WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2026 - THE FINAL HOURS

 After Mass at St. Vincent DePaul I visited the Galleries Lafayette, an incredible department store.- 7 stories high with a rooftop balcony from which you can most of the city.  Believe it or not most of those 7 stores are for women’s clothing and shoes.  The men have a separate 3 story building adjacent.  But I came not to shop but to see the magnificent architecture of the building - unlike any department store I’d ever seen.  Later I’d go to the perfume museum - it was free of charge and pretty interesting.  

Finally, we’d finish our trip to Paris with a river boat dinner cruise. Lovely meal, great company and a wonderful finale to a great pilgrimage and trip.  Heading home with an early start (just a few hours from now). Adieu to France and hello Cleveland!  Thanks for following along.  Hope you enjoyed the journey with us.  We prayed for you every step of the way!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2026 - NOTRE DAME

 Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral.  Our visit to Notre Dame was a self guided tour as silence is respected throughout the visit.  The recently restored Cathedral is a glorious entrance into humanity’s greatest creative and artistic genius. From your entry in you are lifted up into the heavens with huge pillars reaching upward into the sky as far as the eye can see.  Glorious windows of light beaming through bring you into the warmth of God’s love welcoming you and drawing you further and further into the heart of the sanctuary.  The sanctuary is surrounded on both sides by beautiful, glorious rose windows - probably the best in the world.  The choir area is magnificently carved dark wood and the left side is painted wood telling the story of Jesus’ early life. In the back of the nave is the crown of thorns surrounded by a glorious reliquary of gold and surrounded by a spot for silent reflection and a space for kneeling in private prayer.  It’s hard to explain in words what happens to you in this holy place.  You have to experience it to believe it.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 - MIRACULOUS MEDAL AND ST. VINCENT DePAUL

I didn’t know a whole lot about the Miraculous Medal until I came to Paris for the first time.  Then I learned about Catherine Laboure and how the Blessed Mother appeared to her and gave her exact instructions about how the medal was to look.  I had a medal when I was a kid but never really appreciated it.  When I came to Paris and visited the chapel, her tomb and heard the story I appreciated it so much more.  It’s a pretty remarkable story.  To see the chair that the Blessed Mother sat on and to hear the incredible story is really amazing.  Both Catherine Laboure and Louise deMarillac are entombed here.  Their bodies have not decayed.  So many pilgrims come from around the world to pray here.  It’s such an inspiration to see people pray and visit these holy sites.  We too came and prayed.  We brought the intentions of those we promised to pray for as well. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2026 - SACRE COEUR

We had a beautiful Mass in the crypt at Sacre Coeur.  The church was first proposed by the Bishop of Nantes because of the moral decline of France after a defeat in the Franco-Prussian war.  He decided it would be named after the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  What is significant about the church is that perpetual Eucharistic adoration has been practiced in the church since 1885 perhaps in reparation for the sins of the people of France.  The church’s architecture is interesting in that it was built under 5 different architects and represents various styles but predominantly Neo-Byzantine Romanesque.  It is a very popular tourist site not only for its beauty but for its dominant site on the hill of Montmarte noted for its spectacular view of the city of Paris below and its location next to the art community of Montmarte.  

I was fortunate to meet up with one of my former Holy Angels Parishioners, Justin Abbarno and his girlfriend Allison.  I performed Justin’s sister Erica’s wedding about a year or so ago and he happened to be in Paris and saw my post on Facebook and we met up for Mass at Sacre Coeur and met up for lunch afterwards. It’s a small world!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026 - PARIS AND THE AFTERMATH OF RIOTS

As you may know, Saturday, October 16th was a day of rioting in Paris and throughout various regions of France.  In the city of Limoges, about 1.5 hours from Paris, the historic city hall was burned to the ground.  In Paris there were riots in various places, many store windows were smashed, monuments were graffitied and there were approximately 2,400 arrests.  Curfews have since been placed in effect in some parts of the city.  Though we were virtually unaffected by any of this, we did see the aftermath of the riots and I have included some of those photographs here.  It reminds us that there is an ache, a longing in so many people for something more than this world offers.  We want peace, we want harmony, we want justice.  And as I so often say we must build a peace within that can withstand any storm; a peace that brings calm in the midst of life’s chaos and confusion and discord.  For me, faith in the Lord is that center, that peace that the world cannot give.  I pray that His peace may reign more and more in the hearts of those whose unrest is longing for an answer.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026 - CHATEAU DU BRUEIL

Chateau Du Breuil was a short little visit to a Calvados distillery in a former castle-like estate.  This area of France is known for its apples and it is known for a special alcohol called “calvados.”  It is distilled into whiskey and brandy and other liqueurs.  We were introduced to the process of growing the apples (sour, not for eating) and harvesting, processing, heating, and making the apples into alcohol.  We were shown the fermenting process and then the aging process in special oak barrels.  Then we were given tastings of the whiskey and brandy and, of course, given the opportunity to purchase the specialties to share with our families and friends back home.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2026 - LISIEUX

Today we had the great privilege of visiting the city of Lisieux and the beautiful basilica of St. Therese of Lisieux.  From the outside the basilica looks rather cold and unremarkable but inside, it is filled with magnificent mosaics.  The apostles are featured at the top of pillars as if they are holding up the foundations of the church.  The inside of the church is magnificent and colorful and warm and inviting.  

The story of St. Therese’s life is so interesting.  She entered the convent at only 13 years old and plead to the Bishop to enter the order early (normally you couldn’t enter until 14).  Her sisters had already entered.  She had lost her mom when she was 9 years old.  She was a simple child who loved the Lord and saw God in simple things.  She died at the age of 24 of tuberculosis.  She would often choose the crankiest nun to sit with in the refectory knowing that it would test her ability to be kind.  She could find God in the ordinary of everyday life but she knew him deeply and intimately.  She was a mystic and became a doctor of the church.  I’ll post some pictures and some of her beautiful quotes below.