St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel -- Chicago, Ill.

Destination: For members of St. Rita of Cascia Parishes in Aurora and Rockford, their parish patron’s feast day is coming up on May 22. The national shrine dedicated to her is getting ready to celebrate with a novena, Masses and a blessing with her relic — but all of that is over 12 hours away in Philadelphia!

Fortunately, a small, peaceful shrine is tucked away in St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, just an hour or so away from Aurora and Rockford. 

Novenas, Mass and confessions are held on the first Thursday of each month at the shrine, starting at 6 p.m. (confessions at 6 p.m., and novena and Mass at 7 p.m.). 

Photos: Top — Augustinian Father Jack Tierney welcomes visitors to the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel in a video on the shrine’s website (Observer screengrab/ Megan Peterson).

Bottom — One of the shrine’s mosaics depicts St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Photo/ St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel).

Why to go: The shrine was established in 1905 and moved to its current location in 1990. It has been served by Augustinian friars since 1907, who continue to serve the shrine and the school today. 

The shrine holds a mix of new and original art and artifacts. A reliquary holds a first-class relic of St. Rita  of Cascia. Hanging banners and stained-glass windows tell the life story of the 15th-century wife, mother, widow and Augustinian nun, known as the patron saint of impossible causes who aids those in times of difficulty.  

Mosaics and statues around the chapel also depict nine saints, including new saints like St. Pope John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta. 

Admission: There is no cost to visit, though hours are infrequent due to the school schedule. An email list is the best way to find out about new events; sign up at https://tinyurl.com/4bcpy5rp or email shrine@stritahs.com with any questions. 

Accessibility: The school campus is designed to be wheelchair-accessible for students. Ramps and elevators (as needed) are present. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: The chapel is housed in a kid-friendly school already, so they are welcome! And, better yet, if your grandson has the opportunity to meet one of the friars, he may be opened to the idea of discerning religious life.  

Info: Address — St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel, 7740 S. Western Ave. Chicago, Ill.  

Phone — 773-925-6600 (ext. 6626) 

Website — https://www.stritashrinechicago.com/

—By Megan Peterson, features/multimedia editor. Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Terra Sancta Museum -- Jerusalem, Israel

Destination: Objects cared for by the Franciscans in the Holy Land, including a collection of 13 church bells discovered hidden in Bethlehem and dating back to the Middle Ages, have traveled to some of the great museums of the world.  

But now they will have a permanent home in Jerusalem as the Custody of the Holy Land moves forward toward creating a new “Historical Section” of its popular Terra Sancta Museum, which opened to the public in 2017.

Photos: Top — Franciscans in the Holy Land are advancing the next phase of the Terra Sancta Museum, which will add many more religious art objects and artifacts to the museum's collections (OSV News photos/ Tom Tracy).

Bottom — The museum includes a collection of some 450 earthenware pharmaceutical pots from the 17th and 18th centuries. The first “friar-doctor” sent to the Holy Land by Pope Pius II arrived in 1460. 

Why to go: The museum is situated at the Church of the Flagellation, the first station of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. Until now, that area has been limited to archeological artifacts from the first millennium.

The new section will be at the heart of the Franciscan headquarters in St. Saviour’s Monastery. Its rare collections of paintings, sculptures, archival documents, gifts from European courts — even a 13th-century gilded copper crosier of the bishop of Bethlehem — will help pilgrims to deepen their knowledge of the sanctuaries and discover the beauty of the liturgy in the Holy Land.

A multimedia section offers a 15-minute tour in English, Spanish, Italian, Polish and other languages. 

Admission: The museum is open daily; hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. in the summer (April-Sept.) and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the winter (Oct.-March). Prices are given in Israeli New Shekels (NIS). One NIS is roughly $0.28. Regular prices are 15 NIS ($4.20) per person, and reduced prices are listed at https://www.terrasanctamuseum.org/en/visit-us/

Accessibility: Barrier-free access to the Flagellation Monastery is available from the Via Dolorosa street, and the multimedia section is handicap-accessible. However, there are no restrooms available. Animals are not allowed.

(Grand) Kid friendly: The museum calls for a quiet, respectful atmosphere, but holds educational camps for local children — so kids are welcome. If you have a history buff in the making, they may enjoy some activities you bring to fit the exhibits, like a coloring page for drawing the pattern on a piece of pottery, for example.  

Info: Address — Terra Sancta Museum, Via Dolorosa St. 1, Jerusalem, Israel  

Phone — +972 2-627-0467 

Website — https://www.terrasanctamuseum.org/en/

—By Tom Tracy. Tracy writes for OSV News from Florida. He was on location in Jerusalem visiting Christian holy sites.

Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal -- Philadelphia, Pa.

Destination: We featured the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in 2015 to look ahead to the World Meeting of Families, held in Philadelphia that year. 

It’s now time for an update because of a small yet significant name change made in the last week of January, one that has brought “great joy” to the Philadelphia Archdiocese, according to Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez: the Vatican has elevated the shrine to the status of minor basilica. 

The Vatican decree recognizes the Marian shrine’s historical significance in the eastern U.S. and its over-140 years of ministry by the priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians). 

Masses are at 9 a.m. Sunday; 12:05 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 9 a.m., 12:05 and 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Photo: The Vatican designated the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal as a minor basilica Jan. 25. (OSV News photo/ courtesy Central Association of the Miraculous Medal)

Why to go: Only one other church in the city of Philadelphia shares this basilica designation. But what does it mean?

