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Within a two-hour drive of Monroe are some of the most beautiful Catholic shrines and churches in our country. As summer vacations are in full swing, let’s talk about these great places to visit – maybe you can incorporate them into your vacation plans!
Ender’s Island – a beautiful retreat center out in Mystic, CT, this idyllic island is a Catholic retreat center that is open to visitors to pray and walk the grounds on the gorgeous Long Island Sound. They boast a rather large and surprising relic: the forearm of St. Edmund Campion, a British martyr of the seventeenth century. If encountering God in nature is your thing, I highly recommend this stop on the way to a beach somewhere out East! (www.endersisland.org)
Lourdes Shrine, Litchfield – nestled in the beautiful hills of Litchfield is a beautiful outdoor reproduction of Lourdes, the shrine in southern France where Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous in the 1850s. It features an outdoor Stations of the Cross walk, along with a very scenic chapel overlooking rolling hills and farmland. Check it out! (https://shrinect.org/)
The Cloisters/St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Shrine – John Rockefeller had so much money that he didn’t know what to do with it. One of his luxury projects, as a patron of the arts, was to dismantle four ancient Catholic convents in Europe and rebuild them in upper Manhattan. They are now a part of the Metropolitan Museum, a glorious and profound exhibit on Gothic and Romanesque Catholic art. I always find it to be a really cool place to visit – and while you’re there, walk down the block to visit the tomb of the first American citizen saint, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini.
Knights of Columbus Museum/St. Mary’s Church – Right down Route 34 in New Haven is an amazing (and free!) museum run by the Knights of Columbus, featuring all things Catholic! I particularly love to visit during Christmas, when they have exhibits of hundreds of creche Nativity scenes from around the world. Around the corner is the historic St. Mary’s Church which has the body of Bl. Michael J. McGivney, the soon-to-be-saint who founded the Knights of Columbus. A must-see, especially for Knights.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral – Who could forget St. Patrick’s? Recently they completed a multimillion-dollar renovation which has restored the tremendous glory of New York’s famous cathedral. Worth a visit if you’re in midtown Manhattan!
Divine Mercy Shrine – Heading up into the Berkshires, the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts is one of the most beautiful and expansive shrines in North America. Nestled in a postcard-perfect town surrounded by mountains, this shrine is dedicated to spreading the devotion of Divine Mercy and boasts beautiful chapels (both indoor and outdoor), with a lengthy life-sized Stations of the Cross walk. This is worth visiting even if it takes you out of your way – it’s a beautiful and sacred place!
Abbey of Regina Laudis – Did you know that the first person to kiss Elvis on-screen eventually became a nun…and lives in Connecticut? Sr. Dolores Hart is a cloistered Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis, in Bethlehem, CT (https://abbeyofreginalaudis.org/). It’s a beautiful visit in Litchfield County, especially during Christmas when they have a huge Nativity scene. If you’re seeking tranquility and silence, this place radiates these qualities.
Convent of St. Brigitta – But even here in Fairfield County, there is a beautiful convent right on the Sound in Darien, which is open to the public. The Convent of St. Brigitta (https://www.bridgettines-usa.org/) is a retreat house that can be visited by anyone needing a day away…and it’s only a half-hour drive from Monroe!
So here’s my challenge to you…if you visit any of these places over the summer, send us your pictures and we’ll put them in the newsletter! Summertime is a perfect place to encounter God in His many shrines, chapels, and retreat centers that are abundant…and local!
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