Our Pilgrimage to Ireland

     My mom took my grandmother, sisters, and me on a pilgrimage to a house of prayer in Ireland to receive a special blessing the summer after my sophomore year of college.  For my sisters and I, this was a first.  We’d never been to Europe or gone on an official pilgrimage.  In more ways than one my experience in Ireland foreshadowed what my junior year studying abroad in Paris would be like.

     My mom and her good friend Colleen had taken a day off from the group tour they’d gone on together the previous fall in order to visit Our Lady Queen of Peace House of Prayer in Achill Sound, Achill, County Mayo, Republic of Ireland.  My mom had read Thomas W. Petrisko’s book titled The Sorrow, the Sacrifice, and the Triumph: The Apparitions, Visions,and Prophecies of Christina Gallagher and was inspired to make a pilgrimage to the house of prayer the woman about whom the book was written had been instructed to have built.  In the book it is said that Our Lady appeared many times to Christina Gallagher, a visionary, mystic, stigmatist, and victim soul.  “The Queen of Peace requested this house of prayer be especially used for the recitation of the Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and as a sanctuary for priests” (pg. 234).  

     My mom wanted to take all of us on the pilgrimage, but one of my sisters wasn’t sure if she wanted to go.  She had joined a nearby Presbyterian Church and wasn’t sure about coming with us on a pilgrimage to a Marian house of prayer.  Mom asked her to pray about it.  When she did, she was led to a Bible verse.  When she checked out the website for the house of prayer, she saw the exact same Bible verse on there, and that was sign enough for her that God wanted her to come with us. 

     I really wanted Kevin to make the trip as well, but he couldn’t afford it, nor did he understand why it was important to go to a specific place to pray and receive a special blessing.  He still didn’t understand why I enjoyed going on retreats, so traveling overseas on a pilgrimage was way beyond anything he was ready for at that time. 

     I brought a photo of Kevin and me together to put in the box of prayer intentions at the chapel in the house of prayer.  I prayed for us often during that visit, not just at the house of prayer, but also when we stayed at the Connemara Coast Hotel. 

     I had lots of time to pray, read the Bible, and write since I wasn’t able to adjust to the time change.  I shared a room with my youngest sister and didn’t want to keep her awake at night, so I sat in the bathroom where the light wouldn’t disturb her and prayed, wrote notes to Kevin, and filled up page after page of hotel stationery with possible Scripture readings for our wedding, along with hymns, and even a preliminary guest list. 

     During our stay on the Connemara Coast, I would usually sleep during the day while Mom, Grandma (my maternal grandmother), and my sisters went sightseeing.  I’d wake up in the afternoon and walk to the nearby church.  Mary Mother of the Sea Church had a labyrinth walk in the courtyard.  For the first few days I did the labyrinth walk, I unknowingly went about it wrong.  I started on the outside and went in, but then I left.  I finally got a pamphlet from the church explaining the labyrinth walk, and from then on I knew to contemplate my inward journey with God while going to the center of the circle, then meditate on outreach from self to others and the world while retracing my steps back out. 

     Though I thought about Kevin often and went so far as to write down ideas about our wedding, though we weren’t even engaged yet, it was one of the few times I didn’t get to talk with him once or twice a day on the phone.  For some reason, I still felt very close to him. Praying for us encouraged me about the prospects of our relationship and future together.
     It's truly miraculous what God has been doing in our lives since that summer of 2001.  Our marriage, our faith journeys, and our witness are all proof that nothing is impossible with God.  
     Lord, thank You for reminding us from time to time how far You have brought us, through the many twists and turns of life, in and out of joy and sorrow, with an ever sharper focus on You.  Amen.

Catholicism DVD Sets: Buy One, Give One

     Catholicism is an awe-inspiring, around the world, journey into the mysteries of the Roman Catholic faith.  Without a passport, airline tickets, or hotel accommodations, you can go on pilgrimage to some of Christianity's most sacred spots on Earth with Fr. Robert Barron of Word on Fire as your esteemed tour guide.

     To see some highlights of the Catholicism series, check out the video below:

  

     My husband and I were inspired to view the Catholicism DVDs when our beloved brother in Christ, John, purchased a set and was very impressed by what he saw.  It was really interesting to watch many of the DVDs during this past summer while John was in Europe visiting a number of the holy sites described and featured in these DVDs.  Suddenly we had a deeper understanding of the inspiration behind his pilgrimage itinerary, and we could feel a sense of connection as he journeyed to these places to witness the beauty and faithfulness they contain.  

     My mom gave me the set of Catholicism DVDs as a gift, knowing that Kevin and I really enjoyed the series.  Several parishes and prayer groups have been offering viewings of Catholicism as part of ongoing formation, education, and evangelization for parishioners, families, and those interested in learning more about the Roman Catholic faith.  

     Right now, there is a special deal being offered where for the price of one set of Catholicism DVDs, you will receive two complete sets.  One for you, and one to give to someone else.  For more information and/or to take advantage of the buy one, give one offer that's available for a limited time only, click here.        

The Way DVD

     I’d recommend The Way to anyone who is seeking answers, enlightenment, understanding, and isn’t afraid to take a look at the tough questions in life: What am I moving towards? What am I running from? And why?

     I expected the movie to be about major religious conversion, but it’s not. Actually, the movie only loosely touches on the religious and spiritual implications of the Camino and the many Christ-centered pilgrims who set out to make the trek each year. In a sense this makes the film more accessible to the masses (pun intended) instead of a good fit mainly for the Catholic parishioners in the pews.

