Your Catholic Travel Resource
admin Watching Cardinal Dolan give the homily at Mass today at the National Eucharistic Conference, I want to paraphrase a joke he told:
A couple of guys, knowing he was a priest, decided to bait him.
They loudly exclaimed: “I wouldn’t want to go to Italy…too many Catholics there”.
“I wouldn’t want to go to Ireland…too many Catholics there”
The Cardinal replied:
“Then go to hell…….there are no Catholics there!”
Stigmatists, visionaries, the three days of darkness: terms you may be familiar with; and yet, like us, you probably have friends and relatives who think you are delusional or some kind of religious fanatic to believe such things (perhaps a subject to avoid at those family get-togethers). Oh, they might believe miracles from the Bible, and maybe some prophetic announcements, but that is as far as it goes. People with with stigmata (the wounds of Christ) in the modern era….well, that is just too hard to swallow for many living in our “rational age”.
This book may not be for those described above….although I liked the page just before the preface “praise for Stigmatists” by Al Kresta, himself a former skeptic of such manifestations. He echoed some of our feelings, saying “When I returned to the Catholic Church, I shied away from purported private revelations, apparitions, relics, stigmatists, and other supernatural and/or preternatural phenomena. I couldn’t shake the sense that there was a whole lot of gullibility passing as faith. But to raise questions was to risk being regarded as an unbeliever and a skeptic“.
Note: we think a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted, but also realize the reality of such signs.
This book shows us that these stigmatists were normal, emotionally well-balanced people and not part of some sort of strange fanatical sect. Many, if not most, of them would probably not wish to have the burden of these physical signs.
Many of the stories in this book are well-known stigmatists. We like the fact that is laid out in Chronological order….beginning with Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/1182-1226), Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) up to the 20th century….. Saint Faustina (1905-1938), Saint Padre Pio (1887-1968) and many others)
The author then takes up to the 20th and 21st centuries in the chapter “STIGMATISTS AMONG US” such as Alexindra da Costa (1904-1955), Marthe Robin (1902-1981) and a few who were new to us, such as Blessed ….so we especially enjoyed learning about them.
The book points out that these stigmatists were also visionaries, having experienced visits from saints and even Jesus Christ Himself. The final chapter summarizes some of the prophetic warnings given to these stigmatists, many of whom were given visions of Hell and told of the coming ‘Three Days of Darkness‘.
This book is well-researched, as you can tell by the credits. Since this is really a series of short stories, it is great for reading in front of the tabernacle at Adoration, perhaps in bed, or whenever you have a chance for some quiet time in what, for most of us, has become a very busy life.
About the author:Paul G. Kengor is an author and professor of political science at Grove City College and the executive director of Institute for Faith and Freedom, a Grove City College conservative think tank/policy center. He is also a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace.
The book has yet to be released, the release date is September 24, 2024. You can pre-order it now through the TAN Books website. Once released, you can find it at most major bookstores.
According to Vatican News:
Based on new regulations, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has expressed its positive opinion regarding the devotion to Our Lady of Montichiari (Rosa Mystica) in northern Italy. This approval is conveyed through a letter to Bishop Pierantonio Tremolada, with the endorsement of Pope Francis
“The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has stated that it found no elements in the messages disseminated by Pierina Gilli that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church on faith and morals. This declaration is included in a letter published on July 8, signed by the Prefect of the DDF, Victor Manuel Fernandez, and approved by the Pope. The letter addresses the devotion to Maria Rosa Mystica (‘Mary Mystical Rose’) and the messages that Pierina Gilli claims to have received from the Virgin Mary in 1947 and 1966. The letter highlights the positive aspects of these messages, while also noting some elements that require clarification to prevent misunderstandings.”
For the full report, click here.
Sister Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis, founder of the Institute of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family of Sherbrooke, will be declared a saint on Oct. 20.
Born Virginie Alodie on May 12, 1840, in L’Acadie, Quebec, Blessed Marie-Leonie founded her institute to collaborate with and support the religious of Holy Cross in educational work, in 1880 in New Brunswick.
Today her sisters work in over 200 institutions of education and evangelization in Canada, the United States, Italy, Brazil, Haiti, Chile, Honduras, and Guatemala.
“She always felt a call to support priests in their ministry”, said Bishop Poitras, and “events led her to found a new community which was recognized in 1896 by the Bishop of Sherbrooke: the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.”
Mother Mary Leonia died on May 3, 1912, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, at the age of 72. She was beatified in Montreal on Sept. 11, 1984, by Saint John Paul II, during his visit to Canada.
