Author: Daniel

In honor of Veterans Day here in the U.S., it’s only appropriate to recognize how the faith is celebrated on our nation’s military bases. This is Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, South Dakota, where I was blessed to meet with some amazing active duty and retired airmen and airwomen who shared how the faith has supported them during their time in service.

The rules are quite a bit different on a base than anywhere else. The church buildings typically have multiple uses, so the stained glass here was more generic in nature. Additionally, statues must be covered when Catholic Mass is not being celebrated. In some cases, they are placed on swivels. The one condition unique to us: in each place where Mass is offered, there must be a Blessed Sacrament.

While the aesthetic beauty that is so common to our churches is somewhat lacking here, for obvious reasons, the true beauty of our faith is as strong here as anywhere, as men and women who have dedicated their lives to defending us find strength and comfort in the Eucharist.

Thanks again to the Archdiocese of the Military for allowing me to worship there.

Work took me to Nashville the last two days and an early wake up and a brisk walk took me to morning Mass at Cathedral of the Incarnation, the seat of the Diocese of Nashville.

This previous combination of events brought me there a few years back, but the church was undergoing a major construction project at the time, so my view was limited. As you can see from the photos, it was worth it to make it back.

By my count, this became my 11th Mass at a diocesan seat (eight here in the states, one in Puerto Rico, and two outside the country), which means I’m now working on my second Cathedral Punch Card.

Mass this morning at the St. Maria Goretti Chapel at the Serenelli Project was quite the blessing. Presiding was the new Archbishop of Cincinnati, Robert Casey. We’re quite grateful the new archbishop took time to come say Mass in the tiny chapel for a dozen or so of us volunteers at the Serenelli Project.

Archbishop Casey also joined us for breakfast afterward, sharing for us his training regimen for the first pitch he will throw at an upcoming Reds game (he wasn’t the ballplayer in the Casey household, he admitted) and other bits of information on his life before arriving in Cincinnati. Based on his conversation with me and others, I think we’ve been blessed with a wonderful new shepherd of our archdiocese.

This weekend, my wife, my father-in-law, and I are in Northern California, visiting oldest son Ian.

We spent the Fourth on the Monterrey Peninsula, much of it in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel is the home of Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, one of the numerous California mission churches. It is known as the Father of the Alta California Missions. It was headed up by St. Junipero Serra until his death. He is buried at the church.

Being the Fourth, the basilica museum was closed, though the Blessed Sacrament Chapel was open for Eucharistic adoration.

On Wednesday, I joined a handful of parishioners from St. John the Evangelist, as well as others from the Cincinnati area, on a trek to the Land of Cross-Tipped Churches, West Central Ohio, and the home of the Maria Stein Shrine of the Holy Relics.

The shrine is located on what was once the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. The focus of the site changed many times through the years as the mission and direction of the sisters evolved.

In the 2000s, the site was restored and turned into the shrine and museum, where the sisters story is told.

The shrine has more than 1,200 relics from saints from all over the world, most of them first class. Its collection is one of the largest in the United States.

Pictured here is the Relic Chapel, bodily remains of St. Victoria, the Adoration Chapel. Finally, on a sadder note, is nearby St. John the Baptist Church, heavily damaged by fire earlier this year.

The shrine is one of three pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati during this Jubilee Year. If you’re ever in rural West Central Ohio, and why wouldn’t you be, I urge you to visit this wonderful site.