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Hola:

We wanted to break the alarm clock when it went off this morning, but instead we reluctantly got up and showered before breakfast. More vulture eggs and bacon and we have managed to reduce the amount of caffeine  with only 11/2 cups each.  It’s nice not having the shakes!!

This morning was laundry day……we couldn’t put it off any  longer.  Before going to the laundromat, we stopped at a Carrfour super-market superstore. This made W-Mart look like a 7-11.  We  didn’t have the camera and a good thing, I didn’t know where to look  first.  They had an amazing array of everything.

We loaded up on water, wine, paper towels and laundry soap.  We then went to the woman’s clothes and bought 10 Pasminas for the residents at the Foundation Home.  We found the laundromat on the first try, again another placestuck on a small side street with no parking available.   On our second try, Sue and I both were praying quietly and a spot came open just around the corner.  Almost 2 hours later we had fresh clean  clothes to hopefully get us home.  I’ll never complain about doing the  laundry at home again since it’s only 20 feet away.

On the way from Madrid to Prado Nuevo,  we saw a gas station and it was time to fill  up so we stopped and a young man jumped out of nowhere and pumped it for  me. We had a few laughs and he said to me: car wash?  I looked at  the car and agreed it was time, so they included it on the bill and I drove  in to meet the same young man who got the wash going.  The car was so clean we decided to vacuum and clean the inside windows to add the finishing touches.

We were hungry so we went into El Escorial and had a burger, it wasn’t  bad, and we then went to the shrine around 3:00 PM, an hour before Antonio  and Marie del Carmen (Padre Guillermo’s Mom and Dad) were to meet us. When we entered, Eduardo, one of the caretakers, came over to say hello. We met him 3 years ago and when we said Americanos he remembered us and we each got a hug.  He opened the gate protecting the tree Our Mother appeared on and let us venerate it: I held on tight as I did so.  We then walked to the end of the shrine to the first station and prayed the Stations of the cross alone with Jesus and Our  Mother.  As always, the peace and tranquility wasoverwhelming.

At 4:00 p.m. sharp Tony and Carmen arrived and we hopped into their car and went to the cemetery to visit Florita’s grave.  It was bittersweet that we hadn’t seen her before she died but we were happy that she was now at home withthe Lord.

The rosary in the field in front of the first apparition and Mass in the Chapel: what more can I say.  It was off to the Foundation home again with the Pasminas and flowers for the Sisters.  Sister Pilar was not there, so it was the universal language again.  The women loved their gift as Susan draped and tied one around each one of them.  It  was a warming sight since most of them have no family at all.

I took a lot of pictures and will make a video for them with them in it and send it after we get home.  They still watch the video from the last trip we made through here in 2012. Two of the women had a  race so we could see
how fast the could walk it was funny.  There is a  lot of love and care given to these people and I know they are truly  grateful no matter what state of health they are in.

After the home we went to Fr. Guillermo’s rectory and community family house the has around 40 people who live and work there for the good of the whole and 10 priest and religious. I thought the Sisters worked hard, and  the Sisters agreed, but these people work harder taking care of the  land and livestock, the repairs and building and everything else you can  think about.  We got to see the room where Amparro had first received the  stigmata of Christ, which is now a chapel.

We finally bid farewell to Fr. Guillermo and his parents and God willing we will see them next year. It was 9 PM and we had to get up early to pack and planned to go to mass at the foundation chapel where the house the original statue of Our Lady that was desecrated  many years  ago.

Back at the hotel we packed and jumped into bed hoping for a good  night’s
sleep.  Sue was out in a flash and I contemplated how much I was going to
miss that garage. LOL  ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Buneos Noches

EWTN will be presenting a visual pilgrimage to the Holy Land running from February 17-22 at 6:30 p.m Eastern time in the U.S. (01:30 UTC).

Husband-and-wife production team of Diana and David von Glahn, whose previous series “the Faithful Traveler” was widely acclaimed, take you along on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Pilgrimage to the Holy Land led by Cardinal Justin Rigali.  

It offers some wonderful scenery along with great commentary.  Whether you have traveled to the Holy Land before, or plan to, or just want to see more, we recommend it.

You can find more information, order videos, etc by contacting them at diana@thefaithfultraveler.com or visit their website.  

And for our Holy Land section click here.

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!

 Here is the commercial on youtube. 

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.

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.  

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.

For more details about the church and the Festival click here.

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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.

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.

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!

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.