Return from Mexico & Our Lady of Guadalupe Pilgrimage

We are back.

I believe everything went well, and everybody enjoyed the experience.

Thanks again for the opportunity you have given me.

Fr. Michael

Feast of Saint Juan Diego

Today marks the Feast of Saint Juan Diego, the simple peasant to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared and became known as "Our Lady of Guadalupe".  Our group is currently in Mexico had is in the colonial city of Puebla.  They will be in Mexico City for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th.

Off to Mexico

Well we are off to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.  Our group will spend three nights in the picturesque Spanish Colonial city of Puebla before going to Mexico City for the celebration of this most popular Feast Day.  The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most visited shrines in the world.  And despite what the news media would like to portray, Mexico is safe for travel so long as you know where to go. 

Pope Benedict XVI greets pilgrims from Medjugorje

This note from Wednesday Dec 2nd puplic audience by our Holy Father Benedict XVI:

At the end of today’s general audience, during part of the greeting of groups in different languages, the Pope addressed the Croatian crowd of pilgrims: “I greet all Croatian pilgrims, and especially those from the parish of St James, Medjugorje! Your pilgrimage to Rome is part of the way of preparation for the coming of the Lord. Therefore, in hope, be evangelisers of God’s love in your nation. Praised be Jesus and Mary!”

Memorial of Blessed Miguel Pro

We invite you to reflect upon the life and sacrifice of this future saint who was martyred in 1928.  As we was executed by a firing squad he proclaimed:  "long live Christ the King".  We think of Mexico as a predominantly Catholic country, which it is, but during the 1920"s a Marxist government came to power and severely persecuted all Catholics.

Safety in Mexico

The press, as usual, has done a great job of scaring people regarding travel to Mexico.  This is not to minimize the serious nature of the violence there, but it is mainly concentrated in the border areas and a few other spots within a country that is 3 times the size of Texas.  We steer clear of these places naturally and anticipate no problems on our upcoming pilgrimage to the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  Here is an email we received recently from a lady who travels to Mexico frequently:

"I am so disheartened to hear about people's continuous concerns!  Puebla is perfectly safe.  The three of us, all women, walked around comfortably after dark.  I took taxis by myself to Cholula to Talavera de la Reyna pottery studio and showroom, and had no difficulties at all.  We all took a bus to Puebla from Oaxaca, and from Puebla to Mexico City without incident or fear.  I returned only 10 days ago, so please again reassure people that it is just fine!  I've written about safety extensively on my Web site and have had many others respond, too, that it is only the border areas that are not secure.

Norma Hawthorne 
Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC
110 Blue Heron Farm Road
Pittsboro, NC 27312
(919) 274-6194
www.oaxacaculture.com
facebook.com/norma.hawthorne
twitter.com/OaxacaCulture

Come join us for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Security at airports

We like this one the best:

"Can't go to England, can't go to France, unless...we see your underpants!

All Souls Day--The Day of the Dead

All Souls Day is often over-shadowed by All Saints Day.  All Souls Day is the day that we pray for friends and family members who are in purgatory.  In Mexico as well as other countries, this is a day for celebrating the life of those who have passed on.  As Catholic Christians we believe that death is not the end of life but really the beginning.  Nowhere is it as celebrated as in Mexico.

Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods that will be offered to the dead. During the period of October 31 and November 2 families usually clean and decorate the graves. Some wealthier families build altars in their homes, but most simply visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings. These include wreaths of marigold, which are thought to attract the souls of the dead toward the offerings, and toys brought for dead children (los angelitos, or little angels) and bottles of tequila, mezcal, pulque or atole for adults. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods and beverages dedicated to the deceased, some people believe the spirits of the deceased eat the spirit of the food, so after the festivity, they eat the food from the ofrendas, but think it lacks nutritional value. In some parts of Mexico, like Mixquic, people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives.

Voting Today

Although it does not directly relate to travel, we all have a unique opportunity to have our voices heard today.  As we visit other countries we learn to appreciate their history and culture; however, there is not one of them that offers more here than in the U.S.A.  So we hope you take the time not only to vote, but to cast your vote in line with the precepts of our Catholic Christian faith.

Return from Medjugorje

Today our group is flying back home from Medjugorje.  We are anxious to hear about their experiences.  We hope that you will find them here over the next few days.  It is something that is very difficult to explain unless you have been there. 

The Chilean Miners

For those of us who watched the miners being rescued it was an inspiration to see such a public display of faith.  And I wonder, how often do I proclaim my faith in public?  I need to do better.