Her body lies in Basilica-Cathedral of Saint Michael Cathedral in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Source: Catholic News Agency
Our book review
“EUCHARISTIC SAINTS:
Twenty Stories of Devotion to Jesus by Meredith Hinds (illlustrated by Adalee Hude)”
Directed at young people, this is certainly a book for our time. Surveys reveal that many Catholic adults no longer believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, even though that is perhaps one of the most important beliefs of the Catholic faith and what separates us from our protestant brothers and sister (also perhaps, to a somewhat lesser degree, with the Anglicans). So we are happy to see this book that tell us about the some saints that were devoted to the Eucharist.
These 20 stories help bring the stories of the Eucharist to life…..and, although it aimed at young people, we felt it was just as relevant for adults. They are hypothetical versions of what might have happened during a Eucharistic Miracle or Miraculous event….and they are believable and the conversations are quite real and enjoyable to read.
As printed, each story stands by itself and if you want to read the background of the event they are listed in the rear of the book. Our only suggestion for the layout of this book would have been to put each of these factual description in the beginning of each Eucharistic event rather than at the end of the book…..but that is only our opinion and others may prefer the book the way it is laid out.
We noticed that Carlo Acutis was included in the book. He is Blessed Carlo Acutis today, but it looks like he will soon be Saint Carlo Acutis….the first Saint of the new millenium…. great role model for young people,
There are several saints of which we were not familiar….so it added to our knowledge, which is always a good thing!
We found the illustrations to be beautifully done, and add much to the book (after all, we live in a visual world).
You can find it at Tan Books.
When you travel abroad and use your credit or debit cards, you are probably going to be charged a “Foreign Transaction Fee”. These can quickly add up if you are not careful. Here are some interesting statistics.
With summer travel on the horizon, WalletHub today released the results of a nationally representative International Credit Card Survey gauging people’s opinions on various aspects of spending money abroad, along with editors’ picks for the Best International Credit Cards of 2024 and a new Currency Exchange Study that highlights easy ways to save.
Key Findings:
“Most people agree that foreign transaction fees are a rip-off, according to a new WalletHub survey, and that’s without even realizing that foreign fees can apply to orders from the U.S. placed with a foreign merchant. More than 2 in 5 people say they’ve been charged a foreign fee on an online purchase, for example. Despite how common and unpopular foreign fees are, around one-third of us still have no idea whether our credit cards charge foreign fees. Figuring that out before your next trip abroad or major purchase from an international merchant is a must. A credit card with no foreign fee can save you 3% in fees and more than 6% on currency conversion, according to WalletHub’s research.”
The above is brought to you by Wallethub.
Many countries have much stricter gun control laws than the U.S. We encourage those of you who own guns…especially hunters..to double check, and triple check your baggage before leaving the country. Even one overlooked bullet or shotgun shell can cause a great deal of trouble. And (hopefully) it goes without saying….leave any weapons you own at home.
The territory of Turks and Caicos has enacted strict new laws, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 12 years for carrying guns or ammunition. Here is an example of how a simple mistake can land someone in prison for a very long time:
Article courtesy of Fox News:
Ryan Watson from Oklahoma is behind bars there and has a bail hearing on April 25. The Oklahoma man was arrested when airport security found bullets in his luggage, which he says he brought by mistake. He is now facing up to 12 years in prison for having ammunition in his carry-on bag at a Turks and Caicos airport, according to a GoFundMe page for his family.
Ryan and Valerie Watson, the parents of two young children, were flying home from their island vacation, where they were celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday, on April 12 when they were arrested at the airport.
“They had their lives turned upside down when they tried to return home, as local airport security found four rounds of ammunition unknowingly left in a duff[le]bag from a deer hunting trip,” a description on the family’s GoFundMe page states. “It was not noticed by TSA when leaving America. Now, they are facing a legal system that is unfamiliar, daunting, and expensive that operates differently than the American Justice System.”
The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a travel alert in September 2023 telling Americans not to bring ammunition to the islands.
For hunters and shooters in general….have a separate bag for guns and ammunition….and be sure to leave that bag at home! That way you are unlikely to end up in the situation described above.
About “The Benedict Trail” in Germany:The Shrine of Altötting (the Black Madonna) in Germany is often called “the Lourdes of Germany” in recognition of the many healings reported there.
The region around Altötting has a pilgrimage riding…or walking…path dubbed “The Benedict Trail”, connecting the places where the late Pope Benedict XVI spent his youth.
It is a circular bicycle path about 150 miles (245 Km) long.
The Benedict Trail begins in Altötting at a small tree outside the Church of Saint Conrad, now known as “the Pope’s Linden Tree”. The tree was planted by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Altötting in 1980.
