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Vacation's here, but don't forget to pack your faith
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June 30, 2015Texas Catholic Herald News
Vacation’s here, but don’t forget to pack your faith
By Randy Adams
5/26/2015As the school year comes to a close, it’s time to think about summer vacation and plan your family’s adventure. Whether you are going to the beach, a historic destination or amusement park, don’t forget to pack your faith and bring it along to enrich your vacation experience and help you and your family’s faith continue to grow. Whether you are with your kids, grandkids or extended family, vacation provides a time for you to worship together in new surroundings, explore shrines and historic religious sites and explore service opportunities with your family working together.
First, we all know that just because you are on vacation doesn’t mean you’re on vacation from your Sunday obligation. This is a great opportunity to attend Mass at a historic church in the city you are visiting. Mass Time, www.masstime.org, can provide you with Mass schedules for Catholic churches all over the country. And since every one of the family is together, you may want to take the time to celebrate daily Mass at these locations.
Along with Mass, continue your spiritual growth with family prayer. Road trips provide a fantastic opportunity to pray the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy as a family. After a day at the beach, if you don’t have anything else planned, why not check out the local church bulletins for any bazaars, festivals, activities or special events, they may be offering. It’s a wonderful way to experience the local culture and get a better taste of the universal Church.
Why not visit a Catholic shrine or historical church while on your trip? The great state of Texas has many incredible shrines and historic churches for you and your family to take a small excursion as part of your daily planning.
San Antonio has one of the richest examples of early Spanish Missions. San Antonio Mission National Park (6701 San Jose Dr., San Antonio; www.nps.gov/saan, 210-922-0543) has all the information you need to explore these historic missions of Mission San Jose, Mission Conception, Mission San Juan Capistrano and Mission Espada, which are all part of the National Park System. You can even attend Mass at one of these historic sites.
Along with the Alamo, you can visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of Little Flower (1715 N Zarzamora, San Antonio; littleflowerbasilica.org, 210-735-9126) also in San Antonio. This national shrine is devoted to St. Therese de Lisieux or St. Therese of the Little Flower. Inside you can view the story of her life through beautiful artworks and handicraft. This includes actual art work by her blood sister and a life-size replica of her incorruptible body in a glass tomb.
For those who may be heading to the beach this summer in Corpus Christi or North Padre Island, be sure to stop by the Presidio La Bahia (217 Loop 71 Highway 183, Goliad; presidiolabahia.org, 361-645-3752) located in Goliad. The Presido is the site of the Goliad Massacre where James Fannin and his men were murdered in the Texas War for Independence. This Spanish fort is actually owned by the Diocese of Victoria (the only diocese in the country to actually own a fort). The Presido chapel still serves as a community church.
For a unique Mass experience on North Padre Island, visit St. Andrew by the Sea Church (14238 Encantada Ave., Corpus Christi; 361-949-7193, www.saintandrewbythesea.org), for the only open-air church in Texas, and feel the cool ocean breeze as you celebrate with people from all over the country.
Another great site in the valley is the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle (400 N. Virgen de San Juan Blvd, San Juan; 956-787-0033, olsjbasilica.org) in San Juan, Texas. With more than a million visitors a year, this shrine is devoted to Our Lady, under the title of “La Virgen de San Juan.” This is an incredible site and great stop with your family for daily Mass and a tour of this very special shrine.
If you are headed to the hill country for some outdoor fun, be sure and stop at one of the painted churches built by early Czech and German settlers along your way. These are amazing examples of the detailed craftsmanship of these early immigrants and have fantastic examples of hand carved saints. For more information visit the Diocese of Victoria online at www.victoriadiocese.org.
If your vacation trip is even closer to home, then Galveston is a great destination. Visit the beautifully newly restored St. Mary Cathedral Basilica (2011 Church St, Galveston; 409-762-9646, holyfamilygb.org) on the island. The ‘Mother Church’ of all the dioceses of Texas, the 167-year-old church went through a major renovation after Hurricane Ike and opened up its doors last spring after a 6-year renovation, which restored it to its original glory.
Right up the street you can also tour the historic 1892 Bishop’s Palace ((1402 Broadway, Galveston; 409-762-2475,galvestonhistory.org) as well as explore the historic churches of Sacred Heart (1302 Broadway, Galveston) and St. Patrick (34th & Avenue K, Galveston) now consolidated as Holy Family Galveston.
After you attend Mass and stop at a special shrine, why not take a morning or afternoon to serve the community you are visiting with a family service project. Food Banks, soup kitchens, St. Vincent de Paul pantries/stores and Catholic Charities have a wide arrange of projects where you and your family can volunteer. This can be a very rewarding experience for you and your family and can also provide a great opportunity for a family reunion gathering experience. For more information about service opportunities contact the Catholic Charities Office within that diocese.
So this year, try something different and make sure your faith is a part of your daily routine. These ideas will help you have a happy and holy vacation and the nice part is you need no extra luggage.
Randy Adams is an associate director in the Archdiocesan Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization.
