Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul -- Lewiston, Maine

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Destination: Raised to the level of basilica in 2006, this parish in Lewiston, Maine, was founded in 1870 to serve French-speaking Catholics in the area.
Masses are offered Saturdays at 4 p.m. in French (upper chapel), 6 p.m. in Spanish (lower chapel); Sundays 7 a.m. in English (lower chapel), 8:30 a.m. in Latin (lower chapel), 10:30 a.m. in English (upper church); Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. (lower chapel).
Why to go: It is the oldest parish for the French-speaking Catholics in the Diocese of Portland, Maine. According to its website (shared with Lewiston’s Prince of Peace Parish), “For the French Canadians who began arriving in Lewiston in the mid-19th century, the Catholic Church was, next to the family, the focal point of life.  Under the guidance of the Church, virtually every spiritual, social, recreational, and educational need was taken care of.
“The history of the parish,” the site continues, “reflects an aspect of the immigrant experience played out over and over again across the United States.”
The French-speaking population was initially served by a French-speaking priest sent by the Diocese of Portand. The French Masses were first offered in one church basement, then another, both of which outgrew the 1,000-strong population of immigrants from Canada.
In 1872, the cornerstone for a French parish — named for St. Peter — was laid, but when a French Dominican order took charge of the parish for the diocese, they called it SS. Peter and Paul. The parish population grew continuously through the early part of the 20th century, forcing divisions for additional parishes and outgrowing the original St. Peter building. The first church was demolished and a basement was finished in 1906. The upper church was approved by the diocese in 1933, completed in 1936 and dedicated in 1938.
The official celebration of becoming a basilica in May 2005 featured concerts, festive liturgies and other events.
Its Casavant Frères organ — opus 1587 and 1588 instruments — are combined through one console, making it the largest church organ in Maine. A Sept. 13 concert celebrated a new console.
Accessibility: The website offers no information about accessiblity.
(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.
Info: Address — Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, 144 Ash St., Lewiston, ME 04240
Phone — 207-777-1200
Website — https://princeofpeace.me/basilica-of-saints-peter-paul-1

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

Museum of Family Prayer -- North Easton, Mass.

(Observer photos/courtesy The Museum of Family Prayer)

Destination: The Museum of Family Prayer will hold its grand opening ceremonies Sept. 15, so it’s not too soon to plan a visit.
Masses are offered at noon Wednesdays through Fridays at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chapel, preceded by a rosary at 11:30 a.m.
Why to go: “This first-of-its-kind museum welcomes you and your family to a unique, interactive, digital experience of prayer that your entire family can experience together,” says the museum’s website. It continues:
“The museum provides:
“Inspiration: A spiritual experience of prayer – touch, listen and watch, reflect and pray.
“Exploration: Learn more about the history and power of prayer.
“Connection: Time to reconnect with your family and your faith.

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(Observer photos/courtesy
The Museum of Family Prayer)

“You’ll also learn about the remarkable story of sainthood candidate, Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, who inspired the world with his timeless message, ‘The family that prays together stays together.’ See artifacts from his life, ministry and priesthood.”
The Venerable Father Peyton (right) is buried near the museum at the Cemetery of the Congregation of Holy Cross Religious.His headstone is usually draped with rosaries, no doubt in recognition of him as founder of the Family Rosary Crusade of the late 1940s and 1950s. The website says the origin of leaving rosaries on the headstone is lost, but people who take a rosary are encouraged to leave one in its place.
In addition to the museum, there is also a rosary path on the grounds.
Accessibility: The website says the museum is accessible to all. And parking, like admission, is free.
Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.
Info: Address — 518 Washington St., North Easton, MA 02356
Phone — 800-299-7729
Website — www.museumoffamilyprayer.org

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

The Basilica of St. Mary - Minneapolis, Minn.

(Courtesy The Basilica of Saint Mary archives) 

Destination: The Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis has the distinction of being one of the oldest basilicas in the U.S. It and Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica in Lackawanna, N.Y., were both declared minor basilicas in 1926 by Pope Pius XI.
Masses are offered weekdays at 7 a.m. and noon on the basilica’s ground level, St. Joseph’s Chapel; Saturdays at 5 p.m.; Sundays at 7:30, 9:30, and 11:30 a.m., 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Photos -- (Left) Exterior of the Basilica of St. Mary; (Below left) Interior of basilica.
Why to go: The building was designed by the French architect Emmanuel Masqueray in the beaux-arts style.The exterior was completed between 1907 and 1915, and the interior begun in 1922. It was not quite finished when it was declared a basilica on Feb. 1, 1926.
Marble statues of the Apostles around the sanctuary were carved in Italy and are half-size replicas of the ones in St. John Lateran Cathedral of Rome.
In the 1950s, the basilica added a Wicks organ and installed eight double bronze doors cast by the Flour City Ornamental Iron Company of Minneapolis. The doors have symbols of the Apostles and Evangelists, and the coats-of-arms of the archbishops and popes who were key to the basilica’s development.

