St. Joan of Arc Chapel -- Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis.

Destination: The St. Joan of Arc Chapel, set in the heart of  Marquette University’s campus, is by far the oldest building in Milwaukee. In fact, the medieval chapel predates the United States. Built around 1420 near Lyon, France, the chapel welcomed French Catholics — including St. Joan of Arc, according to legend — for centuries before falling into disrepair. 

The chapel was rediscovered in the 1920s and purchased by a devotee of St. Joan of Arc, who had it shipped in pieces to her property on Long Island, N.Y. In the 1960s, after the chapel survived a fire, it was again disassembled and sent to a new home at Marquette University. 

Mass is celebrated in the chapel when classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters on Sundays at 4:30 p.m. (Spanish); Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon; and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m.

Photos: Top — The St. Joan of Arc Chapel is set in the heart of Marquette University in Milwaukee. (CNS photo/ courtesy Marquette University)

Middle — Medieval tapestries hang on the chapel's walls. (Observer screengrab/ Marquette University)

Bottom — During the COVID-19 pandemic, the university's ministry staff livestreamed its night Mass. (Photo/ Marquette University)

Why to go: In an opening behind the altar is the “Joan Stone.” Legend has it that on this stone, St. Joan of Arc prayed for success in battle, and kissed it afterward.

For art and history lovers, the chapel also doubles as a museum, with Gothic architecture and Catholic artifacts including tapestries and a holy water font, some that even predate the chapel. 

Free half-hour tours are led daily: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10-11:45 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sundays at noon-4 p.m.

Admission: No cost, though donations are welcome. Parking is available in the 16th St. parking structure. 

Accessibility: A ramp leads up to the entrance, making the chapel accessible to most. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course — and definitely a spot for older grandkids to check out on college visits! 

Info: Address — Joan of Arc Chapel, 1250 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, Wis. (South side of campus, west of the Raynor Memorial Libraries) 

Phone — 414-288-6873 

Website — https://www.marquette.edu/st-joan-of-arc-chapel/

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

Papal Palace - Avignon, France

(Observer photos by Sharon Boehlefeld)

Destination: Avignon, on the Rhone River in the south of France, today is a city of about 90,000 people, about 12,000  of whom live in the ancient town center enclosed by its old walls. The old city is a popular stop on cruise ship tours, both for its medieval charm and for its historic significance as the home of the popes of the Roman Catholic Church in the 1300s. Today it is listed as a United Nations’ World Heritage site.
Masses are not offered at the Papal Palace (Palais de Papes), which is a tourist site and no longer a Catholic facility. If you tour there, check with your guide for local Mass times.
Photos: Top - The Papal Palace at Avignon, France, was the home of the Roman Catholic Church, 1309–77. 
Bottom - The Pont d’Avignon — the remains of a bridge at Avignon — stretches into the Rhone River in France. The small structure toward the right side of the bridge is a chapel and toll collection booth.
Why to go: The Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org) explains, “Avignon, which at the beginning of the 14th century was a town of no great importance, underwent a wonderful development during the residence there of nine popes, Clement V to Benedict XIII, inclusively. To the north and south of the rock of the Doms, partly on the site of the Bishop’s Palace, which had been enlarged by John XXII, rose the Palace of the Popes, in the form of an imposing fortress made up of towers, linked one to another.”
Today, most of the rooms are empty. When the papacy returned to Rome, most of the contents went back to the Vatican. Damage from both the French Revolution and later use as a barracks in WWII is evident in the building. But walking through still lends a sense of the grandeur once part of the palace. The chapel, currently in use as a gallery for an exhibit about the palace’s restoration, has amazing accoustics. When our guide demonstrated by quietly singing “Ave Maria,” all the other tourists in the large room stopped talking to listen to her delicate soprano.
Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Self-guided, pre-recorded tours are available in English for 11 euros. One advantage of booking a tour with a local guide is there are several spots in the palace with large screens and available seating that are reserved for the guides and their groups to use.
Accessibility: This is a difficult site to maneuver, with hundreds of uneven stone stairways to reach the open areas of the palace. An alternative is to take a ride on a small tourist train from outside the palace. It costs only a few euros and has recorded information in several languages, including English.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Of course.
Info: Address — Papal Palace (Palais de Papes), Place du Palais, 84000 Avignon, France    Phone — +33( 0)4 32 74 32 74  Web — www.palais-des-papes.com/en 

— Compiled by Sharon Boehlefeld
Send Destination ideas to SeasonedObserver@rockforddiocese.org

 

Notre Dame des Cyclistes Chapel - Labastide-d’Armagnac, France

(CNS photos/Regis Duvignau, Reuters)

Destination: If you plan an active vacation in Europe, you may want to include Notre Dame des Cyclistes (Our Lady of Cyclists) chapel in France.
The website doesn’t list Mass times, so you may need to plan for that elsewhere.
Why to go: Father Joseph Massie, a cycling enthusiast, founded the chapel in 1958. It was declared a French national shrine for cycling and cyclists under the protection of Mary by Pope John XXIII. The chapel includes a collection of cycling memorabilia (top). The chapel is a popular stop for pilgrims who cycle through France on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
Accessibility: It’s a bikers chapel, but if you can drive there, you can probably get inside. The chapel is open to the public May 1-Oct 15, but hours are limited: in July and August, 10 a.m.-noon (except Sunday and Monday) and 3-6 p.m.; in May, June, September and October, 3-6 p.m. (except Monday).
(Grand) Kid friendly: Cyclists of any age are welcome.

Info:  Address: Les Amis de Notre Dame des Cyclistes, Maison de la Culture, Place Royale, 40240 La Bastide D’Armagnac, France. Phone: 05-58-44-67-56. Web: www.notredamedescyclistes.net. (Note: The site is in French, although some browsers will translate the home page to English. Some English information is available at http://cartemarialedumonde.org/en/sanctuary/notre-dame-cyclistes.)

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