Vatican Museums -- Vatican City State

 Destination: Getting to Italy may be less than certain right now, but if you can get as far as Rome, the Vatican Museums reopened May 3 with restrictions. The stunning collections are well worth the price of admission.

Masses are offered throughout the day at the Vatican.Ask at the museum information desk for help.  

Photos: Top--Statues are seen above the exit to the Vatican Museums at the Vatican Feb. 3, 2021. The Vatican Museums reopened this week after a three-month closure as COVID-19 restrictions eased slightly in Italy. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Below-- A model of the Vatican City State was on display at the Vatican Museum in 2014. (Observer photo/Sharon Boehlefeld)

Why to go: The main museum on the grounds of the Vatican has several collections of artifacts, both religious and secular. But there are also archeological digs at the necropolis of the Via Triumphalis and at St. John Lateran in the city of Rome.  

Within the Vatican, museums include the Gregorian Egyptian and Etruscan museums, the lapidary Gallery, several papal rooms and the Sistine Chapel.

For those unable to travel to Rome, the museums’ collections can be seen on their Instagram account at instagram.com/vaticanmuseums/ and with their online “tours” at museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html

If you’d like to keep up with the museum, you can sign up for a newsletter in Italian or English by clicking on the plus sign on the top of the page near the right. The menu uses pictographs for searching, information, tickets and merchandise.

Accessibility: Some parts of the main museum could be difficult to get to for those with limited mobility. Ask about elevator access. The Vatican Museum Office of Services and Public Relations can answer email questions at help.musei@scv.va.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — Vatican Museum, Viale Vaticana, 00165 Rome 

Phone — +39 06 69884676 or +39 06 69883145 

Website — https://m.museivaticani.va

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Year of St. Joseph: Basilica of St. Joseph -- Alameda, Calif.

 Destination: The Basilica of St. Joseph in Alameda is very much a living parish, despite being on the National Register of Historic Places.

Masses in person are limited to 100 persons. Check the website for Mass openings while you are in the area.  

Photo: exterior of St. Joseph Basilica in Alameda

Why to go: St. Joseph’s Basilica was designed by San Francisco architect H. A. Minton. An example of the Spanish Colonial Revival or mission style, it includes most of the typical elements of this architectural movement among buildings of this style in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the spring of 1972, St. Joseph Church was elevated to the rank of Basilica by Pope Paul VI. This made it one of four basilicas in the western United States, including Missions in San Francisco, Monterey, and San Diego.

The original Gothic church in Alameda dated back to the latter half of the 19th century, but it burned to the ground in 1919. It had served mainly Alameda’s Irish community. Rebuilding began shortly after the fire.

Among the church’s features are its stained glass windows. The parish website explains that the large stained glass windows are examples of “Christian iconography, as well as a kind of window into the art history of the early 20th century in America.” The windows, the site continues “reflected a mixture of traditional Catholic themes as well as a hint of the liturgical reform movement that had been launched by Pope Pius X a decade earlier.”

Accessibility: Much of the campus appears to be accessible to the handicapped.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome. There are both an elementary and a high school associated with the parish.

Info: Address — St. Joseph Basilica, 1109 Chestnut St., Alameda, CA 94501
Phone — 510-522-0181
Website — https://sjbalameda.org/

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

University of St. Francis Art Gallery - Joliet

(Photos provided)

Destination: If you’re looking for a spring drive, the University of St. Francis Art Gallery opened its newest exhibition, the 2021 Senior Thesis Exhibition, on April 30. 

Masses are not offered at the gallery. 

Photos: Top -- Works of Amber Darak and Jamie Stolfo are part of the exhibit.
Below -- Austin Hines’ work is part of the 

senior show.

Why to go: The exhibition features the work of six graduating seniors from the USF Department of Fine Arts, including: Amber Darak, photography; Austin Hines, studio art; Jamie Stolfo, studio art; Lauren Tuider, graphic design; Maria Cruz Uceda, graphic design; and Odessa Villarreal, studio art and graphic design. 

“Working across a variety of media, these artists explore themes unique to each of them,” said Jennifer Moore, USF Art Gallery Director and Collection Manager. “As the culmination of their journey at the University of St. Francis, this exhibit not only reflects the skills gained from their time as students, but also their personal growth as artists.”

Hours: The exhibition will be on display at the USF Art Gallery through July 30, and is open to the public. Current gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

Accessibility: The museum is accessible to the handicapped and there is street parking in front of the building.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome. 

Info: Address — University of St. Francis Art Gallery, 25 E. Van Buren St., Joliet, IL 60432
Phone — 815-740-3787
Website — facebook.com/theuniversityofstfrancisartgallery or https://www.stfrancis.edu/artgallery/

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

Update: National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton -- Emmitsburg, Maryland

Destination: We originally visited the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., in September 2009. But the shrine has recently received a number of relics of the saint from the Sisters of Charity of New York, which make it worth an update. In addition, 2021 marks the 200th anniversary of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s death.

Masses are being live-streamed on Facebook or the website on Sundays at 11 a.m., and Mondays through Fridays at 1:30 p.m. Check the website for changes.

Photos: St. Elizabeth Ann’s bonnet (top left) and wedding brooch (below left) are among new donations to the shrine.

Why to go: Emmitsburg was the home of Mother Seton from 1809 until her death in 1821.

In the northern bay of the basilica, beneath the altar, her relics are enclosed in marble in a small copper casket. A white marble statue shows her in the habit that she and her Sisters of Charity wore in 1809.

Additional new relics just donated include St. Elizabeth Ann’s rosary, bonnet, wedding brooch and her daughter’s christening gown.

