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Book Review: ” A Catholic Pilgrimage through American History” by Kevin Schmiesing

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A Catholic pilgrimage through American History by Kevin Schmiesing

Most history books dwell on the Protestant history of the U.S. from the Pilgrims arriving at Plymouth Rock to the founding fathers, almost all of whom were Protestant.  But there is a rich Catholic history as well, and when you finished this “pilgrimage” you will see how much there is that you may not have known.

We found it to be an interesting and well-written addition to our library…better written than this review, perhaps.  As previously stated, it is a history book….not necessarily a guide book in the traditional sense….but the wealth of information contained in the 288 pages of this book will help you appreciate the significance of of the sites that you visit…whether in person or as an armchair traveler. For example, to visit Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City is an awesome experience, but it becomes even more meaningful when you read the fascinating history contained in Kevin Schmiesing’s book.

The author has been meticulous  in his research, citing hundreds of sources for the book.

Well written and packed with information, we could not find much to room for improvement.  We were rather surprised that the author paid so little attention to Texas (other than two places mentioned):  after all, what many consider the oldest Cathedral in the U.S. is San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, completed in 1731  (Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in Saint Augustine, Florida claims to be the first, but was not was completed until 1793). And there are 4 Spanish Missions still in San Antonio (all are active Parishes) as well as two national shrines that would have made a useful addition to the book.  You can find out more about the Catholic sites in San Antonio on our web page here.

Other than that small criticism…and we realize that the author could not possibly cover every Catholic site…we find the book to be enjoyable and informative, packed with interesting information about the rich Catholic history of the United States.

About the Book:

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ave Maria Press (April 8, 2022)
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1646800907
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1646800902

About the author:

Kevin Schmiesing lectures on Church history for Mount St. Mary’s Seminary and School of Theology in Cincinnati, Ohio, and serves as director of research at the Freedom and Virtue Institute. He served as a research fellow at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty from 1999 to 2020.

Schmiesing is co-host of the podcast Catholic History Trek on Spotify and YouTube and has contributed to Catholic World Report and Crisis magazine. He is the author of Merchants and Ministers and Within the Market Strife and editor of One and Indivisible, Catholicism and Historical Narrative, and The Spirit Matters.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a doctorate in United States history from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kevin Schmiesing and his wife, Anne, have seven children and live near Dayton, Ohio.

 

 

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Book Review: “Our Lady’s Miracles, A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America” by Marion Amberg

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Mary's Miracles A Traveler's guide to the Catholic Church in America by Marion AmbergYou’re reading this on a desktop, a laptop, a tablet or some perhaps even a cell phone.  We hope you get the information you are looking for.  But sometimes it’s nice to have something in your hand that does not require internet access…such as the book we recommend here. Yes…people still do read guide books!  In fact, so do we.

“Mary’s Miracles, A Catholic’s guide to Catholic  America”, by Marion Amberg, is probably the most comprehensive guide we have ever seen dedicated to the many Catholic shrines devoted to the Blessed Mother in the U.S.A.  In fact, although we pride ourselves on covering almost all the Shrines here in the U.S.A., we have to admit that this book covers some of which we were not aware (we will be adding them soon!).

Broken down by geographic regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Mountain West, Southwest, Pacific West) it provides a history, description and photos of some of the most interesting places for Catholics to visit.

This, in itself, would make this a must-have book for Catholics (whether armchair travelers or those actually hitting the road).

But in addition to that valuable information, what sets this apart even further from other guide books is that after most description of a shrine or church, is a section called “Signs and Wonders”.  Here the author details certain events that related to that particular shrine.


Mary’s Miracles: A Traveler’s Guide to Catholic America is available from OSV Publsihing (osvcatholicbookstore.com) and online booksellers and at Catholic bookstores and gift shops.

About Marion Amberg:

Marion Amberg is an award-winning journalist and book author specializing in Faith Travel.

She has written for more than 100 publications, ranging from Catholic Digest to Family Motor Coaching to Texas Highways. She has also authored two books and is working on her third.

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A priest died…and I was not sorry

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His name was Father Alan.  I had known him since 1998 and traveled with him on several occasions.  He was  a former U.S. Air Force chaplain..he had to take a medical discharge due to an illness and had been denied the compensation he deserved.  He led pilgrimage groups to such diverse places as Mexico, Ireland, Spain and Medjugorje.  He had Parkinsons Disease, but it had not progressed so far that he was not able to perform his Priestly duties and lead pilgrimage groups.

A few pilgrims complained…he was unable to take showers easily and so his body odor became a distraction.  Of course, they probably did not realize the cause.  It was a sacrifice for him to lead pilgrimage groups, but he never refused if asked.  And many of us benefited greatly from his spiritual advice.

