This doesn’t deal directly with Catholic travel, but for those of us who are of a certain age, it does ring a bell perhaps.
With today’s social media we have all sorts of ways to stay connected (some say we have too many). And for some reason I don’t always understand them.
I don’t watch a lot of TV, but happened to the other day and saw one of the funniest commercials ever made regarding social media, imho. Has nothing to do with Catholic travel, but certainly much to do with social media.
If you are of that certain age, or know someone who is, then you will no doubt get a kick out of it. And if you don’t, then maybe social media is not for you!
Social media has grown to the point that it is almost overwhelming. Making the choice of which one is for you gets more difficult every day.
But one Catholic social media network that should definitely be on your list is Awestruck.tv. It is not just one network, but a social hub hosting Catholic communities and networking beyond borders. You will find many groups there that will be of interest.
Awestruck.tv
So give it a try and help spread the word to friends and family. It is one social media network that we all can use. There are Catholic groups for just about any interest, so take some time to look around and join a few. It is a great way to stay connected.
Having read the Acts of the Apostles many times in my life, I never really stopped to consider the lasting effects that the apostles had in terms of spreading the faith. Strange, really, because without them going out “into the deep” as it were, very few people would have become followers of Jesus Christ.
One particularly interesting story comes from Acts chapters 27 & 28. At this point Paul had been arrested, but being a Roman citizen he knew he was within his rights he appealed to the Emperor to be tried in Rome. Therefore he was first on one ship and then another, eventually being put on one bound for Italy. Although Paul had tried to warn the men of potential danger, they ignored him. During the course of this voyage a violent storm overtook them, and they were shipwrecked. And it was here in Malta that they ended up for three months.
Paul had relative freedom on the island and even lived for a short time with the Roman ruler of the island, where he cured the man’s father. He was able to perform many miracles and by the time he left there were many converts in what was to become a predominantly Christian nation.
The statue of Saint Paul is taken from the Parochial Church of Saint Paul’s Shipwreck and paraded through town.
Saint Paul is remembered fondly here, especially on his feast day, February 10th It is a national holiday and a great celebration. A procession of the Statue of Saint Paul is taken from the Parochial Church of Saint Paul’s shipwreck and paraded through town. Mass is offered and the entire city seems to turn out.
The beatification ceremony for Paul Yun Ji-chung and his 123 fellow martyrs (killed between 1791 and 1888) is scheduled for August 15, 2014.
Interestingly, Asian Youth Day 2014 will be held August 13-17 in Korea. This is a World Youth Day event and is bound to be a popular event.
Naturally this has given rise to speculation that the Holy Father might travel to Korea and perform the Beatification ceremony at the same time as Asian Youth Day.
Based on the rousing reception he got in Rio at World Youth Day 2013, that is certainly possible. Especially when you consider how much he seemed to enjoy it himself. Pope Francis is not one to stay put, so we would not be surprised.
We will give you more information as we get it. Check our Calendar of Events for information on Asian Youth Day.
We have mentioned previously that Apostleship of the Sea is an Apostleship of the Catholic Church that screens priests for cruise lines in order to be certain that they are truly Roman Catholic priests and that they are in good standing. There are also staffing agencies that provide this service, and our concern in the past has been that they may not be as thorough in checking out the priest as to his background and his standing with his Bishop or Provincial.
We recently had an email from a staffing company, Compass Speakers and Entertainment Inc. They stated that they provide priests to the following cruise lines on the following itineraries:
Most brides…not sure about the grooms….long for a beautiful wedding ceremony in a beautiful setting. And certainly there are many gorgeous venues in which to hold the ceremony. But gosh, those darn Catholics have so many restrictions! Or some people say so. There is a reason that, of course. To be validly married there are certain restrictions, because Marriage is one of the Seven Sacraments of the Church (can you name the other six?).
Google “Catholic wedding venues” and you come up with more than one so-called Catholic priest or bishop who says, “don’t worry….we can do it your way”. Whether these people are well-meaning or are just purposely misleading you to make a quick buck, we cannot say. The fact is that they cannot offer you a Catholic wedding. In most cases they claim to be associated with an Orthodox Church or some unknown body (the word “contemporary” is sometimes used) and have no legitimate status within the Roman Catholic Church.
