'Catacombs by Candlelight' -- Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, New York, N.Y.

Destination: “Catacombs by Candlelight” perhaps conjures images of a subterranean tour in Rome led by a guide wearing a headlamp. In New York, it’s the name of a history lesson told while exploring the cemetery and burial vaults of one of the city’s oldest Catholic churches. At the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, the tour’s tone is respectful and the candles are battery-operated LED models. 

Frank Alfieri, the basilica’s director of cemetery and columbaria, said the tours were established in 2017 to communicate the basilica’s historical significance; it has been an active mainstay of the lower Manhattan area for more than 200 years. 

The tours also are a form of evangelization. “Any time you can get somebody into a church, there is a possibility you can evangelize, even nonverbally. A church gives you a small glimpse of heaven,” Alfieri says.

Eight 80-minute tours are conducted five days a week for groups as large as 40. 

Photos: Top — Members of a tour group explore the catacombs of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City Oct. 15 (OSV News photos/Gregory A. Shemitz).

Bottom — A tour enters the undercroft of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral. 

Why to go: The candlelight tours “shine” for history buffs and visitors of faith alike. A highlight of the tour is the original grave of Haitian-born sainthood candidate Pierre Toussaint, declared venerable in 1996. He came to New York as an enslaved man. As a freeman, he was a successful hairdresser and devoted himself to helping the poor and sick. 

Historic headstones in the cemetery date back to 1803. In the catacombs, vaults contain the mortal remains of New York Catholics of Irish, German, French and Spanish heritage. A single ornate mausoleum was built for Gen. Thomas Eckert, a confidant of Abraham Lincoln and later an executive at Western Union.

Admission: Tickets range from $30-37. Check in at the TNY Kiosk in the courtyard of 32 Prince St.

Accessibility: The tour is wheelchair-accessible. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course — perfect for an adventurous child! They might enjoy seeing the three sheep who seasonally control the grass in the cemetery. 

Info: Address — Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, 263 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
Phone — 212-300-7682
Email — info@takeawalk.com
Website — https://takeawalk.com/old-cathedral-tours/

—By Beth Griffin, OSV News. Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

New York Public Library’s “Treasures” Exhibit -- New York City, N.Y.

Destination: Among pop culture gems like a hand-painted ballet slipper designed by Coco Chanel and historical artifacts like Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence is a book written by a nun. 

It’s a rare edition of a 17th-century book written by a Catholic poet, philosopher and dramatist, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. The library’s digital gallery explains that she “is among Mexico’s most significant literary figures.” The book is “considered her most important collection” and the library’s 1692 first edition on display is “exceedingly rare, with only six copies known to exist,” the library said.  

Photo: Top -- A visitor glances at one of the items in the “Belief” section of the New York Public Library’s “Treasures” collection at its flagship branch in New York City Dec. 29, 2021. (CNS photos/Rhina Guidos)
Below -- A rare edition of a book written by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a Catholic poet, philosopher and nun, is on display. 

Why to go: Along with Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz’s book, the exhibit includes a 15th-century breviary, a document from 1600 describing Our Lady of Guadalupe and a 1470 engraving by Martin Schongauer featuring St. Anthony, a 4th-century Coptic hermit. The religious items are grouped with other objects related to various faiths in a section called “Belief.”

Though the exhibit is free, visitors must get a timed ticket at the library. Shortages due to rises in COVID-19 cases may limit hours or whether the building opens.

The exhibit is accessible online at www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/galleries/belief

Accessibility: All public service units of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building are wheelchair accessible. There is a ramp entrance to the building and all its levels are accessible by elevator. Large print label text is available upon request. The Treasures audio guide is accessible in English, Spanish, and English with verbal descriptions. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome. 