(Courtesy The Basilica of Saint Mary archives)

In 1975, the basilica was named to the National Register of Historic Places. On its website, the basilica lists three reasons it was nominated for this honor:
“Firstly, it exemplifies great design in architecture and engineering. ...
“Secondly, the Basilica is a testimonial to the religious movements and their roles in the development of Minnesota’s heritage.
“And, thirdly, the building was the first such church to be proclaimed a basilica in the United States.”
Later restorations involved areas of the basilica, the copper dome and roof.
Accessibility: The website says the basilica has access for all. For details, check the website’s Visit Us page.
(Grand) Kid friendly: As long as the kids know their church manners, they will be fine.
Info: Address — 1600 Hennepin Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone — 612-333-1381
Website — www.mary.org

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

St. Mary Basilica - Natchez, Miss.

(Observer photos/St. Mary Basilica archives)

Destination: Considered a masterpiece of architecture among Catholic churches in the south, St. Mary Basilica dates to before the Civil War and is an active parish that welcomes visitors.
Masses are offered Sunday at 10 a.m. (with nursery); Saturday at 4 p.m. CST, 5 p.m. DST; Monday-Friday at 8 a.m.
Photos: The interior and exterior of the basilica
Why to go: According to its website, “The construction of this place of worship was begun in 1842 as a cathedral in the newly established Diocese of Natchez, and St. Mary retained this status until 1977.
“Because the church is historically significant, in 1998 Rome granted St. Mary in Natchez, Miss., the elevated status of minor basilica, an honor it now shares with 70 of the 250 dioceses in the U.S. There are two kinds of basilicas. The world’s four major basilicas — or papal basilicas — are in Rome, and minor basilicas — some in Rome and others elsewhere throughout the world — are given special ecclesiastical privileges by the Holy Father.
“The portrait of the Christ on the Cross and his Sorrowful Mother (above) hangs above the main altar. The original fresco was executed by New Orleans artist A. Biorci in 1888 as an adaptation of Guido Reni’s classical painting. In 1931, the deteriorating fresco was replaced by the present painting on canvas. A later restoration of this portrait painted out the minor figures in the original to emphasize the church’s patron, Our Lady of Sorrows.
“St. Mary’s congregation takes pride not only in the Gothic Revival style of the Basilica but also its prayerful setting in the midst of colored carvings, painted ceiling, and ribbed vaulting. Natchez is the birthplace of Mississippi. It is a tourist destination because of its historic antebellum homes, and St. Mary Basilica — also antebellum — is the city’s central landmark.”
(Grand) Kid friendly: As long as the kids know their church manners, they will be fine.
Info: Address — St. Mary Basilica, 107 S. Union St., Natchez, MS 39120 
Phone — 601-445-5616
Website — www.stmarybasilica.org

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

Cathedral Basilica of Sacred Heart -- Newark, N.J.

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Destination: In addition to being the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Newark (N.J.), the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is also an active parish and the site of the first beatification to take place on U.S. soil.
Masses are offered weekdays in English at 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (except in July and August) and in Spanish Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. (except in July and August); Saturdays at 9 p.m. and 6 p.m.; Sundays at 10 a.m. in Spanish and noon in English (with choir).
Photos: Top -- Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (photo by Bob Roller)
Below -- Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich (photo courtesy of Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth)

Why to go: Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich (left), a Sister of Charity who died at age 26 in 1927, was the first American to be beatified in the United States. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes, was the main celebrant at a Mass Oct. 4, 2014, at the Cathedral Basilica of Sacred Heart in Newark.

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Sister Miriam Teresa is significant to the diocese because a youngster with advancing bilateral macular degeneration was living in the archdiocese when, in 1964, his sight was restored on a walk home from school. He had just been given a relic and prayer card for Sister Miriam Teresa.
His mother’s letters to the Sisters of Charity explaining what happened remained unnoticed until 1998, so the process of authenticating the miracle did not begin until 2000.
But the cathedral itself is worth a visit. Newark’s first bishop, the Most Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley, proposed it in 1859, although groundbreaking didn’t take place until January 1898. For various reasons, construction was stopped, designs changed and the cathedral wasn’t dedicated until  Oct. 19, 1954, although it had been in use since 1928.
The Gothic-style cathedral features, according to its website, “a towering Botticino marble canopy, or baldachino, ... topped by the figure of Jesus under the title of the Sacred Heart,” a number of chapels dedicated to saints, rose windows and bronze doors made in Rome. 
Accessibility: There is a ramped entrance to the cathedral on Ridge Street and an elevator to restrooms.
Amenities: There is a gift shop inside the cathedral.
(Grand) Kid friendly: As long as the kids know their church manners, they will be fine.
Info: Address — Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge St., Newark, NJ 0710   n   Phone — 973-484-4600   n   Website — www.cathedralbasilica.org/

— CNS, Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to the story
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Museum of the Bible -- Washington, D.C.