Stage 1: Altötting – Neuötting – Marktl – Emmerting – Burghausen
24.1 miles (38.8 km)
Stage 2: Burghausen – Tittmoning- Waging am See
28 miles (45.9 km)
Stage 3: Waging am See – Traunstein – Seebruck
22.3 miles (35.9 km)
Stage 4: Seebruck – Seeon – Gstadt am Chiemsee – Eggstätt – Amerang – Wasserburg am Inn
36.4 miles (58.6 km)
Stage 5: Wasserburg am Inn – Gars am Inn – Aschau am Inn – Mühldorf am Inn – Altötting
41 miles (66.1 km)
Click here for our page describing the shrine at Altötting, Germany.
Saint Joseph is the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sacred Scripture tells us that Saint Joseph worked as a carpenter. as we know from Matthew 13:55, when the Nazarenes ask about Jesus, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?“.
Although Joseph was a descendant of the House of David, he was not a rich man. We can assume that not only from his occupation but also from the fact that when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised, he and the Blessed Virgin Mary offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons….something that was only allowed for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).
We know that Saint Joseph was an honorable man, because he could have easily avoided marrying the Blessed Virgin Mary when he found out that she was pregnant:
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. He did as the angel told him and took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:19-25)
Scripture does not tell us much more about Saint Joseph. We know he fled to Egypt with Mary until it was safe to return. Saint Joseph is last mentioned when Scripture describes Mary and Joseph not being able to find Jesus for three days before discovering Him in the Temple (Luke 3:41-52).
Sacred Scripture does not record Saint Joseph’s presence during Jesus’ public life, death, or resurrection. Therefore, many historians believe that Saint Joseph likely died before Jesus entered public ministry, although that is just supposition.
Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus’ public life as mentioned above, it is likely that he died with Jesus and Mary close to him. Saint Joseph is also patron saint of the Universal Church, families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and all working people.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph on March 19.
In many of the churches named in his honor, there is a Saint Joseph’s Table displayed on his feast day, similar to the one shown here.
Although not as numerous as the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph has appeared to others over the course of history. Among these approved apparitions of Saint Joseph are the following:
1519-1660: Cotignac, France
1879: Knock, Ireland
1917: Fatima Portugal
1994-1998: Itapiranga, Brazil
The following is Courtesy of “The Catholic CEO”
Many think that western business leaders invented business concepts…..This is not correct.
Followers may guess my views on the monastic life.
Monasteries invented data storage and retrieval systems. They were called libraries. They also didn’t need photocopiers – they had their own copiers.
Monasteries invented business governance practices. What is a chapter but a town hall meeting? What is an abbot’s council but an executive committee?
Abbeys invented fund-raising. How do you think they built the great abbeys of Europe? Very little of the money was “borrowed”. Abbots had to work the room long before corporate America thought of it.
Conservation? Green practices? Circular economy? The monks were doing this 1500 years ago. There’s nobody in ag-tech that can build a water recirculation system like the monks. There’s nobody that can get that extra inch of hair on a sheep like monks can.
Crop science? Crop yield? Hah. They still run circles around people who can’t even grow crops on the same land for more than about 50 years. They do centuries of crop yields from the same fields – naturally.
Business management systems. The monks were doing it long before the invention of double entry bookkeeping.
Staying out of bank debt. The monks were doing it long before anyone else realized the debt trap of usury.
Five star hospitality? Well, I don’t mean rooms like in luxury hotels. But for care of the pilgrim traveler, even at great inconvenience to them, they still have short term rental accommodations beat.
Ride sharing? Hah. They had a network of wagons and watercraft to take goods to market before some business guy thought of it.
The long view? Abbeys are built for a thousand years. They are beautiful, unlike the glitzy towers of today’s utilitarian monstrosities.
Radio and electronic communications networks. Okay, maybe not as fast – but they could get a message across Europe before anyone or any current tech, at the time.
The knowledge economy? They didn’t need Chat GPT or AI. They had “real I”.
Corporate structure? CEO. CTO. CFO. CMO. Treasurer. Hah. They had those 1500 years ago!
Investigations into employee theft, missing inventory, and other misdeeds. No need for such things. The monks have a process called “Chapter of Faults”. Check it out.
Company security. Nope. They’ve had 1500 years of knights and templars. Way before the idea of a police force came into being.
Finally, remember that the monks invented the university system, the hospital system, and the welfare system. They kept the culture alive in tough times, and will do so again in our era when it all collapses. Or when the asteroid hits!
I could go on.
You can learn more about “The Catholic CEO” here.