Info: Address — Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 476 5th Ave. (at 42nd St.), New York, NY 10018
Phone — 917-275-6975    
Website — https://www.nypl.org/spotlight/treasures

— Rhina Guidos, Catholic News Service

Send Destinations 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

Museum of Biblical Art - New York, New York

(Photo provided)

Destination: If you plan a trip to New York, add the Museum of Biblical Art (MOBiA) to your list of stops. Its collection of Bibles, on loan from the American Bible Society, includes some of the earliest printed Bibles in existence, as well as Bibles in many languages.
Mass options are many. The museum is on Broadway, just over a mile from St. Patrick’s Cathedral (www.saintpatrickscathedral.org), but it’s even closer (a few blocks) from St. Paul the Apostle Church (www.stpaultheapostle.org) near Fordham University.
Why to go:  Open until Jan. 20, 2013, is “Louis C. Tiffany and the Art of Devotion.” Tiffany and his artists designed wall decorations, mosaic floors — even vestments — for Catholic and Protestant churches and Jewish synagogues for nearly half a century. Leaded-glass windows of the type most often associated with Tiffany, as well as archival photographs and work in other media will be displayed.
Another exhibit open until Jan. 20 will feature Bibles of the “Gilded Age.”
Access: The MOBiA website gives you lots of options, including nearby parking. MOBiA can handle wheelchairs and umbrella-type, fold-up strollers.
Admission: Free. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, except Thursday when closing is  at 8 p.m.
(Grand) Kid friendly:  In a word, yes. The museum  is called “visitor friendly” by the Guides Association of New York City, and regularly hosts school and community events.
Info: Address: Museum of Biblical Art, 1865 Broadway at 61st St., New York, NY 10023-7505  Phone: 212/408-1500. Web: http://mobia.org

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

Editor's note: The museum asked us to remove illustrations of the art that was part of the Tiffany exhibition, but we left the descriptions. We encourage you to check the museum website for special exhibits when you plan your trip.

Salesian National Shrine Mary Help of Christians - Stony Point, New York

(Photos provided)

Destination: Property aquired to train male aspirants in the 1940s is now  the Salesian National Shrine Mary Help of Christians.
Masses are at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday; noon, Monday through Saturday, followed by the rosary.
Why to go: The Hudson Valley site is actually home to several outdoor Marian Shrines, including the domed shrine dedicated to Mary Help of Christians. A shrine is dedicated to Salesian founder, St. John “Don” Bosco and another to St. Padre Pio.
The Becchi House on the site is an authentic replica of Don Bosco’s birthplace in Italy.
Its pavilion chapel was finished in 2006. There is also a Stations of the Cross path featuring life-sized statues.
Amenities: A picnic ground is available, and there is a bookstore and gift shop.
Access: Most of the walkways appear fairly easy to navigate.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Outdoor sites are always fun for kids, but there will be some pilgrims in prayer.
Info: Address: Salesian National Shrine Mary Help of Christians, 174 Filors Lane, Stony Point, NY 10980. Phone: 845/947-2200 Web: www.marianshrine.org

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

Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima - Lewiston, New York

(Photo www.fatmashrine.com)

Destination: If you plan a trip to Niagra Falls, plan a side trip to the Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, in the Diocese of Buffalo. Its beautiful dome serves both to cover a statue of Our Lady of Fatima and to provide an elevated view for the shrine grounds. To get directions, type 1023 Swann Road, Lewiston, N.Y., into your favorite web-based map program.
Masses are at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. Sunday.
Why to go:  Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, open since 1954, offers natural beauty, art, communal prayer, and renewal to its visitors. The Dome Basilica is covered with two layers of glass and Plexiglas, with a contour of the Northern Hemisphere of the globe.
The approach to the basilica is down the Avenue of the Saints, featuring more than 100 life-size marble and  bronze statues of saints, and around the Rosary  Pool.
Two flights of stairs, with 63 steps, lead to the top of the Dome, and a 13-foot statue of Our Lady of Fatima, carved from Vermont granite.
Among many other features on the shrine grounds are a replica of the original Fatima chapel in Portugal, a bell tower, and Stations of the Cross.
The shrine is operated by the Barnabite Fathers, who arrived from Italy in 1954.
Special events: There is daily rosary at 11:15 a.m. during the Marian months of October and May and there is a 7 p.m. rosary and Mass on the 13th of every month.
A Festival of Lights is held from the Saturday before Thanksgiving through the first Sunday after New Year’s Day, 5-9 p.m.
Amenities: The shrine grounds house both a gift shop and a cafeteria, but hours vary seasonally. The shrine is closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Access: The dome steps may present problems for some visitors, but the grounds are accessible to the handicapped and wheelchairs are available. The shrine is undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2017 centennial anniversary of the Fatima apparitions.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Make sure the kids (and you) bring cameras. Then check out the postcard photo contest at http://fatimashrine.posterous.com.
Info: Address: Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, P.O. Box 167, Youngstown, NY 14174-0167. Phone: 716/754-7489. Web: www.fatimashrine.com

