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Pope Francis’ Summer Schedule Update

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We announced previously that there would be no Wednesday Public Public audiences in July but that is now extended through the month of August.   Nevertheless, Pope Francis will be busy.

On Monday July 8th he will travel to the island of Lampedusa off the coast of Sicily.  It is to this island that many refugees from north Africa (only about 90 miles away) flee and often die in the attempt.   Those who do survive the trip then are held in temporary quarters which are filled beyond capacity and this naturally places a strain on local facilities. Recently some 10 immigrants drowned trying to reach the island.  On this trip  Pope Francis will be dropping a ceremonial wreath in the waters off the coast in memory of all who lost their lives on this perilous journey through the years. 

Plans were previously announced for him to travel to Castel Gandolfo on Sunday, July 14th to lead the Angelus.  Normally the public attends the Angelus when the Pope says it, either in Rome or Castel Gandolfo.  However, we are trying to confirm that this is still on his schedule.  Also, we’ve heard that Pope Francis will be in Castel Gondolfo, as previous popes  have, for the Feast of the Assumption (August 15), but are still trying to verify that.  If you have any information please let us know.

He will travel to World Youth Day in Rio from July 21st through July 30th.

So if you had planned to see Pope Francis in Rome this summer we think you will probably be disappointed.  We don’t expect the weekly Papal audiences to begin before September.

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Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome

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This is one of the Church’s most popular feast days, especially in Rome.  The feast is on June 29th and will be celebrated with fireworks at Castel Sant Angelo beginning at 9:30 p.m.  The feast is also celebrated with the ancient tradition of floral designs laid out in the Piazza Pio XII in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica made of salt crystals and colored sawdust.  The two displays will depict the Sistine Chapel and the other one will show Saints Peter and Paul. A third picture, made up entirely of flowers, will be to honor the Pope and Saint Francis of Assisi.

For more information on the flower festival and its origins click here (in Italian, use the Google Translate button)

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Inspirational New Catholic Documentary

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Be part of this exciting event!  A new film is set to be released this fall outlining the life of Brother Joseph Zoetti, a humble servant of the Lord and his creation of  over 125 life-like models of various shrines and holy sites throughout the world. This is nothing short of miraculous considering that some of the materials used came from a train derailment that “just happened” to be nearby and provided him with a source of crushed marble. And he did all this in his spare time during a tumultuous era in the deep South of the U.S. which had a tiny Catholic population.

Owen Reid who plays a young Brother Joseph
Here you see Owen Reid, who plays a young Brother Joseph, practicing horse back riding before shooting a scene in Franklin, Tenn.

The documentary entitled “Brother Joseph and the Grotto” tells his story from the time his mother died, he emigrated to the U.S., served in many humble ways and created on the country’s most unique attractions.  It includes voluminous archival materials, key interviews, stylized re-enactments and storybook illustrations.  

A truly uplifting movie for our times,   it is a powerful testament to this humble little hunchback who did so much with so little up until the time of his death in 1961.

Head Abbot Cletus Meagher and Producer Carol Ann Vaughan
Producer Carol Ann Vaughn Cross and Abbot Cletus Meagher of Saint Bernard Abbey review archival materials

The film makers are looking for supporters to help make its release an even greater success by contributing in small or large amounts.  Funds will help pay for rare archival footage (like the only known motion-picture footage of Brother Joseph, captured in a Paramount Pictures newsreel and unseen for 70 years) and post-production services (like color grading) to deliver as polished a final product as possible.  Their goals are modest, only $10,000, of which almost one third has already been raised.  By contributing you can become a part of the New Evangelization and possibly even get your name mentioned in the film credits!

We encourage you to visit the following link to find out about their efforts and to help in any way possible.  

Click here to learn how you can be involved.

Check out the press release for more information about the film.

If you ever have the opportunity we encourage you to visit the Grotto.  You can learn more about the Grotto by clicking this link on our main website.

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Lourdes Grotto to remain closed for several weeks

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The flooding at the Shrine at Lourdes, France has proven to be much more devastating than the floods of 2012.  Mathias Terrier, the sanctuary’s communications director, has indicated that it will be several weeks, if not longer, before the Shrine will be open to pilgrims.  

Click here for a video showing the damage.

Naturally this is a huge disappointment to those who already had trips planned here.  Those going with an organized group should contact their tour operator or group organizer to find out what changes have been made to their itinerary.

Most tour operators probably cannot cancel their tours at such short notice and we are not sure if trip cancellation/interruption insurance will come in to play in this case. Of course there are a few “cancel for any reason” policies that probably will cover this if you cancel. We invite any tour operators or insurance providers to comment on our blog.  

It is also an economic disaster for the hotels in Lourdes, many of which have suffered flood damage; and even those that have not will undoubtedly be hurt by the lack of visitors over the peak summer season.  

We will keep you updated with all the latest news from the shrine.

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Lourdes Shrine remains partially closed due to flooding

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The latest news is that the Shrine is officially closed at the moment.  As of Tuesday most activities, including Masses at the Grotto, had been cancelled due to the the flooding that has taken place this week.  The only Masses were in the upper Basilica of the Shrine.  

The situation has worsened since then and now the Shrine is temporarily closed to pilgrims.

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World Youth Day phone lines now Open

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World Youth Day 2013 Logo
World Youth Day 2013

A new phone line is now open for information on World Youth Day 2013 in Brazil.  The phone line is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., but is not toll-free so you will have to pay international phone charges.  Of course if you are attending WYD 2013 and are in Brazil it will not be an international call.    The number to call is (country code 55) + (21) 2122-8050.  Those answering the phones will be able to communicate in Portuguese (the language spoken in Brazil), English and Spanish.

