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Europe
More Gelato Please
This morning our pilgrimage group had Mass in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica, just a few feet away from the tomb of St. Peter. At Mass, Fr. Tom talked about Jesus picking an unperfect man to build his Church. Despite all his mistakes,…
My Home is in the Church
On my first trip to Rome I remember walking with my family through the streets. I didn't know where we were going, but I just followed along, lost in conversation. All of a sudden we walked through a colonnade, walked down a few steps and…
The Most Precious Art in Florence
After Assisi, we made a special stop in Florence to visit the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the baptistry and experience some of the Catholic art of Fra Angelico. Fra Angelico was a Dominican friar and an Italian painter of the early…
The Courage of St. Clare
Last time we asked the question, who is the real St. Francis, but we should also ask the same question about St. Clare. I didn't know a lot about St. Clare before coming on this trip. Clare was drawn to the mission of St. Francis, but St.…
Who is the Real St. Francis?
If you ask people what they know about St. Francis, many people would picture a simple friar holding a little bird in his hands, but Fr. Daren Zehnle said that a better symbol for Franciscan spirituality is St. Francis holding a cross. St.…
Where It All Began
The feast of Transitus is the celebration of St. Francis' entrance into eternal life. The place where St. Francis died, also known as the Transitus chapel, is housed within the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. St. Mary of the Angels was…
Your Lives Will be Changed in Italy
"Open your hearts, embrace the graces, and let your life be changed." Those were the words of Mother Shaun Vergauwen, Mother General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, to the young professionals on the opening night of the Italy…
Catholic Digest Live Blogs from Italy!
In the October 2014 issue of Catholic Digest we announced that I will be traveling to Italy on a young professionals pilgrimage with the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist on October 1-11. And I would like to share our experiences with all…
Behind the scenes at the Passion Play of Oberammergau
It all started with a plague, a vow, and a seeming miracle. Nearly 400 years later, the inhabitants of this small Bavarian village are still fulfilling the promise their ancestors made to God