Consider the following CNA report from Santiago, which appeared on August 27:

“The 33 miners trapped in the San Jose mine in Atacama, Chile, have requested that statues and religious pictures be sent down to them as they wait to be rescued… Chilean officials say the rescue could take months but that they hope to reach the miners by Christmas… A small passageway has already been put in place so messages and supplies can be sent to the trapped miners.

“Although a crucifix has already been sent down, the miners are continuing to request more statues of Mary and the saints… to construct a makeshift chapel.  ‘The miners want to set up a section of the chamber they are in as a shrine,’ Chilean’s Minister of Health, Jaime Manalich, told CNN.

“This week, President Sebastian Pinera spoke with the miners by phone and then placed a statue of St Lorenzo, the patron of miners, in the presidential palace together with 32 Chilean flags and one Bolivian flag to represent each of the miners trapped since August 5.” One of the first things the miners’ relatives did at the pithead, while it still looked as though they must be all dead, was to set up a statue of St Lawrence, patron saint of miners (see above), who in statues of him in this role movingly wears a miner’s hat and carries a miner’s lamp.  And the whole rescue mission was placed under his patronage: it was called simply Operation San Lorenzo.

THE INDEPENDENT: The strokes of "luck" that saved the 33

Caspar Quintana, Catholic bishop of Copiapo: "God has heard our prayers. I have received comments of encouragement from all over the world. Let us give thanks."

Fatima and the Chilean Miners

Isn't it refreshing to hear about the faith that the trapped miners had throughout their ordeal.  We often hear of Fatima, the miracle of the sun and the many miracles that followed.  Yet how many people actually followed through with prayer and really changed their lives.  The media of the day reported the event and then everyone pretty much forgot about it.  That's why it is so wonderful to see men expressing gratitude towards God for helping them.

Spanish Missions & the Feast of St. Francis

In San Antonio, Texas you will find the largest concentration of Spanish colonial architecture in the United States.  There are five missions, four of which are still active parishes.  The one of interest today is Mission Espada, which has a unique event that occurs every 4th of October, the Feast of St. Francis.  On this day the rising sun casts a beam of light through the back of the church over the door that shines directly on the statue of Saint Francis.  It occurs on that day only--a feature using astronomy that was common in many churches during the Spanish Colonial era.  By the way, the other missions are :  San Jose, San Juan Capistrano, San Antonio de Valero and Concepcion.  The one that is not an active parish is San Antonio de Valero, more commonly known as the Alamo.  If you plan to visit this city sometime we heartily recommend a visit to one of the Missions.  And, of course, San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest active Cathedral in the United States, dating from 1731.

We plan to offer a pilgrimage to San Antonio that will include not only the missions but more more of the cultural and historical sites of this city. We will be offering it in the spring and fall of 2011.

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

When ever you visit Paris we encourage you to stop by to see the St. Vincent de Paul Church.    A wax likeness of St. Vincent de Paul is in the church in Paris just around the corner from the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal.  It is a beautiful peaceful church and well worth the visit. The church is located at 95, rue de Sevres.

Born in 1580, Vincent was captured by Turkish pirates in the year 1605 and was taken to Tunis. He was maltreated and eventually sold as a slave; but he escaped two years later with his master, a renegade whom he eventually converted to Catholicism. Vincent dedicated his life to the practice of spiritual and corporal works of charity. He set up many poor houses for the crippled and sick and personally cared for the patients who had the most contagious diseases. He would dress their wounds and nurse them back to health; indeed there wasn’t a poor man that didn’t know of Vincent’s kindness.

Vincent died at the age of eighty, having faithfully served God throughout his whole life. On August 13, 1729, Vincent was declared a Blessed by Benedict XIII; and on June 16, 1737, he was canonized by Clement XII. He is, of course, founder of the Vincentian Order and the St. Vincent de Paul Society continues to do excellent charitable works throughout the world.  He also helped to found another religious order:  The Daughters of Charity.  St. Vincent de Paul's incorrupt heart is kept in a glass reliquary at the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity in Paris.

The Relics of Saint John Bosco coming to the U.S.

The Relics of Saint John Bosco coming to the U.S.

An Addition to our Medjugorje Pilgrimages

We have added a little something extra to our Medjugorje pilgrimages. One of the difficulties of flying back from Medjugorje is that you either have to get up around 2:00 a.m. to get to Split for the 6:00 a.m. flight or overnight in some city such as Frankfurt which adds $150 or so to the cost.  To get around this and to give you a taste of Croatia, we travel to the town of Sinj on our last day and then overnight there.  Sinj is a city with an interesting history and we invite you to learn about it.

