End of the Pilgrimage

Santiago de Compostela is the end of the pilgrimage for pilgrims who make the Camino de Santiago. So, it seems appropriate that Santiago de Compostela was my final side trip of my sabbatical before heading back home. I was fortunate enough to concelebrate Mass at the main altar here in the cathedral of Santiago (St. James) and pray at his tomb:

As pilgrims enter the cathedral at the end of the camino, they encounter the world's most famous giant thurible, the "Botafumeiro," which takes eight men to operate. Since I was not there on a feast or solemnity, I did not get to see it in action, but there is plenty of video footage online.

Find out more at: http://catedraldesantiago.es/en/

Cathedrals of Spain's Mediterranean Coat

The Basilica of Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) is in the news once again as its newest feature alters Barcelona's skyline.

I was blessed with the fortune of being able to visit this magnificent basilica which has been under construction for over a hundred years:

As magnificent as Sagrada Familia is, I have to admit the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia was my favorite between the two. Here is a selfie I took of the outside:

And here is a shot of the inside:

Just when I though the tour was over, I went out this door which open to a courtyard surrounded by about a dozen side altars. Yes, those are ducks in the lower left hand corner:

Valencia is the other city I visited on the Mediterranean. There was construction both inside and outside the cathedral, so the pictures you find on the internet will be better than the ones I took. Here is a shot of the Blessed Sacrament chapel where I was blessed to offer holy Mass:

Finally, I took a stroll on the beach in Valencia and came across the coolest Burger King I have ever seen:

Cathedrals of Southern Spain

 I’m on a whirlwind tour of the cathedrals of Southern Spain. I find the area very intriguing because many of these cities were Muslim strongholds when the Moors ruled Spain for several centuries in the Middle Ages.

I took this picture from the famous Roman Bridge in Córdoba. This cathedral, which forms the skyline, used to be a mosque:

The cathedrals are massive and filled with the best artwork giving glory to God and telling the story of His love for us. 

Here are the apses of those in Toledo. Sevilla and Granada:

 

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Luke 18:8

 In this previous post I showed some of the celebration of the National Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar. The feast commemorates the encounter of St. James and the Blessed Virgin Mary at this site in Zaragoza:

The plaza is surrounded by a very large Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (above), the church of St. John the Baptist, and the Cathedral of the Savior (below):

Some of the history promises great hope for the future. The Romans who built this amphitheater eventually converted to Christianity and were a powerful force in spreading the Gospel.

Much later, for several centuries, Spain was ruled by the Muslims who built this castle, but once again, the Truth of Christianity prevailed.

This gate marks the incursion of Napoleon, who wanted to conquer the world and destroy the Church.

Now the new enemy of the Gospel is secularism in all of its many forms. Time will tell if there will be faith, not only in Spain but in our own land as well.

Avila

 Rolling into Avila…