I have been wanting to write about our recent trip for a while now, but due to several different constraints I just have not gotten around to it. But I am making myself do it now, lest all the memories of it fade into oblivion (given that I virtually have a memory like a sieve!). Having said this, photographs taken on the trip have proven to be very useful in jogging the old memory. :)
FAMILY TIES
As mentioned in a previous post, the primary reason for this trip was family related, more specifically because hubby wanted to make his support felt by 2 of his ageing, ailing aunties. We were happy because we were able to achieve this, although it was partly sad because one of his aunties, his Dad's only surviving sibling now has dementia and was unable to recognize him at all. This was rather hard for hubby to accept initially, though now he eventually has.
As mentioned in a previous post, the primary reason for this trip was family related, more specifically because hubby wanted to make his support felt by 2 of his ageing, ailing aunties. We were happy because we were able to achieve this, although it was partly sad because one of his aunties, his Dad's only surviving sibling now has dementia and was unable to recognize him at all. This was rather hard for hubby to accept initially, though now he eventually has.
Whilst in Los Angeles for the first and last leg of our trip, we stayed with my aunt, my mom's youngest sister in Eagle Rock. So it was lovely to have been able to spend time with her, her son (my first cousin) and his daughter. In addition, we were met by 2 of my other cousins in Hanceville, Alabama. I had not seen them for about 2 decades. They drove from Florida and met us for the Holy Triduum/Easter period at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, and with them were 2 of my nieces whom we met for the first time. And the kids enjoyed spending lots of time with them.
In Toronto, we stayed with hubby's older brother and his family for about 6 days and seeing his wife and son for the first time and spending time with them was quite lovely as well.
CALIFORNIA MISSIONS
Before we took the trip we decided on some things we wanted to do while we were there, and one of these was to visit some of the California Missions established by the Franciscan Missionaries in the 1700's to introduce Christianity (Catholicism) to the Americas. These missions were led by Blessed Junipero Serra; and among the 21 Missions, we were able to visit: San Juan Capistrano, San Gabriel, San Buenaventura, San Fernando and Santa Barbara.
It was certainly quite amazing and somewhat exhilerating to think that some, if not all, of these churches were home to the Traditional Latin Mass which we have grown to love very much, as celebrated by very holy priests and even some saints! And almost everything in sight, especially in the mission churches, provided a virtual feast for our eyes, especially the original altars, ornate confessional boxes, antique statues, sacred pictures, paintings and murals and of course, the venerated relics!!
ALABAMA
We left L.A. on the early morning of Holy Thursday, but did not get to Birmingham until about 5 pm. We knew we were not going to make it for the Holy Thursday Mass at the Shrine that day, given that it was another hour's drive from Birmingham, so in coordination with my cousin, we had arranged to meet at St Paul's Cathedral in Birmingham for the 7pm Mass. The cathedral was beautiful, though the sanctuary and altar, understandably, were quite bare. The ceremony (including the Washing of the Feet and the Blessed Sacrament Procession) finished at around 9:30pm. Afterwards, we drove to Hanceville where we first stopped at the place of my cousins' host, a Filipina whom we later discovered was part of our AHFI Family and very good friends with Fr Bing, our spiritual director.
Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament
We first went to the Shrine on Good Friday morning for the Stations of the Cross. From when we caught a glimpse of the big iron gates, we were so impressed by this beautiful, tranquil place. By the time we got out of the car, the excitement had very much mounted. It was still a long walk from the carpark to the doors of the church, but we finally made it inside before the end of the Stations of the Cross. Hubby and I were quite disappointed to be that late, but we took comfort in the fact that we had to let the kids rest as much as they needed from the night before, given that they were quite crook already (which started from about the 3rd day since we got to LA).
Well before we left for this trip I had been in constant communication with my childhood bestfriend, Abbie, who lives in Illinois. And we had arranged to meet up in Hanceville at this particular time. I was saying my prayers inside the main church at the Shrine when my younger son came up to me and told me "Tita Abbie is outside waiting for you." It was a very happy reunion and also a delightful meeting between both of our families. From there we all got together for lunch and shortly after, returned to the Shrine for the Veneration of the Cross and Communion Service from 3pm onwards.
Ave Maria Grotto
At the shrine, Holy Saturday only had one scheduled activity which was the Easter Vigil ceremonies in the evening, so this was the perfect time to look around and visit places. So after all 3 groups met for lunch, we decided to visit the nearby Benedictine Abbey and go around the Ave Maria Grotto. This popular site houses 125 miniature shrines handconstructed by a Benedictine Monk, Bro Joseph Zoettl (1878 -1961). We were definitely wowed by the detail, dedication and inspiration that very much came through all his work.