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Destination: Ken McKenzie, Museum of the Bible president and CEO, told Catholic News Service that an upcoming exhibit focusing on science and faith would bolster conversation on the answers to questions on two oft-ignored aspects of science, specifically “what ... science mean(s) for the existence and activity of God” and what science means for the “sacredness of humanity.”
Masses are not offered at the museum, but visit https://masstimes.org/ to find Masses in the area.
Photos: (Top left) Brian Hyland, associate curator from Oklahoma City, interprets a sarcophagus replica of Jonah inside the “Vatican Museums and Vatican Library” exhibit at the Museum of the Bible in 2017.
(Bottom left) A bound book is seen inside the “History of the Bible” exhibit at the Museum of the Bible in 2017.
Why to go: From the 17th-century ban by the Vatican of Copernicus’ mathematical calculation that the sun was at the center of the solar system to modern-day arguments about evolution’s compatibility with a belief in God, science and faith have regularly butted heads in the public square.
Seeking to illuminate these debates for the public is the Museum of the Bible in Washington, which announced April 1 that it would be using sizable grants from the John Templeton Foundation and the Templeton Religion Trust toward fostering a “greater understanding of the shared curiosity about our world that stimulates both scientific inquiry and biblical interpretation.”

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The exhibits will be divided among six sections, each of which will be devoted to pressing existential questions about the beginning of the universe, what keeps it running, how humans and animals differ, what humans “are made of” and if humanity is alone in the universe.
Accessibility: The museum has stairless entries and wheelchairs — first come, first served — for its patrons. Check the website for details.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Families are welcome to the museum. Cost: (online/at the door) $19.99/$24.99 adults;  $19.99/$19.99 seniors citizens, military, first responders and students; $9.99/$14.99 children 7-17; free child 6 and younger.
Info: Address — Museum of the Bible, 400 Fourth St. SW, Washington, DC 20024
Phone — 866.430.6682  
Website — https://www.museumofthebible.org/

— CNS, Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to the story
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal -- Montreal, Quebec, Canada

(CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Destination:  “The oratory is one of Quebec’s best-kept secrets,” said Guy Cormier, president and CEO of Desjardins Group, who is leading a fundraising campaign for an upcoming renovation at the church. At just over 100 years old, it is one of the newest major churches in Canada.
Masses are offered in English in the crypt church Monday-Saturday at 12:15  p.m., Tuesday and Thursday at 7: 30 p.m. (19:30), and Sunday at 11:15 a.m.; Sunday Masses in the basilica are in French at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Spanish Mass is offered on Sunday in the Crypt Church at  3 p.m. (15:00) following adoration and the rosary at 2 p.m. (14:00).
Why to go: From the small Chapel of Origin to the great Basilica, the beauty and diversity in the architectural heritage of Saint Joseph’s Oratory make it worth a visit before — and probably during — the upcoming renovation.
The changes are intended to “modernize many of its infrastructures” and, in 2022, after extensive work, “give a new experience” to the 2 million visitors who visit the oratory each year, Cormier said.
St. Joseph Oratory, managed by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, was founded in 1904 by St. Andre Bessette, known as Brother Andre. The oratory is located on Montreal’s famed Mount Royal.
Among its musical treasures is its organ, built by German organ maker Rudolf von Beckerath (1907-1976), and ranked among the top 10 in the world. Some of its 5,811 pipes are as long as 32 feet. Built in 1958 and 1959 in Germany, it took seven months to install it in Montreal. On Nov. 13, 1960, the organ was blessed and played for its first recital by a famous French organist, André Marchal.
Accessibility: Elevators, reserved parking and accessible areas throughout the oratory make it accessible to people with limited mobility.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Usual church behavior is expected.
Info: Address — Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, 3800 Queen Mary Road, Montreal (Quebec) Canada, H3V 1H6
 Phone — 1-877-672-8647
Website — https://www.saint-joseph.org/en/

— CNS, Sharon Boehlefeld contributed to the story
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org