Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels -- Los Angeles, Calif.

Destination: The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is one of the newest cathedrals in the United States, built as the new cathedral for Los Angeles after earthquakes damaged the previous St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, which had served Los Angeles since 1876. Our Lady of the Angels was dedicated in 2002 — it’s the same age as a high school senior! 

Despite its newness — or because of it — the cathedral is home to a lively and diverse community. It serves the 5 million Catholics in the Los Angeles archdiocese. 

Mass is held at the cathedral daily at 12:10 p.m. and on Sundays at 8 and 10 a.m. (English) and noon (Spanish). Confession is also available Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.-noon. 

Photo: Above -- Visitors chat in the plaza outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (CNS photo/ Victor Aleman).
Below -- Light floods in through alabaster windows that frame the cathedral’s architectural cross (CNS photo/Greg Tarczynski).

Why to go: The cathedral is filled with things to see, both inside and outside. 

Artistic highlights include architecture designed by award-winning Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo, the largest alabaster windows in the United States (the same material that makes up the Holy Spirit window in St. Peter’s Basilica), and 10 interior chapels that provide quiet and meditative places to pray. One chapel, the Art Chapel, hosts traveling exhibits of Catholic art. 

For those more musically inclined, the cathedral also holds sacred choral concerts. 

And if you want to get outside to enjoy the warm California weather, a plaza and garden space is open for prayer, meals and gatherings. A mosaic shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe is on the north plaza wall. 

Accessibility: The cathedral is accessible to those with limited mobility. Visitors attending Sunday Mass receive free parking for three hours.  

(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course! All ages are welcome. The cathedral has plenty for young ones to explore, and eye-catching art that may inspire a drawing or two. 

Info: Address — Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90012  
Phone — 213-680-5200
Website — https://olacathedral.org/

— Megan Peterson compiled this story with information provided by Catholic News Service. 

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Medieval Art Exhibit -- Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Md.

(CNS photo/courtesy Museum Boijmans Van
Beuningen, Rotterdam/Studio Tromp, Rotterdam)

Destination: A 500-year-old oil painting of “The Glorification of the Virgin” (left) now on display at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is inspired by John’s apocalyptic vision of a woman “clothed with the sun.” The painting is part of a new exhibit, “A Feast for the Senses: Art and Experience in Medieval Europe,” at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.
Masses are offered at several churches in the area. To find one that best fits your schedule, check https://masstimes.org.
Why to go: “The Glorification of the Virgin” by Geertgen tot Sint Jans of the Netherlands, is half of a diptych on loan from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
A 15th century German censer features intersecting raised bands that mimic the complex vaulting systems used in late Gothic churches, and openwork areas reminiscent of the tracery found in the windows of these buildings.
They are just two of more than 100 works of stained glass, precious metals, ivories, tapestries, paintings, prints and illuminated manuscripts from 25 collections in the U.S. and around the world.
The free exhibition is at the Walters Art Museum through Jan. 8, 2017. It was organized by the Walters in partnership with the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla., where it will be on display Feb. 4 through April 20.
Because the museum is in three adjacent buildings, check the website (below) for parking and visitor information.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Museums are always kid friendly.
Info: Address —  The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone — 410-547-9000
Website — http://thewalters.org
— CNS; Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to this story.
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Relics of the Mexican Martyrs - San Antonio, Texas

(Observer photo courtesy
Knights of Columbus)

Destination: If you happen to be in San Antonio this weekend, you’ll be able to see the relics of the Mexican Martyrs, six priests — members of the Knights of Columbus —  at San Fernando Cathedral. They were in Chicago in early May. Plans are under way to expand the tour of the relics through the United States, but the Knights of Columbus are setting up dates and locations. Check their website — www.kofc.org — for updates and more information about the relics.
Why to go: The priests were among 25 martyrs of Mexico’s anti-Catholic persecution during the 1920s and were canonized by Pope John Paul II May 21, 2000. Depicted in the mural (clockwise from top) are Sts. Miguel de la Mora de la Mora, Jose Maria Robles Hurtado, Mateo Correa Magallanes, Luis Batiz Sainz, Rodrigo Aguilar Alemán and Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero. The painting is part of the permanent collection at the Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven, Conn.
The priests are among those whose stories are being told in the new movie, “For Greater Glory,” in theaters now.
The illustration is a painting by Mexican artist Martha Orozco that features six priests who were canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 21, 2000.
Access: Be prepared for the stairs.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The cathedral, which was founded in 1731, is used to visitors, including kids.
Info: Address: San Fernando Cathedral, 115 Main Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205. Phone: 210/227-1297. Web: www.sfcathedral.org

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

Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America - Dubuque, Iowa

(Photos provided/ www.womenandspirit.org)

Destination: The traveling history exhibit that chronicles the role of sisters in shaping America’s health care, education and social justice institutions will be open at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, from Feb. 18 through May 22.
Why to go:  Anyone who remembers sisters in their lives — in a school, hospital or other setting — may enjoy this look at their role in shaping American history.
The exhibit is sponsored by Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in Association with Cincinnati Museum Center, where it opened in 2009. It is touring museums across the nation, coming to Dubuque from Ellis Island. The next exhibit close to the Diocese of Rockford will be Sept. 2 to Dec. 31 at the Center for History in South Bend, Ind.
According to the exhibit Web site, features of the exhibit include artifacts from hundreds of sister communities including a letter from Thomas Jefferson assuring religious freedom following the Louisiana Purchase
Access: The museum is accessible to the handicapped.
Admission: You’ll need tickets to the museum to see the exhibit, but you’ll also be able to visit other exhibits. Cost for non-members is $13 for seniors 65 and older; $15 for other adults; $10 for children 3-17. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.
(Grand) Kid friendly: The museum and the exhibit are both child-friendly. You can even plan an educational outing using materials for students in first- through 12th-grade, on the exhibit Web site (below).
Info: About the museum: Address — National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, 350 E. Third St., Dubuque IA 52001.  Phone — 563/557-9545. Web — www.rivermuseum.com. About the exhibit: www.womenandspirit.org

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