Come Holy Saturday night, it had gotten quite chilly and although we all went to the main church to attend the Easter Vigil ceremonies, we actually ended up going back to our cabins, because as soon as we all got inside the church, Webster started coughing and could not stop until he was sick all over the floor of the front entrance of the church!!! Hubby had to clean up all the mess and soon after, we found a few Franciscan friars kindly helping and making sure everything was all clean and dry. Understandably, we were quite heartbroken for missing out on the most beautiful liturgy of the season, but we were happy to take the kids to bed early.
Bound for Georgia, my two cousins and the girls drove out early the next morning, which was Easter Sunday, so we went to Mass by ourselves. This time it was held in the lower church or the crypt. We had our concerns about this, as it would not be very easy to rush out in the event of an accident similar to the one we had the night before. Surprisingly, though, the kids did exceptionally well. We all stayed on our pew all throughout the Mass and there was no need for us to take any of them out for any reason at all.
April 4 was also Curlytop's 4th birthday, and my bestfriend Abbie had already arranged to get her a birthday cake, so they met us outside the Shrine after Mass and together we proceeded to our cabin for our little party. It was wonderful because it was obviously a double celebration - for Easter and Curlytop's birthday. Shortly after, Abbie and her family set off for the long drive home to Illinois. So, because we were scheduled to fly to Toronto the next morning, we decided to do our last look around the Shrine.
This little exploration brought us to a few more places we had not been to, thus far. For one, we stopped at the Pieta Garden just a few metres from the entrance gate where we were quite moved to find the burial graves of 2 aborted babies. We also made our way to the Lourdes Grotto which was a short walk from the JP II Eucharistic Centre. This was such a beautiful part of the shrine, with a sparkling river alongside the grotto. We were certainly sad to be leaving the shrine, especially because it was such a beautiful place to be in - very tranquil and peaceful, perfect for recollecting one's thoughts and reconnecting with our Loving Creator.
EWTN Catholic Network
By the time we finished at the Shrine it was about 4:30 pm, and although Birmingham was still another hour away and we weren't sure whether the place was still open, we decided to take the chance and drive over to visit EWTN. It was a pleasant trip and we didn't drive in a hurry; but we got there in good time. It was kind of surreal how we roamed around the chapel which up until then we only saw on TV. In reality, it was rather small, compared to the spacious impression it gives one on telecast. We did not expect to see anybody there, as it was Easter Sunday and these religious communities would normally have celebrations, but we actually chanced upon a Franciscan friar (most likely the one allocated to look after the chapel). After exchanging hellos and such we asked if we could take a few photos around (and with him, as well), so we did.
Canada
Early the next morning we took a flight to Toronto where we were met by my brother-in-law. By this time Brighteyes was quite sick so we asked him to take us to a local medical clinic after dropping off the rest of the kids at their place. Colloidal silver (which we normally use) was not readily available, so we needed a script from the doctor to get Celine started on some antibiotic therapy. Over the next few days she got better, albeit slowly. However, she got better enough for us to go around Toronto to see some sights. We drove for about an hour to the border of Toronto and New York and spent a night at the Fallsview Hotel in a room which, staying true to its name, provided us with an excellent view of Niagara Falls! Before driving back to Toronto we squeezed in some outlet shopping at Buffalo, NY. It was quite a wet day, so even if my bro-in-law drove us to the Fatima shrine (which was under renovations, incidentally) we weren't able to go around for a good look. However we got the chance to visit the beautiful Shrine of St Therese, the impressive St Michael's Cathedral and the Toronto City centre with my brother-in-law's family via the train.
Hubby was definitely happy to have spent some time with his brother after more than 10 years, and we were also glad our children were able to meet his family, too.
By and large the trip was fulfilling, though a struggle as well - in terms of how sick we got while travelling. We achieved all that we hoped to achieve - and more. We were also eyewitnesses to some things that really affirmed our decision not to reside and raise a family in America when we were faced with the choice, 10 years ago.
On this trip we were definitely reassured of God's grace and providence which certainly made sure we safely got to where we wanted to go, no matter how sick we got while to and fro. So although I reluctantly agreed to go on the trip initially because of the challenges it posed, I'm so glad we did - if only for the valuable experiences, unforgettable reunions, and memories to treasure for a long time to come.