As time went on, he could no longer keep up his daily routine, as the disease had taken its’ toll.  I believe he spent his last few months in a nursing home….I am ashamed to say, I did not bother to find out.

I lost track of Father, as can easily happen in this busy world of ours.  I wish I had not, but nothing I can do about that now.  Finally, after the fact, I found out that he had died in 2016.  Then….something odd I suppose…I was happy for him.  As Christians we know that we are pilgrims on a journey….yet how few people in this world feel that way.  Even those who profess to be Christians can sometimes have this inordinate fear of death.

And yet, I could not bring myself to feel sorry for Father Alan.  He would probably spend some time in purgatory, as we all do (I wish more priests would point this out at funerals….(most of them use the “he/she is in a better place line), but he was going to take his last pilgrimage and was definitely headed for heaven……where his sufferings would be over.

So, it was almost with a sense of gladness that I learned of his death.  Hard to explain…especially non-believers, but there it is.

I guess what brought it to mind was All Souls Day…and the references to praying for the dead.  Father Alan is in my prayer intentions….but I also ask for his intercession when I pray the rosary, because something tells me he has cleared the hurdle called purgatory and is now in heaven with the saints.

You will find his obituary here…along with a few tributes from the many people whose lives he touched and enriched.

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Roe vs. Wade and Responsible Catholic Travel

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We have been bombarded with the word “responsible” over the past few years that has almost lost its meaning.  It typically refers to protecting the environment, respecting local traditions and other goals that are basically in keeping with Catholic tradition.  God gave us dominion over the plants and animals, and certainly we are to be responsible in our behavior.

But there is another sort of responsible travel that we are thinking of here:  supporting companies whose interest are antithetical to the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Abortion, of course is one of them, and due to the recent Supreme Court ruling in the U.S. that there is no fundamental right to abortion in the U.S. constitution, some companies have chosen to offer paid leave, free transportation, etc for their employees seeking an abortion.   After all, abortion is illegal in some states but not others.  Make no mistake:  The Culture of Death is practically a religion and abortion one of their sacraments.

So, we find major companies that are pursuing an objective contrary to Catholic Christian beliefs.  For those who say, I am only one person…what can I do?  Well, you can vote with your feet.  For example, Alaska Airlines has announced that they will fund travel for employees seeking abortions in other states….so goodbye Alaska Airlines for us.  Walt Disney is another one…no surprise there, of course.

No word yet on other travel suppliers…but we will try to keep you updated.  Of course, all the “woke” corporations have begun to follow suit:  Amazon, Microsoft, etc.  These companies want people enslaved to their employer…having children would be competition for their attention. Oddly, maternity leave seems to somewhat less of a priority for these companies.

It’s your money….and you can make a difference.

Note that the Catholic Church stands almost alone in its opposition to abortion, which is why you see…and will continue to see…protests and probably vandalism against many Catholic churhces.  Most mainline protestant sects (Evangelical Lutheran, Episcopalian, etc.) have squishy wording about the “viability” of the fetus…meaning almost up to the moment of birth they are pretty much OK with it.

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Population of Ireland finally back to where it was in 1850

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According to the 1841 census Ireland had a population of 8 million, by 1851 the population was down to 6.5 million and decline further to 4 million in 1931….half of its previous population. Most of this drop was due to the Irish potato famine and the repression of the Catholic faith as they fled the country in search of a better life as well as religious freedom.

The heart-wrenching scene depicted here “Emigrants Leave Ireland” by Henry Doyle (1868) was repeated thousands of times as families left with their few belongings, realizing they would likely never again see the family members and friends that they left behind.

The U.S.A. received the most immigrants: almost 4 million Irish arrived in America between 1820 and 1930, which was almost half the population of Ireland.

A recent article by BBC points that the population as of the latest census the population has finally risen to 5 million, still nowhere near the levels of 1841 but an increase nonetheless.  Like many countries, though, the population is aging…..which is not a good sign (unless you believe the fallacy the world is over-populated, which it is not).

You can read the article here.

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Book Review: “Blessed Carlo Acutis The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven”

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Written by Sabrina Arena Ferris, foreword by Patrick Novecosky

Published by Holy Heroes

 

Having heard a bit about Carlo Acutis, I was excited to get a copy of this book, and was not disappointed.  One of the most amazing stories of young people of the late 20th century is that of Carlo Acutis. From a young age he showed devotion to the Eucharist and was a true Christian example to others..especially those of his age.

