Destination Name:

Birmingham, Alabama

Location:

Birmingham is the largest city in the state of Alabama with a population currently estimated at 242,820, and a metro population of 1,079,089.

Closest Catholic Church:

• Parishes in the Diocese of Birmingham
• The Cathedral of Saint Paul
• EWTN

Birmingham, Alabama

A Bible passage to ponder while you’re here:

Open your mouth in behalf of the mute, and for the rights of the destitute; Open your mouth, judge justly, defend the needy and the poor! Proverbs 31:8-9

Saintly Companions for your Journey:

• St. Paul the Apostle (3-65) is the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Birmingham.

What you’ll find here:

• Birmingham was a center of the Civil Rights movement. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, adjacent to the 16th Street Baptist Church, paints a vivid portrait of the city’s place in history.
• The television studios of EWTN — the Eternal Word Television Network — are located in Irondale, Alabama, a short drive from Birmingham. Plan to make a visit to the small EWTN chapel, to enjoy the studio tour, and perhaps to even take in a live taping. The studio grounds also has a lovely gift and book shop. If you have more time, consider a day trip to Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.
• A walking tour of Birmingham’s historic downtown offers sightseeing, religious houses of worship, cultural opportunities and shopping.

Be sure to check out:

If you’re looking to shop, dine or simply want a lovely view of the city, check out The Summit.

Learn more at:

• City of Birmingham
• Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Trip Advisor

Lisa in the Church of the Nativity

In early 2012, I was blessed to travel to Israel with the Catholic Press Association as a guest of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. One member of our group of traveling journalists was Dennis Sadowski, a talented reporter for Catholic News Service. Dennis filmed our entire trip, endeavoring to create a documentary for Catholic News Service. His finished product was amazing — as much for the detail he put into narrating his footage as for the lovely shots he captured on film.

Today, I’m pleased to share Part II of Dennis’ three-part series on the Holy Land. A visit to Bethlehem requires advance planning and coordination. Prior to traveling to the Holy Land, be sure to inquire with your guide about logistics for visiting Bethlehem, the West Bank and the Church of the Nativity.

Members of the Catholic Press Association pray in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth

In early 2012, I was blessed to travel to Israel with the Catholic Press Association as a guest of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. One member of our group of traveling journalists was Dennis Sadowski, a talented reporter for Catholic News Service. Dennis filmed our entire trip, endeavoring to create a documentary for Catholic News Service. His finished product was amazing — as much for the detail he put into narrating his footage as for the lovely shots he captured on film.

Today, I’m pleased to share Part 1 of Dennis’ three-part series on the Holy Land. When I watch this, I smile as I see a few random shots of myself and my fellow travelers. For me, the pilgrimage to Israel was an eye-opening experience, one I never anticipated. To walk where Jesus Christ walked, preached, and died for my sins transformed my concept of “travel”. I am counting the days until I have a return visit, but in the mean time it’s a great honor to share Dennis Sadowski’s series with you.

video link

This Rome Reports video has all of the basics for signing up to attend World Youth Day in Rio.

A few additional WYD links to get you going:

• Registration online
• WYD Twitter (English) - use #Rio2013
• WYD Facebook Page
• WYD Youtube Channel

Journeying to the Vatican to Pray with the Pope

This video also features the Becerril family, pilgrims from Mexico, who traveled to spend four days in Rome. Catholic tourist Ana Becerril shares in the video that the honor of praying with Pope Francis was worth the effort and expense of the trip.

While I was unable to find exact numbers for total tourists visiting the Vatican each year, Wikipedia totals the number of guests to the Vatican Museums in excess of 4 million each year. Many of those who go to Rome endeavor to participate in the Holy Father’s Wednesday audience. For travelers like the Teo family, this once in a lifetime pilgrimage is worth all of the time, expense and effort. But in today’s digital age, we’re blessed to be able to journey to Saint Peter’s Square via streaming technology to attend such events online. Still, there’s nothing like being physically present with the Pope.

Your ticket: Have you ever visited the Vatican? What was your journey like? Were you able to attend an audience with the Pope?