One tip-off might be the fact that telephone calls are accepted, but not emails. Hence, no paper trail. No way that the priest, or whoever, can be held accountable since nothing is in writing.
So it’s not so easy to get married in the Catholic church, but that is for a reason. As mentioned previously, marriage is a sacrament, and the location for the wedding is more than just a pretty backdrop. The Marriage Rite should take place during the Mass and the place for celebrating all Sacraments is a Catholic Church. Only rarely will a Bishop allow a dispensation.
Picture breakfasting in Italy! Those of you who have been to this magnificent country before perhaps found the traditional Italian breakfast of a hard roll and coffee somewhat disappointing. But, good news, due to popular demand from tourists, some hotels have begun offering a ‘reinforced breakfast” that includes cereals, eggs, etc.
And we were truly ecstatic when we recently discovered that Cafe Pompi, a popular local Roman restaurant, offers a fantastic Sunday Brunch. Their specialties are poached and scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, toast, butter and jam, baked beans, tasty sausages, pancakes, fluffy muffins, donuts, yogurt with cereal, fruit salad, all invariably accompanied by orange juice and a steaming cup of coffee.The cost is pretty reasonable for an Italian brunch of this quality: about 10 Euros.
But if you don’t happen to be here on a Sunday morning, then consider stopping here some time for their famous Tiramisu, which is their main claim to fame. Many consider it the best they have ever tasted. You can get all kinds of flavors, but their original is still a big draw.
I can’t decide whether I want the brunch or the Tiramisu, but I am not in Rome that often, so I’ll have both!
They have a couple of new locations, but we recommend the original one at Via Albalonga 7 in the San Giovanni neighborhood. Open Tuesday thru Sunday 6:30 AM to 1:30 AM. Metro to Re di Roma stop and two minutes walk to restaurant. The restaurant is south of the Termini Train station.
Been there? Please let us know how you
By the way, we are not compensated in any way for this review. Just wanted to pass this on to everyone.
I travel frequently, often with organized tour groups, but one thing I’ve noticed is that after spending the day touring various sites, we head back to the hotel, have dinner at a decent hour, but then what? I’m not really that tired and it’s too early for bed. Should I head down to the hotel bar for a Cappuccino? Watch the foreign-language TV station in my room? Or check out CNN International? Hmm……is this really why I traveled all this way? The night is young and so am I!
A great idea, if you happen to be in a major city, is to attend a concert in one of the concert halls or churches in the city. You can attend one in the evening as I often do, or if there is some part of the tour that doesn’t interest you that much, then break away from the group and attend an afternoon concert.
People sometimes are uncertain about striking out on their own in an unfamiliar city and certainly that is understandable. You don’t know your way around, probably don’t speak the language, etc. But breaking away from the group can often be one of the most rewarding experiences of your holiday. After paying so much money to get there, why sit in the hotel? Travel is about memories, after all.
Concert at Notre Dame Cathedral
Can you imagine being able to say “oh, yes while in Paris we went to a concert at Notre Dame” or perhaps “in Rome we went to see Guiseppe Verdi’s La Traviata“. And often the venue, whether it be a church or opera house, is as spectacular as the music .
If I’ve convinced you to break away even for a little while, then I have some advice: be sure you purchase your tickets from a reliable supplier. It can be a little scary to order tickets from an unknown source in a country far away and wonder if the company will actually come through for you.
A company that I recommend highly is CassicTic. Check out their website and you will find concert information for 21 countries from Austria to USA. It is safe, secure and tickets will be delivered directly to you. Be aware of sites that offer deals too good to be true…..they probably are! ClassicTic is an official authorized agent for the artist, venue, or arts organization. You can even order upon arrival with your mobile phone.
With music no interpreter is needed, because music is an International language that binds all people together. So don’t miss out!
