BootsnAll Travel Community

For you Catholics here, what are some places that you have found inspiring or uplifting to your faith?

I haven't been around enough to say any, but I can imagine some of the great cathedrals or apparition sites like Fatima and Lourdes might have this effect.

I'm not a catholic, but I've probably seen more churches than most non-practicing Catholics.

As a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago, I can testify to several incredibly inspiring cathedrals, all over the world. I went to every church I passed by, and prayed in them. Does that count?

Here they are:

France: Sacre Cour in Paris(Newer, but incredibly spiritual
in design.)
Chartres: (totally amazing. Contains a piece of
Virgin Mary's robe)

There are other, but I've not seen them.

Spain:

The Cathedral of Burgos
The Cathedral of Leon
The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella

Lots more, the names don't come to mind.

Italy: St. Marks Cathedral

Istanbul,Turkey: Haghia Sophia, the grandmom of all
cathedrals, built in the 5th century ad
The Chora, built in 9th-12th century


Hows that for a starter list?

Catholics also seem to like Medjugorge, Croatia, where the Virgin Mary appears on a regular basis, it seems. They have a churh there that is made for the masses, including an immense outdoors worship area. When they have a service out there, the atmosphere is absolutely incredible.

Medjugorge, Bosnia... Sorry

Outside of weddings and funerals, I haven't set foot inside a Catholic church except as a tourist since my confirmation, but still call myself Catholic. I found the whole of Jerusalem inspiring -- seeing the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gesthemene (?), the tomb of Jesus, etc, made me think about going back to church. At the same time, the Western Wall and the Dome on the Rock made me consider converting... The whole place is just bubbling over with holiness.

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul has a lot of old relics -- seeing various body parts of saints is a bit spooky in a sacred way. I didn't go while I was there, but have heard that Mary's house outside of Efes (Ephesus), Turkey is a must-see. In the same town is Isa Bey Camii (St Jesus' Mosque).

It's weird - I was raised Catholic but don't really believe in God anymore. However, when I got off the bus in Rome in 1997 and turned around to face St. Peter's Cathedral, I just burst into tears. I still don't know why, but it must have been the years of going to Catholic schools and the early belief that this was the center of the Roman Catholic church.

Later on during the visit, I got to touch the Pope's hand during the Wednesday outside audience when he passed in front of my row in his popemobile. And again, current religious beliefs notwithstanding, I got chills down my spine. Old habits die hard...

I'm not Catholic but was raised in Catholica schools and lived in Goa for nearly 10 years. The most inspiring experience for me was when I was a teenage to see the exposition of St Francis Xavier. His body is in Old Goa and the public can view it every 10 years.(Except there was a special exposition when Pope John Paul visited.)

The most inspiring fact was when my visiting Hindu Grandma kissed the case and stood for a second to pray.

Chruches of Goa in general inspire me...especially when they are right in the middle of nowwhere and among rice fields...when they are a part of a local community and they are no tourists there!!!

I always make it a point to visit any monasteries wherever I travel and on of the best is Our Lady of Gethsemene Abbey in Bardstown, Ky. Thomas Merton was a member of the order there and I have had some great converstions during my stays with Br. Patrick Hart.

For me, the churchs of Lima are more than inspiring. You feel something else when entering to these very old churches.
Of course, San Perter in Rome is magnificent and you really renew your beliefs.
However, I have to confess that the Mass in Athenas, Greece was one of the experiences I will never forget. I was impress for the songs and the attitute of the people when the Mass finished and started leaving. This Mass lasts 3 hours. I arrived there the last 3 queaters of hour and could not leave until it finished.
They are christian and I share with them the core of my religion, but I am catholic and roman.

Catholic non-believer here, but some places still touch me on a deep level.

The Catacombs in Rome - We went to one of the secondary ones (wish I could remember the name), and it was just my buddy, myself, and the priest. It was a haunting experience, and the first place in Rome where I truly felt the power of the faith. As opposed to ...

The Vatican - Where my faith was almost destroyed. Our first stop was one of the treasuries, and it was room after endless room of gold crosses and chalices 'donated' by Pizarro and Cortes & other perpetrators of genocide. They might as well have featured human skin lampshades from the Holocaust. I was so bothered that I had a hard time enjoying the rest of the Vatican. I'll go back one day - I still want to see the works of Bernini and Michaelangelo and the other greats. I'll just skip the treasuries.

Altar Screen at the Basilica di San Marco, Venice - I cried. It's the first time art ever made me cry.

Ordination of a Priest on Polap, Western Islands, Chuuk, Micronesia - I hitched a ride with a boat load of nuns, and they were more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. Seriously. These sisters had great spirit. Polap is still traditional - it's thatched huts, lavalavas, and no shirts. There were three days of dancing and singing, as people came from all the remote islands. Something about watching a priest surrounded by dancing, topless young women just warmed my heart.

Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey - This was an early center of Christian communal monastic life. I spent days exploring the ruins. Many of the churches were still decorated in their original paintings - St. Helen with the Cross, George slaying a dragon, etc. It gave me a fuller understanding of the church's origins, and was a vivid reminder of people's early search for a deeper spirituality.

My next trip is to Egypt, and I hope to spend time in the Coptic Monasteries of Wadi Natrun. It's the simpler and more communal places that always touch me more than the holy sites from the Church's later imperial period.

I became a Catholic only 6 years ago, as an adult. Before this I was an aetheist...However, I was diagnosed with cancer at that time, and thru the process of surgery,treatment,and chemo, I had a religious experience and became Catholic.
There are countless small churches in Mexico that I love;
also The Virgin Of Guadelupe shrine in Mexico City(although they make you walk by so quickly now that you only get a glimpse); the Our Lady in KY as mentioned above;but my favorite place in the world is:
in West Bend, Iowa, The Grotto of Redemption, by Father Paul Dobberstein. It was started in 1912, and is made entirely of petrified wood, crystals,jasper,other stones, large boulders,etc. It is a true marvel, and to see it is breathtaking.
Also I love the Ave Maria Grotto, in Cullman ,Alabama-tiny painted concrete models in detail of every Christian shrine known to man.
If you are interested in grottos, try to find the book, "Gardens of Revelation" which has a large chapter on these places above, as well as shrines created by non christian visionary artists.
gigirtw
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/gigirtw

As a non-Catholic...but a veteran of the camino...I would say that nothing touched me in quite the way as visiting Fatima (after my camino to Santiago)...

It made me re-think what it is that I believe....amazing and awe inspiring...

Non-Catholic here, too, but I second the Jerusalem experience. I found a little Mormon church (I'm also non-Mormon) on top of the Mt. of Olives. There were only about 12 wooden benches and maybe 20 people for a Sunday service.

During the first song, I was crying like a baby. I'm not sure I've ever felt so spiritually invigorated as in that little church. Guess God just wanted to say hello.

St. John's Roman Catholic Church in Richmond, Tasmania exuded a feeling of peace and serenity. Built in 1837, it is the oldest Catholic church in Australia.

Standing on the top of Mount Wellington gazing out over Hobart and beyond was an awe-inspiring experience. I felt close to Heaven up there. The feeling of awe and calmness is a feeling and emotion I'll never forget.

Have a nice day, Whistler.


Travel broadens the mind and flattens the wallet. SMC.