The history of the Catholic church in Croatia is fascinating and worth a further look.  We plan to explore the shrines of Croatia with a pilgrimage next year that includes not only Medjugorje, but Sinj and other places where the faith has been so strong.  If you have any interest in exploring Croatia with us please be sure to let us know.

Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Mercy Tours on 09/08/10

Today we celebrate the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother, but there is also devotion to Our Lady as a child.  A waxen image image of Maria Bambina was made prior to 1730 by a Franciscan nun.  She eventually came into the care of the Sisters of Charity at Lovere, Italy. In 1856 these Sisters of Charity were asked to take over the management of the Hospital of Ciceri in Milan and in 1876 this waxen image was carried to their Mother House there at Via S. Sofia 13, where She has remained ever since. The beautiful image of the Maria Bambina was exposed for veneration only on the 8th of September, the Feast of Mary's Nativity. In 1884, those who were devoted to the Maria Bambina received a reward for their devotion. Due to paralysis in her arms and feet, Sister Josephine Woinovich was bedridden and in unbearable pain. On the 8th of September she begged the Mother General to get Maria Bambina and leave the image near her overnight. The following morning the Mother General was inspired to take the image, so old, worn and grayish colored to the other sick Sisters in the infirmary so they could kiss Her. There was in the infirmary a good novice, Giulia Macario, who was unable to move because of her serious illness, but who, overcome by her ardent faith, took the image into her arms and pleaded with Her in tender and loving words for the Grace for her recovery. She was immediately and miraculously cured, for such Faith moves mountains. And at the same time this image itself underwent an amazing transformation from the former dull gray color to the warm flesh hues it has today, as can be seen, where She is enshrined in the Sanctuary of the Mother House in Milan.

The Catholic Memorial at Ground Zero

by Mercy Tours on 09/10/10

As we approach the anniversary of 9/11, it is interesting to note that St. Joseph's Chapel, located near ground zero on the ground floor of a seven-story apartment building in lower Manhattan's Battery Park City, has been renovated and designated as the Catholic memorial.

Visitors to ground zero will be able to walk a few steps toward the Hudson River and enter an environment keyed to the same theme but designed to encourage prayer and meditation.

In the homily at the dedication Mass on May 22, 2005, Cardinal Egan said the grace of God had "its own way of taking over," and could have an impact even on casual visitors to the renovated chapel. 
After more than 30 artists submitted proposals, John Collier of Dallas was chosen to produce four statues as memorials to groups affected by the tragedy: St. Joseph, patron of construction workers; St. Michael the Archangel, patron of police; St. Florian, patron of firefighters, and St. Mary Magdalene, first witness to the Resurrection and "apostle to the apostles."
Other artistic works commissioned to portray themes of the memorial included a terra cotta rendering of Our Lady of Guadalupe as patroness of the Americas by Brett Slavin of Ryebrook; an icon of Sts. John and Paul, Roman soldiers martyred together and patrons of Cardinal Egan's titular church in Rome, by Sister Cecelia of the Nuns of New Skete in Cambridge; stained-glass "Windows of Life and Renewal" by Guy Kemper of Louisville, Ky.; a translucent glass wall with abstract designs behind the altar, by Christopher Cosma of Brooklyn; and two works by Polish immigrant Wiktor Szostalo -- a sculptured torso of Christ and a glass rendering of the vision in the second chapter of Isaiah of swords beaten into plowshares.

St. Joseph's is a chapel of St. Peter Parish, the first Catholic parish established in New York.

Previously on the site cleared for the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, the chapel again found its life disrupted in its new location by the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001.

All the residents of the area had to leave for a time, and the chapel was used first by government relief agencies as their command station and later by construction workers, police and others as a place for rest and counseling.

Cardinal Egan noted that although "everything was ruined" in the chapel it was back in operation a year later.

Since then, the congregation that gathers there has been developing the chapel as the Catholic memorial to Sept. 11. The cardinal described it as "a gift to New York and a gift to the nation."

For more information:

http://www.mercytours.com/CatholicMemorialatGroundZero.html

40 Days for Life

by Mercy Tours on 09/20/10

Beginning September 22 through October 31 you have the opportunity to help make a difference.  40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families. It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion in America.

The 40-day campaign tracks Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ's resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.This year promises to be the largest turnout ever as more and more people realize the scourge of abortion in our country.

For details check out  http://40daysforlife.com/about.cfm

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