Churches are noted as minor basilicas to recognize their historical or cultural importance, artistic beauty and significance in the life of the Church. The title also denotes a closer relationship to the pope. 

That connection to the pope will bring two additions to the shrine’s interior for papal visits. Keep an eye out for an ombrellino, a canopy of yellow and red silk (like an umbrella); and a tintinnabulum, a bell mounted on a pole. 

The shrine has much to see and do; join the Miraculous Medal Perpetual Novena, which has continued each Monday uninterrupted since 1930; visit the gift shop; or head to the nearby Art Museum of the Miraculous Medal Shrine at 475 E. Chelten Ave. The museum (temporarily closed) holds over 400 pieces of Marian art. Call 215-848-1010 to check hours or make an appointment. 

Admission: Visiting the shrine is free; gift shop prices vary. A form at https://miraculousmedal.org/visit-us/visit-form/ will help shrine staff with planning your visit. A secure parking lot is available (and open to buses) at Magnolia St. and Chelten Ave. The shrine is also easily accessible by public transportation. 

Accessibility: Parts of the shrine are wheelchair-accessible (through separate doors), but there are stairs to the main shrine entrance and some parts of the interior are raised. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course! 

Info: Address — Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, 500 E. Chelten Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 

Phone — 215-848-1010 

Website — https://miraculousmedal.org/

—Provided by OSV News. Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

St. John's Bible Gallery -- Collegeville, Minn.

Destination: The first handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible in five centuries, the St. John’s Bible brought together a team of 23 artists in Wales and a team of scholars in Minnesota for a project 11 years in the making.

Traditionally, religious art in the Church taught the faith to all, even those who could not read. Following that tradition, the project of Minnesota’s St. John’s Abbey and St. John’s University was made to appeal to visual learners and “ignite the spiritual imagination of people in terms of Scripture,” as Benedictine Abbot John Klassen puts it. 

Original folios from the Bible are held in a lower-level gallery of Alcuin Library, which is open Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays are open noon-4 p.m. from June 11-Dec. 10. Email Tim Ternes at tternes@csbsju.edu to reserve a guided tour. 

Photos: Top — An illuminated page of Proverbs illustrates Prv. 9:1: “Wisdom has built her house. She has hewn her seven pillars.” (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Middle — The opening illumination of Genesis uses gold to show God’s ordering of the universe and its elements. ((Photos/ The Saint John’s Bible)

Bottom — This illumination depicts the woman “clothed with the sun” in Rev. 12:1-17. 

Why to go: British calligrapher Donald Jackson dreamed of creating a handwritten, illuminated Bible as a child. In 1995, while serving as a scribe for Queen Elizabeth’s Crown Office, he spoke to Father Eric Hollas, OSB, about his idea. 

Jackson led and directed the team of artists in combining modern layout technology; traditional tools and materials including calfskin vellum, feather quills and egg tempera; and imagery from both biblical and modern times. The result is a rich illustration of both Church history and modern times — a “living document.” 

Admission: There is no admission fee for self-guided tours; donations of $5 are suggested for guided tours and presentations. Parking is available in Science Lot 1 or near the Abbey Church on campus. 

Accessibility: All levels of the library are wheelchair-accessible. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course! Jackson says that he fell in love with calligraphy as a nine-year-old. Who knows where inspiration might lead young visitors?  

Info: Address — Alcuin Library, 2850 Abbey Plaza, Collegeville, Minn.  

Phone — 320-363-3351 

Website — https://saintjohnsbible.org/Home/Index

— Megan Peterson compiled this story and referenced CNS articles written by Laura Ieraci and Joseph Young. Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré -- Quebec City, Quebec

Destination: The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a shrine to St. Anne, mother of Mary, caught our attention when Pope Francis celebrated Mass there during his July 24-29 visit to Canada. Established in 1658, the basilica is the oldest pilgrimage site in North America. 

According to tradition, the shrine’s site marks a miraculous intervention by St. Anne. A sailing crew from Brittany, France, was caught in a storm and prayed to St. Anne, promising her a sanctuary if she saved them. 

Masses and rosaries at the basilica are said in French.  

Photos: Top -- Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré during his July 24-29 visit to Canada. (CNS photo/Chaz Muth)

Middle -- The pillars at the entrance are covered with braces, crutches and canes of those who have been healed at the shrine. (Photo/ Gone with the Family)

Why to go: The basilica has much to see for lovers of sacred art, from stained glass to statues to mosaics of St. Anne’s life that cover the ceiling. 

Many also travel to the basilica for healing, which began when a construction worker was cured of his scoliosis after helping to lay the foundation. 

The basilica holds three relics of St. Anne, portions of bone of her finger and forearm. 

Admission: No cost, though the shrine does include a store. Donations are welcome. 

Accessibility: The website illustrates that the basilica is wheelchair accessible. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: A Mass in a different language may be difficult for kids to sit through, but they may enjoy seeing the beauty of the art inside and exploring the grounds instead.

Info: Address — Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, 10018 Ave Royale, Quebec G0A 3C0, Canada
Phone — 418-827-3781
Website — https://sanctuairesainteanne.org/en

— Megan Peterson compiled this story. 
Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org