Classic Tic Website
By the way, just in case you didn’t know, people in Italy (and elsewhere) don’t drink cappuccino in the evenings. It is a morning drink. So my trip down to the lounge will invariably be a cafe mocha or a glass of wine. But I don’t plan to be in the lounge, I am off to a concert.
Yes, this is possible and welcomed news! Those traveling from Paris to Barcelona have always had the option of taking a high-speed train, but it had one serious drawback. Due to the fact that France and Spain use different rolling stock, you had the inconvenience of having to change trains near the border between the two countries. With the construction of anew high-speed rail line that links the two cities directly, that problem has been eliminated…no change of trains is necessary.
The upper level in the first class coach. Second class is basically the same, but with two seats on each side of the aisle. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
The trains clip along at a speed of about 200 mph (320 kph ), enough to get you there in a hurry but slow enough to see quaint French villages with the majestic Alps in the background and then, on the final leg, the beautiful Mediterranean coastline of Spain. For a better view, try a seat on the upper deck (these are bi-level carriages).
The Paris-Barcelona trains run from Gare de Lyon station, one of five stations in Paris.
Le Train Bleu Restaurant inside Gare de Lyon Station. A step back in time to the golden age of travel. (photo courtesy wikipedia)By happy coincidence one of our favorite lunch spots in Paris just happens to be in a train station: Train Bleu Restaurant inside Gare du Lyon. Sit down, have lunch from the set menu (which includes a half-bottle of red) and then at train time you just walk a few yards (meters) directly on to the train.
There are currently two trains each day, with a travel time of approximately 6 and a half hours from Paris to Barcelona making several stops in France and a couple in Spain. In March 2014 that will be increased to four trains per day.
For British travelers this new service will also allow you to take the Eurostar to Paris, change stations and then catch the train to Barcelona. So it is possible to have breakfast in London, lunch in Paris and dinner in Barcelona. What a convenience and a great entry for your travel journal!
Those of you coming from the UK might also want to check out Loco 2. This booking website gets great reviews.
We are big believers in train travel in Europe. First, the romance of train travel is hard to resist, especially since air travel has long since lost any semblance of romance and the wait to check in can often be longer than the flight itself. Also, since most train stations are located downtown, you avoid a long (and often expensive) trip from the airport to the city.
Why anyone would choose fly rather than take the train eludes me. Certainly more relaxing than flying….and the food is better!
Most importantly, you can actually see the countryside and its people rather than looking down from 30,000 feet.
You can get up, walk to the snack or restaurant car, and socialize with others. This is the beauty of train travel, it’s definitely more rewarding than just the utilitarian need to get from one place to the other.
So, sit back, relax, meet new friends….whatever. That’s probably the whole reason you’re traveling in the first place.
For a more in-depth look at train travel in Europe we recommend the website called the Man in Seat 61.
The Good Shepherd portrayed in this fresco on the walls of the Catacombs of Priscilla
A visit to any of the catacombs of Rome is always interesting if you want to get a glimpse of the life of early Christians. Contrary to some assumptions, these were not secret places of worship during various persecutions, although there may have been occasions for Mass. They also adorned the walls of these catacombs with symbols of the teachings of their faith in the form of frescoes. The catacombs are perhaps the earliest example of these, since the religion was not practiced openly before the 4th Century.
More likely any Mass here was a funeral Mass because the catacombs is where Christians…and for that matter the pagans as well…buried their dead. Unlike the pagans, however, the Christians believed in the Resurrection of the dead. Death was not the end, but the beginning. A difficult concept for most Romans to grasp I would think.
One of these Catacombs, the Catacombs of Priscilla, have what is believed to be the earliest known image of the Blessed Virgin Mary nursing the child Jesus that is believed to date from around 230 AD. This depiction of Mary nursing Jesus was common as a symbolism for the way Jesus nourishes his church. Although there are many later examples of this image in Catholic art, this appears to be one of the first.
Benedictine nuns are in charge of the Catacombs and offer the visitor guided tours.
The Catacombs of Priscilla are under the care of Benedictine Nuns who offer guided tours of the Catacombs. We suggest you consider a visit on your next trip to Rome. There is a fee, but that is the case for all of the catacombs of Rome.
