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

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

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

Ave Maria Grotto -- Cullman, Ala.

Destination: The Ave Maria Grotto is an off-the-beaten-path treasure north of Birmingham, Ala., on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, Ala. It is the work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk. Originally from Landschutt, Bavaria, Germany, he created “A World in Miniature” during his time in the United States.

Mass is not regularly offered to the public at the grotto. 

Photos: Top -- A detailed miniature of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, created in 1953, is part of a larger landscape of religious and historically significant structures begun by Brother Joseph Zoettl, OSB, at the only Benedictine Abbey in Alabama.  (Observer photos/Sharon Boehlefeld).

Middle -- A bust of the grotto designer, Brother Joseph, is visible on the grounds.

Bottom -- A visitor looks at the main display at the Ave Maria Grotto. Several benches are in the grassy area across from the grotto.

Why to go: Brother Joseph’s work has been open to the public since 1934. Volunteers maintain the grounds, and some have created additions to the grotto in the style of Brother Joseph’s original work. 

The 125 miniatures created of stone, cement and recycled materials such as broken plates, costume jewelry, shells and more are set in a beautifully landscaped hillside at the abbey. They include stand-alone sculptures representing elements of the lives of the Holy Family, as well as models of famous locations from around the world.

The last miniature Brother Joseph created was of the Lourdes Basilica Church, which he made in 1958 when he was 80.

Admission: Costs start at $10 for adults and drop from that. Tickets are available in the gift shop. Check the website for holiday closings.

Accessibility: There are some bumps to navigate, and some of the ramps are a bit steep. But with care, nearly everyone should be able to get around the grotto. The website says the grotto is not wheelchair accessible. 

(Grand) Kid friendly: If the weather is nice, this is a great place to plan a family picnic on a road trip. 

Info: Address — Ave Maria Grotto 1600 St. Bernard Dr. SE, Cullman, Alabama 35055   
Phone — 256-734-4110   
Website — https://www.avemariagrotto.com/

— Sharon Boehlefeld wrote this story after visiting the grotto. 

Send Destination ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org

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

The Ringling Museum - Sarasota, Florida

(Photos provided)

Destination: If you are planning vacation to Florida, consider a stop at The Ringling, the State Art Museum of Florida. Its story begins in 1911 when the circus impresario John Ringling and his wife, Mabel, bought 20 acres in Sarasota and poured their love tor the Florida city, for Italy and art, into the property. In addition to the art museum, of course, there is also the Circus Museum on the grounds.
While there are no Masses on The Ringling grounds, there are several parishes to select from in Sarasota. Click on Find a Parish at http://dioceseofvenice.org
Why to go: In the vast collection of The Ringling museum, there is a significant number of religious art. Its website says the museum’s 31 galleries feature “old masters, contemporary art and exhibitions from around the world.”
But art’s not the only reason to visit The Ringling. Ca’ d’Zan, or “House of John,” in the Venetian dialect, is the  Ringling’s 56-room mansion, billed as “a testament to the American Dream of the Roaring Twenties.” There are also the Bayfront Gardens, the Historic Asolo Theater and an education center.
Hours: Most days The Ringling is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m; Thursdays until 8 p.m. Ca’ d’Zan closes at 5 p.m.and the Bayfront Gardens are open 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Admission varies, but includes seniors (65 and older) is $23; children 6-17, $5.
(Grand) Kid friendly: Did we mention the Circus Museum?
Info: Address — The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 Phone — 941/359-5700 Web — www.ringling.org

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