     The Way is a thought-provoking, humorous look at how a physical journey is every bit as much about a journey inward as it is about reaching a particular destination. Having read the book Hiking the Camino: 500 Miles with Jesus by Dave Pivonka, T.O.R., a while back, I was somewhat familiar with the ancient pilgrimage trail when I heard about this film.

     What I didn’t realize ahead of time is that this movie is a family affair. Not to say it’s the right choice for a family movie night if you have children under thirteen, it’s not, but the rich heritage, tradition, and strong family bonds explored in the film seem best acted by those who really do have a father/son relationship. The Way is directed by Emilio Estevez, dedicated to his grandfather, and stars as the lead Martin Sheen, the director’s own father (who was named at birth Ramon Gerard Estevez).

     The film was shot in France and Spain, where the el Camino exists and still attracts millions of pilgrims. The cinematography is quite beautiful which is immediately evident to the viewer even if the main character in the film neglects to take notice of or slow down to appreciate it.

     Four very different people from different countries, professions, and with widely varying reasons for hiking the Camino end up bonding as they each strive to overcome the challenges of the trail, which often prove to be more obvious and less treacherous than the emotional minefields within themselves.

     The special features and behind-the-scenes definitely enhanced my appreciation for the movie and the collaborative effort in making it as well as going cross-country on a bus tour to promote it.

     I wrote this review of The Way for the free Catholic book review program, Tiber River.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Pilgrimage to the Basilica National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

     Back in the middle of July, Kevin printed out directions to get to the Washington National Cathedral, but I’d been pretty sure our best friend/brother in Christ John had decided he wanted to go to the Basilica National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the day-trip pilgrimage

 we gave him as part of his birthday presents back in April.       Fortunately, I caught the mix-up by around 10pm the night before.  Unfortunately, our GPS has maps that are five years outdated in it and our printer decided not to work, so we weren’t quite as prepared as we could have been.  We also found out that John’s youngest brother Matt wanted to ride up to Northern Virginia with us to stay at his sister Catherine  (Cat) and brother-in-law Chris’s place for the weekend.
     The day ended up turning out to be

March for Life 2011: Photos You're Not Going to See on the News

    Today I joined hundreds of thousands of people from around the country who have heard God's call to respect and protect human life from the moment of conception by attending the 38th annual March for Life in Washington D.C.  

     Along with several of our elected officials, both Republicans and Democrats, people from a variety of different religions and ethnic backgrounds, we came to pray, take a stand, make our voices heard, go on a march to tell our president, our government, our country that the majority of Americans are not okay with abortion and we certainly don't want our taxpayer dollars going to fund the killing of innocent children.   

Prodigal Daughters: Catholic Women Come Home to the Church

Some of these women came from very devout Catholic families and drifted from the faith, as so many do, once they were out on their own at college or in the world without anyone checking to see if they were going to Mass, participating in the Sacraments, making time for personal prayer, and thereby growing in holiness and closeness to the Lord.
  
Many were disillusioned by the watered-down version of the Catholic faith they received growing up after Vatican II at a time when women’s rights and sexual freedom were being heavily promoted. In most cases, God worked through a friend, spouse, child, family member, and/or a clergyman to guide these prodigal daughters back to the loving Father, the Blessed Mother, and the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  
  
The most prevalent reasons for these women to abandon their faith for a time were that they got caught up in sensual pleasures espoused by the sexual revolution and feminist movement, became focused on winning worldly success, embraced New Age thought and practices, and/or were disillusioned by religious men and women who made the mistake of adopting ideas from popular culture and passing them off as Church doctrine, though they were and are clearly against the Magisterium.
  
This book gives me hope for the many Catholics who have fallen away from the faith and may even condemn the Church and its teachings. These stories prove, yet again, that God doesn’t abandon His Children, not even when we turn our backs on Him. He remains faithful to us always. He is the loving, enthusiastic, warm father who welcomes us with open arms however and whenever we finally hear His call to return home.
  
One of the most poignant observations made by Archbishop Fulton Sheen which sums up this book so very well is that there are millions who hate what they think the Catholic Church is, but not a handful who hate the real thing.
  
Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You never give up on us. You are always inviting us home and rejoice when we finally accept Your invitation.
  
You can purchase this book here.
  
I wrote this review of Prodigal Daughters for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Our First Pilgrimage Together...of sorts

     I hesitate to call the visit Kevin and I made to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes our first pilgrimage together, but technically I think it was. On the way home from my aunt Florence’s funeral in Vestal, New York, we stopped at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Our first time on campus, we couldn’t find any bathrooms, the chapel, or the grotto. We got out of the car and Kevin took some pictures of the golden statue of the Blessed Mother way off in the distance, then I said it was okay if he wanted to keep going. I knew he was eager to go home, and I really appreciated how loving and considerate he’d been in taking care of everything so I could be present for and with my family during a difficult time.

     We couldn’t find our way around the campus in our car, so we ended up getting back on the highway. When Kevin saw a sign for the grotto at the next exit, he said we might as well take it since we were already there. Far be it from me to argue when Kevin’s suggesting we do something spiritual and/or religious together, so we went.

A Short Pilgrimage: I Thirst

     A few months ago John, our brother in Christ, made a pilgrimage to Emmitsburg, Maryland. I was more than a little confused when he presented us with the plastic water bottle pictured above upon his return. He described how hot and crowded it had been that day.
     I’m sure I looked both baffled and amused when he said he’d already drunk the water out of the bottle (he hoped we didn’t mind), and refilled it. I couldn’t figure out why on earth John had brought us a previously-used plastic bottle of what used to be spring water, so I examined the label for clues.