Notre Dame de Paris

Notre Dame de Paris As the Liturgical Calendar brings us closer to the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, I thought that I would introduce you all to one of the most beautiful and visited cathedrals dedicated to Our Lady, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, literally translated as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris. I have been blessed to visit Paris twice in my life–once during law school when I lived in London for a... Read More

Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun

FATIMA AND THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN Today is the 97th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun, which occurred at Fatima in Portugal at the culmination of the Virgin Mary’s apparitions at the Cova da Iria to three little shepherd children–Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto. For those not familiar with the history of the Marian apparitions at Fatima, I encourage you to read a blog post I wrote about the... Read More

St Jerome and Bethlehem’s Church of St Catherine

ST JEROME AND BETHLEHEM’S CHURCH OF ST CATHERINE Did you know that St. Jerome is the patron saint of librarians and of translators? In Latin, his name is Hieronymus–which I love–and every September 30th, on the memorial of his death, translators around the world celebrate International Translation Day! How awesome is that? Today, I’d like to show you to the cave in Bethlehem when he spent the last thirty years of his life,... Read More

Mount Tabor and the Church of the Transfiguration

In honor of the Feast of the Transfiguration today, let’s visit Mount Tabor and the Church of the Transfiguration in Galilee, Israel. Jesus’ Transfiguration occurs shortly before He enters Jerusalem to begin his Passion, and is encountered in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. On this occasion, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up Mount Tabor, at the north-east corner of the Jezreel Valley. Two of the gospels use the... Read More

Jerusalem’s Church of St Anne (Memorial of Sts Joachim and Anne)

It’s been a few months since I last wrote. Those who saw me recently on EWTN’s Life on the Rock or who read my blog know that my husband David suffered a heart attack on Mother’s Day, just nine days before we were supposed to fly to the Holy Land to document Pope Francis’ Holy Land pilgrimage. He’s fine, thank God, and is recuperating well, but it did throw our lives into disarray, and my posting on this blog suffered... Read More

Pilgrimage: Camino Primitivo to Santiago de Compostela

Editor's Note: Dr. Anthony Lilles recently made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the place, where tradition holds, St. James the Apostle, whose feast the Church celebrates on July 25th, is buried. In this post, Dr. Lilles reflects on his journey, and on pilgrimage in particular. On Corpus Christi, Father Piotr Mozdyniewicz and I said goodbye to the pilgrims who journeyed with us through France. As they headed home,... Read More

Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre

With the beginning of Holy Week, we all turn our attention to Jesus’ Passion. In Jerusalem, the events of this week are commemorated throughout the Old City. Today, we’re going to explore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built atop Calvary and Jesus’ tomb. For a great online virtual tour, check out this amazing site. The exterior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is unremarkable except in its plainness. It was built by... Read More

The Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St Joseph

The Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St Joseph In celebration of the debut of The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land on EWTN, I have been exploring sacred sites in that wonderful land. This month brings us two solemnities that are associated with pilgrimage sites within walking distance of each another: the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, falls on the 19th, while the Solemnity of the Annunciation... Read More

The History and Ruins of Jerusalem’s Temple

With the debut of The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land on EWTN this month (see details below), I am exploring the sites in the Holy Land. This month, in honor of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, we’ll be looking at the history of Jerusalem’s temple and what remains of it today. Forty days after Jesus was born, the Holy Family travelled to Jerusalem, where they presented the baby to the Lord in the Temple. But did... Read More

Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity and Shepherds’ Fields

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Since The Faithful Traveler in the Holy Land will air on EWTN nightly from February 17-22, 6:30 pm/3 am EST, I thought I’d start exploring some sites in the Holy Land. What better place to begin than the beginning?! It’s still the season of Christmas, so today, liturgically, the Holy Family would still be resting in a manger in Bethlehem after Jesus’ birth. Let’s explore the Church of... Read More

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