(CNS photos/courtesy Devine Partners)

In addition to the basilica, the site includes the Stone House (circa 1750), which was the first permanent home of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the site at which she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph on July 31, 1809. In 1979, the house was moved from its original site to its present location.

The White House, built during the winter of 1809-1810 when Mother Seton needed an expanded home, is also at the site. She called it St. Joseph’s House.

Accessibility: Much of the campus appears to be accessible to the handicapped.

Hours: The Visitor Center and Museum are open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 12-5 p.m. The gift shop is closed, with plans to reopen by July 22.

Access: The shrine sites are open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. On Mondays, only the basilica is open. Check the Web site for holiday hours.

(Grand) Kid friendly: Children are welcome at the shrine, but check the Visitor Information Guidelines on the Web site for dos and don’ts.

Info: Address — The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, 333 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727-9297
Phone — 301/447-6606
Web — www.setonshrine.org

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH: National Shrine of St. Joseph -- De Pere, Wis.

Destination: Just a few hours north of the Rockford Diocese is the National Shrine of St. Joseph on the campus of St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. 

Masses are daily at noon, and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.  

From March 10-19, the  solemn Novena to St. Joseph follows 6 p.m. confessions and 7 p.m. Mass.

Why to go: The National Shrine of St. Joseph is located in the oratory of Old St. Joseph Church on the St. Norbert College campus. The shrine and its perpetual novena were originally established on this site in 1888. 

French-Canadian  Catholics came to the De Pere area in the mid-19th century to work in the lumber mills. In 1870, a parish named in honor of St. Joseph was established to serve them.

Special events: The 134th annual Novena Mass in honor of St. Joseph on March 19  this year will be broadcast live on EWTN at 5:30 p.m. Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay will preside and Father Don Calloway, MIC, will offer the homily. 

The shrine is offering an online conference about the Year of St. Joseph on March 19. The conference will feature the rededication of the shrine’s statue of St. Joseph. Speakers will cover a variety of topics, including a general overview of St. Joseph, life in his times, devotions to St. Joseph, and his special role as protector of the family. Learn more at http://box5320.temp.domains/~theyeav3/.

Hours: The shrine is open to the public 6 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.

Accessibility: Much of the campus appears to be accessible to the handicapped. Take a virtual tour of the site at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLTk10x63cQ.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — National Shrine of St. Joseph, Old St. Joseph Church, 123 Grant St., De Pere, WI 54115 

Phone — 920-403-3010 

Website — https://www.snc.edu/parish/shrine.html

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to sboehlefeld@rockforddiocese.org

YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH: Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph -- San Jose, Calif.

(Photo by David Leigh Ellis, commons.wikimedia.org)

Destination: Another of the U.S. basilicas named for St. Joseph is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph in San Jose, Calif. 

Masses are being celebrated outdoors and require reservations. Anyone older than 6 must wear a mask. Times are Monday-Friday, 12:05 p.m., live-streamed; Sundays 8:30 a.m. English live-streamed, 10 a.m. Spanish live-streamed, 11:30 a.m. English live-streamed, and 1 p.m. Spanish.         

Why to go: The first pueblo church was built on the site in 1803.  Made of adobe and wood, it was named in honor of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the pueblo. On the feast day of St. Joseph, March 19, 1876, the cornerstone for the fifth and present church building was laid. It was opened and dedicated on April 22, 1877. In 1981, the Vatican divided the Archdiocese of San Francisco, establishing the Diocese of San Jose. After renovations, it was dedicated as the Cathedral of St. Joseph on Nov. 4, 1990, and received basilical status in 1997. The basilica’s stained glass windows and Latin frieze on the ceiling are more than 140 years old.

Accessibility: Much of the grounds appear to be accessible to the handicapped.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, 80 S. Market St., San Jose, CA 95113
Phone — 408-283-8100
Website — https://www.stjosephcathedral.org/

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH: Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral -- Bardstown, Ky.

(Observer screengrab/Sharon Boehlefeld)

 Destination: As we begin the year of St. Joseph, we find few basilicas are named to honor St. Joseph, but one is the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Ky. 

Masses are being offered at 4 p.m. Saturday; 7, 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday; and 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Check with the web site before you go to be sure things haven’t changed. 

Why to go: The church cornerstone was laid in July 1816, according to the parish website. St. Joseph was the first cathedral west of the Allegheny Mountains and is listed by the U.S. Library of Congress as a national landmark. 

St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral campus is adjacent to Spalding Hall and Flaget Hall of what was originally St. Joseph College, which are all on the National Historic Register. Pastors served as president of the college. 

Paintings and other gifts from Europe donated by Pope Leo XII, Francis I — King of the Two Sicilies — and King Louis Phillippe of France, decorate the building and speak to the French beginnings of the diocese.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1819, though the interior was not fully completed until 1823. When the Episcopal See was moved 40 miles away to the fast growing city of Louisville in 1841, St. Joseph’s changed from a Cathedral parish to a parish church with the title “Proto-Cathedral.”

In 1995, Bardstown was named a Titular See by the Vatican for its contributions to Catholic Church heritage in America. Once again, Bardstown has a bishop, though in an honorary capacity. 

In 2001 Pope John Paul II declared St. Joseph a minor Basilica.

St. Joseph has nearly 5,000 parishioners.

Accessibility: Much of the grounds appear to be accessible to the handicapped.

(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.

Info: Address — Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, 310 W. Stephen Foster Ave., Bardstown, KY  40004
Phone — 502-348-3126
Website — https://stjosephbasilica.org/

— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story

Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org