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

Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs - Auriesville, New York

(CNS photos/Nancy Wiechec)

Destination: The Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y., is one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage places in the U.S. It marked its 125th anniversary as a shrine in 2010. Formerly known as the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs, it has more recently been known by its original name.
Masses are at 9 and 11 a.m., and 4 p.m. on Sundays;  11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays in the Shrine Coliseum; 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays in the Kateri Chapel.
In the photo a rosary hangs from a statue of Jesus at the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs.
Why to go:  In the 17th century, the spot now dedicated to the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs was a 17th century Mohawk village called Ossernenon. It was there that  three Jesuit missionaries — Father Isaac Jogues, René Goupil, a Jesuit brother, and John Lalande, a lay missioner — were martyred during the 1640s. They are the only canonized American martyrs. With five Jesuit priests killed in Canada,  they are known as the North American Martyrs.
The site is also believed to be near the birthplace of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
The shrine is under the direction of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus, who have a hallowed tradition of ministry at the site, since Father Loyzance, S.J. came over from Troy, N.Y., to buy 10 acres of land in August 1884.
More than 400 acres of flowered landscapes and tree-studded slopes and lawns house five chapels, two museums, a candle shrine, Jesuit cemetery, outdoor Stations of the Cross and more.
Amenities: Museums and a library are open weekdays, noon- 4p.m., and weekends, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. There is also a gift shop on the grounds.
Access: Some parts of the shrine are accessible by car, others only by walking. The shrine has been closed for the winter, but is scheduled to reopen this spring.
Admission: The shrine depends on donations for its maintenance; offerings are welcome.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Special events at the shrine include confirmation retreats, so kids are normal visitors to the shrine.
Info: Address — Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs, 136 Shrine Road, Fultonville, NY 12016.  Phone — 518/853-3033. Web — www.martyrshrine.org

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld; CNS contributed to this story
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha - Fonda, New York

(CNS photos/Nancy Wiechec)

Destination: Located in upstate New York, the National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha would make a wonderful stop on a fall colors tour of the northeast. Blessed Kateri will soon become the first Native American saint from the U.S. The shrine is open until Oct. 31 this year and will reopen next May.
Masses are 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Because of other pastoral duties, weekday Masses are not ordinarily offered at the Shrine.
Why to go: Blessed Kateri was born in 1656. Her parents and a brother died in a smallpox outbreak when she was  4 years old. Though she survived, she was scarred by the pox and left nearly blind. Because of her bad eyesight, she was called “Tekakwitha,” which means “she who bumps into things.”
Taken in by relatives, she was discouraged from her interest in Christianity. When she was 18, her uncle relented and told her she could study the faith. She was baptized on Easter Sunday, April 5, 1676, and received her first Communion on Christmas Day in 1677. On the Feast of the Annunciation in 1679, she made a vow of perpetual virginity, and offered herself as a daughter to the Virgin Mary.
A museum at the shrine features items representative of the Mohawk culture. About a quarter-mile up a hill from the museum is Caughnawagha, where the Mohawks lived for about 50 years. Blessed Kateri lived  and was baptized there. The site is fully excavated.
Father Thomas Grassmann, OFM Conv., started the shrine and museum in 1938. It is housed in a converted Dutch barn that was built in 1782.
Special events: Among fall events is a Native American Weekend, healing service and Kateri Cultural Festival scheduled Oct. 3.
Ammenities: A gift shop is open daily when the shrine is open (and online year-round).
Access: The shrine chapel has a second-floor entrance and may be difficult for some visitors to maneuver. The museum is on the ground floor.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Children will, no doubt, enjoy learning about Mohawk culture and a Native American holy woman who became interested in the church as a young child.
Info: Address — National Kateri Shrine, P.O. Box 627, Fonda, NY 12068. Phone — 518/853-3646. Web — www.katerishrine.com

- Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld; CNS contributed to this story
Send your Catholic destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org