a quiet alternative to the bustle that accompanies many family vacations. On June 3, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments granted the shrine the title of Minor Basilica.
Mass is offered at 8 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. on weekdays; 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturdays; 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 a.m., and 6 p.m. on Sundays and holy days.
Why to go: The shrine developed over the years when the Diocese of Orlando realized it needed a way to minister to the many Catholic visitors to its area. From 1979, Masses were offered in area hotels. But on Dec. 8, 1984, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the diocese broke ground for what would become the shrine.
According to its Web site: “The Shrine’s defining representation (is) of  Mary, Queen of the Universe. A project long delayed as the sculptor, Jill Burkee combed the great quarries of Carrara, Italy, for a block of rare, pure white marble, the completed 8-foot work stands on a marble base and encloses the names of some 3,300 Shrine Associates.”
The shrine is also home to a museum of art, textiles and a relic of St. Desiderius. It is free and open to the public at 10 a.m. daily. Through Nov. 29, it features, “Orientale Lumen,” works of master iconographer Elias Damianakis.
An Outdoor Chapel features a bronze sculpture of the Mother and Child, created by renowned artist Jerzy Kenar. It can be reached along landscaped pathways designed to offer tourists places for quiet relflection and mediation.
The shrine’s Pilgrimage Center tells the history of the Christian Pilgrimage and the place of the Catholic Church in world history. One exhibit also features a tribute to the “Pilgrim Pope,” John Paul II.
Amenities: There is a gift shop on the grounds.
Access: The shrine is generally accessible on one level.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are always welcome at the shrine.
Info: Address: National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, 8300 Vineland Ave., Orlando, FL 32821. Phone: 407/239-6600. Web: http://maryqueenoftheuniverse.org

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