A Year-Long Trip to Experience Catholicism Across America
Work took me to the capital city this past week, which gave me the opportunity to add another cathedral visited to my list, fortunately this one with Mass attendance.
St. Joseph Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, is a gothic revival-style church constructed in 1878. It remains the seat of the DIocese of Columbus, one of six dioceses in the Buckeye State.
While small by cathedral standards, it was still quite a beautiful worship space, as the photos below demonstrate.
The past two weekends I was blessed to be present for First Holy Communion celebrations at two separate parishes. Last week, my wife and I were at our home church, St. John the Evangelist, and this week we attended Mass at the church where she serves as the school principal, St. Vivian.
I was transfixed as the young men and women sat with their families at the front of the churches, all decked out in pint-sized suits and traditional white dresses. They were often joined by their entire extended families, all present for this monumental day. Cameras were out in force, their holders taking snapshots and filming video for eternal preservation.
And I marveled at the excitement obvious in their eyes, eager to fully participate at the Lord’s table for the first time. One young boy at St. John was practically bouncing out of the pew, ready for his name to be called and take his place near the altar. Another lad at St. Vivian was saddled with a broken arm for the special day, but he slung his sports jacket over one shoulder and soldiered on.
When they got to the presiding priests at both churches, the First Communicants proudly held their hands up high, practically begging for the sacred Eucharist to be placed there. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
I envied their enthusiasm and I began to think that every Mass should resemble First Communion. Every time we get to participate in this amazing sacrament, we should do so with the excitement, with the anticipation, with the awe it so deserves. We are blessed to have Christ with us in the Eucharist every single time we attend Mass. May we never take it for granted.
So let’s all of us strive to be a little bit more like those second graders, this week and every week. Let us always be fully present for the Real Presence.
By the way, the accompanying photo was not taken over the past two weekends. Rather, it’s from my daughter Kiera’s First Holy Communion almost 20 years ago. A version of this photo, much worse for wear, has been carried in my many wallets ever since.
National Catholic Register writer Patti Armstrong was gracious enough to include my thoughts on the importance of Mass attendance in her recent column for the publication. It was an honor to be included in this great read.
You can find the piece at:
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/patti-armstrong-people-explain-why-i-go-to-mass
On this feast day for St. Gianna Beretta Molla, I cannot help but recall my visit to the home that bears her name.
St. Gianna’s Home in Warsaw, N.D., is a remarkable place where young women without support can come and have and raise a child in a loving, Christ-filled place.
I knew before I arrived that my trip there, where I also stayed and prayed with Father Joseph and Brother Nick in the friary across the street, that this was going to be a special week. Yet my brief time there affirmed the value of the entire endeavor and reaffirmed the Holy Spirit’s guidance along the way exceeded my already lofty expectations. It was truly a lifechanging experience, a sentiment I’m certain is true of countless women who have been blessed to be welcomed there.
St. Gianna’s home, which was once a Catholic school.
The display features relics from St. Gianna, provided to the home by her daughter, who has spent much time there.
Across the street sits St. Stanislaus, the Cathedral of the Prairie.
Bill from Catholic Table Talk invited me on again to talk about what I hoped to accomplish with the trip and my book.
I hope you give it a listen here and support Bill’s efforts.
52 Masses 