  Click here for all the details.

You can also email them at: contact@rio2013.com.  Emails are answered in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, French, German and Polish.  Please note that many of the answers you are looking for are on the official World Youth Day website, so they ask that you go there first.

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Catholics need permission to do this on the beach!

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What bride-to-be hasn’t secretly imagined the incredibly romantic image of herself and her loved one on the beach standing in the sand, waves gently lapping, seagulls soaring overhead and loving family and friends looking on as they become man and wife.
OK, let’s get back to reality.  You know that weddings on the beach are subject to sudden tropical showers, sand crabs, and  grandma’s walker getting stuck in the sand. And most importantly, as pointed out in a previous blog post, Catholic weddings must be performed on consecrated ground, so that pretty much rules out a beach wedding, right?  Not necessarily!  In the last few years some wise resort owners have decided that they are missing out on the Catholic wedding market.  One of these is the Gran Caribe Resort in Cancun, Mexico shown in the photos below.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel Gran Caribe Real
Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel Gran Caribe Resort
Altar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel Gran Caribe Resort
The Altar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel at Gran Caribe Resort

To take much of the stress out of the wedding there are wedding planners who help to coordinate everything at your destination and also put you in touch with a local  Roman Catholic priest in good standing.  And, the prices seem to be a bargain compared to many other countries.

 

 

If you are thinking of an exotic setting you might also consider staying at a resort and getting married in a Catholic church nearby.  Some of these are either overlooking—or on—the ocean.   An example is Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  Their website clearly spells out the requirements,  and has contact information for those interested.  

Also, there are wedding destination firms that arrange Catholic weddings in Antigua, Barbados, Curacao, St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia, with packages starting around $2.000. U.S. that include most everything for a small party. 

Here are the steps you need to prepare for your Catholic destination wedding:

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Flooding in Lourdes

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The heavy rains in Europe have made visiting Lourdes, France a challenge.  On June 18th the Grotto was again flooded, as it had been in 2012.  There have been interruptions due to flooding.  If you heading there on your own you may want to check ahead, but don’t let that stop you from visiting the shrine. We expect the situation to return to normal within a few days. 

Click here for a video from the official Lourdes website.

Just a side note:  some independent travelers are mis-spelling Lourdes in their  GPS, leaving the  letter S off the town’s name and thereby going to the wrong town.  There actually is a town named Lourde just south of Toulouse, so be careful that you are headed in the right direction.  The shrine at Lourdes is roughly 100 miles Southwest  of Toulouse whereas the small town of Lourde is only a few miles south of Toulouse.   

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It’s not Fathers Day everywhere

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Many countries celebrate the third Sunday in May as Father’s Day but others do not.  Fathers Day originated in the U.S. in the 1920’s as a counter point to Mother’s Day although it did not gain much popularity in the early days.  

Perhaps one of the most notable exceptions is that of Italy.  They celebrate on March 19th, Feast Day of Saint Joseph.  We think this is rather fitting since Saint Joseph was the foster father of Jesus and a great example to fathers everywhere.  

Regardless of where or when, we salute fathers, step-fathers, foster-fathers and God-Fathers everywhere (hope we mentioned all categories).

For an interesting look at how the Feast of Saint Joseph is celebrated not only in Italy but around the world click our webpage here.

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Strike season in Europe

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With the austerity measures hitting home in several European countries you can count on transportation strikes throughout the summer.  Why summer?  Well, that’s high tourist season for European destinations and so that is where the unions can cause the most disruption and have the most leverage in their demands.

Recently France has announced a 3-day strike of air traffic controllers beginning June 11, also a general strike has been called in Portugal for June 27, and the busy tourist season has just begun.  So how do strikes effect your travel plans?  Well, if you are traveling in a group you will no doubt have someone in charge who will help to work around whatever problems arise (see below for an example where this did not work out too well).  Independent travelers, you too need to be aware of the situation and, above all, be flexible.

The good news is most Catholic sites (churches, some museums, etc.) will probably not close, even if state-run museums do.  If possible, call ahead to find out.  You don’t want to break your neck getting to a location only to find that it is not even open.

While you cannot eliminate them, there are a few things you can do to help lessen the effects of a strike on your travel plans.

1. Make yourself aware of pending strikes before you leave.  Most of these are announced days—or even weeks—in advance, giving you time to adjust your plans.  Here is one site that claims to notify of air cancellations…..we will continue to look for others.

2. Purchase travel insurance that covers trip interruption for unforeseen events.  This is a complicated subject, for example you must purchase the insurance before the strike is announced. After the strike is announced, most insurers will not cover you since it’s not an unforeseen event. Check with the travel insurance company and especially look at the fine print. Many travel insurance providers will post a list  of dates and airlines that are not covered.

3. Try to keep bookings as flexible as possible unless you plan to stay in one place for a period of several days.  Pay as little in advance as possible, in the event that it’s nonrefundable.

4.  Have a back-up plan.  If you think that a strike is likely, then figure out in advance what you might do in that situation and come up with an alternative plan.   Spur of the moment decisions, under stress, are not always the best ones.

5.  Most importantly— learn to enjoy the moment.  Being stranded somewhere could present a golden opportunity.  In other words, make the best of  an unpleasant situation.  That is what sets the smart traveler apart from the befuddled tourist who allows their whole trip to be ruined because of a failure to adjust to  unavoidable circumstances.

6.  Finally, don’t put off that trip.  Plan as best you can, then relax….don’t let your fear of the unknown or lack of being in total control prevent you from travelling. 

Remember what I said about how being in a group means someone will take charge?  

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