We live in a time where many parents (and us grandparents as well) are starved for good role models for teenagers.  The fact that Carlo Acutis was a computer geek and gamer makes him highly relatable to today’s young people.  He led a normal, happy life, and this book offers glimpses in to his life from a young age, with quotes from his parents and friends.   Many photos which add a lot to the story of his life.

Especially interesting was the role his Polish Nanny played in his life…something I was not aware of before.  His parents were nominal Catholics, but rarely went to Mass. Her role influencing young Carlo especially significant.

There is a section in the book with quotes from Carlo that I found very interesting.

And, of course, due to his devotion to the Eucharist he left a lasting legacy: compiling a list of Eucharistic Miracles around the world.  This takes on special meaning in our time when surveys seem to indicate that belief in the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic is extremely low among Roman Catholics.  Not only has this list been put on a website, but there is a traveling exhibit going to many churches around the world.

The publisher, “Holy Heroes” is to be complimented for adding this to their great list of book designed to deepen the understanding of the Catholic faith in young people…or people of all ages, since I am hardly young but enjoyed it immensely.

What I liked about the book:

  • Very well written, easy to understand, and will be a great read for all ages pre-teen and up.
  • Motivational: brought young Carlo and his devotion to the Eucharist to life.
  • Lots of photographs: we live in a visual age and photos of Carlo and his family added  to the book.
  • Quotes by Carlo that help to see his spirituality and the life that he lived.
  • Has nothing to do with the writing, but I liked the small size of the book…easy to put in a pocket or purse and, in  my case, great to take along to Adoration.  What better place to read about Carlo Acutis and his devotion to the Eucharist?

 

What I didn’t like about the book:

  • Hard to find anything not to like about this book. Only one thing, really, and that has nothing to do with the way the book was written.  The book starts off with information about the process of becoming a saint.  Considering that this is a book about the life of Carlo Acutis, I don’t know why the editor or publisher chose to put this at the beginning of the book. The second-to-last section of the book is “What comes next?”….and that would seem the most logical place to put the information about becoming a saint. And that would flow in to the final section on the process of  Carlo Acutis becoming a saint, which I think this was a great addition to the book, since it allows the reader a blueprint of the process as it relates to Carlo.

 

I give it 5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book and would say this comes under the category of a “must read” for people of all ages, but especially teenagers and probably pre-teens as well.  It is an easy read, packed with information and highly inspirational.  Great to add to your summer reading list.

You can order this book and other great books directly from the publisher at Holy Heroes.com.  Use the discount code CARLO15 that will give you 15% off this new book plus any additional Blessed Carlo resources.

 

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Latest entrance requirements for Israel

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Starting March 1, 2022 there are new entrance requirements for tourists visiting Israel:

1. You do not have to be vaccinated.

2. You must have had a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to arrival.

3. Upon arrival in Israel, you must take another test to enter the country.

4.  You must go straight to wherever you are staying until you receive your results.  Although they state it could take up to 24 hours, the results usually arrive in 6-12 hours.

All of this might sound daunting, but if you are traveling with a group you should not have any major problems, because a good tour operator will have anticipated all of this.

Our friends at Select International Tours have stated:

“The test results (upon arrival) typically only take an hour or so, so we have not had to do much other than wait. But if this lengthens out, we will take them to the hotel until results are released. We have so far had four groups there and none have had any interruption to the itinerary at all“.

So our advice is don’t let any of this concern you.

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One Solitary Life

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Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put his foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood.

While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was his coat. When he was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.
JAMES ALLAN FRANCIS, One Solitary Life, pp. 1–7 (1963).
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Many European Christmas Markets cancelled in 2021…but some are open

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European Christmas Markets closed by policeThe resurgence of Covid in both Austria and Germany have also forced the cancellation of most of the Germany & Austria’s Christmas markets in 2021, the second year many of the markets have been forced to close over COVID.  These markets generally run from late November up until Christmas.

The closures in Germany include Munich, Nuremberg, Passau, Regensburg, Brandenburg, and the Dresden market, along with Austria’s Vienna (Dream Christmas Market), and more.

Because of this, a number of tour operators have made decisions to either alter or cancel their Christmas Markets itineraries, including river cruises that have been increasingly popular in recent years.

 

Christmas Market in PragueThere is some good news!  Some European Markets will be open.

The Market in Budapest, Hungary will be open from Nov 19 through Dec 31.

The market in Prague, Czech Republic will be open this year from Nov 27 through January 6..

Also, it appears most, if not all,  the Christmas markets in France will remain open!

 

If you know of any others please send us an email so that we can update our list.

 

2021 Quebec Christmas MarketFor those in North America, the Quebec European-style  Christmas market will be open from Nov 25 thru Dec 23.

If arriving from other countries be sure to check the entry requirements for Canada.