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BALTIMORE and MARYLAND

St Jude Shrine
10 images


Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, or Baltimore Basilica
32 images

National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Emmitsburg
26 images

Baltimore Harbor
5 images


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Days 01, 02 and 043 of April Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 16th


DAY 01

Our group mostly came from Los Angeles areas and the west coast together more than one bus, and the plane landed at Baltimore airport. We joined some others from the west coast which made up the 2 buses on this trip. The buses headed for a hotel somewhere in Baltimore when good daylight was still available.

Some of us took the offer of side tour to go to the Baltimore harbor, Maryland, for dinner and some sightseeing at night at location for an extra fee. We got to the harbor at twilight; the mild wind was cold in April. There were not much of any activities here at the harbor at this hour, yet some food stands were still open around 9PM in the food court area for hungry visitors. The night trip wrapped up quickly as the air got colder as we had a little tour through downtown Baltimore harbor, at this time the city was getting ready for her sleep. We headed to our hotel and quietly taking our rest after a long first day of travel.

DAY 02

The next morning, we started out first by visiting St Jude Shrine. We got to the church early, and the parish greeted us with donuts and coffee down the basement reception hall while we waited for the morning mass. St Jude or Thaddeus, not mistaken for Judas, was one of the 12 apostles least to be known, known as the forgotten saint. St Jude was known as the patron Saint for the sick, and the grave ill, especially cancer, and the forgotten ones. The mass celebrant was very much welcome the visitors, and amiably accorded with our pilgrimage spirit in the English sermon. After the mass the parish pastor came to each of the bus walked up inside and blessed everyone on board.

We departed for the Baltimore basilica on the same morning. This was the first Catholic basilica built and blessed in the US since early 1806, one of the 4 dioceses of early Catholic settlement in the US, besides NY, Boston, Philadelphia, and Louisville (Kentucky), one of the purposes of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit. The church was located within the city metro area, with its façade next to the street curves, without much distinction from its surrounding in structure. The interiors were magnificent, with splendor designs in pastel cream colors. The church tour guide was available for our group, taking people around its interiors explaining history and tradition. The church was noticeable for its shrines milestoned with the visits of Pope John Paul II, and Mother Teresa in the past. We had more than an hour to stay at the basilica, among other visitors viewing the church.

After the basilica visit we headed out to lunch at the Baltimore harbor, a major US seaport since 1700s where we stopped the night before. The scenery of the harbor was quite different in the daylight. We could see the hill on the right far side with the towering flagpole flying the old Glory where fierce battle took place during the independence war. Within the panoramic view of the harbor were National Aquarium (world largest), the Maryland Science Center, the tall ship USS Constellation, and many upscale of commerce centers.

We left the harbor of Baltimore heading to the city of Fallbrook, Washington, where we would have a mass in the VN parish in the evening, with the Bishop M.T. Luong from OC County, CA, and prepared the trip sending the Holy Martyr parishioners off to the Pope’s Mass at the stadium in DC. Our group also welcomed Morgan Cook, Washington Bureau journalist for the OC Register who became imbedded reporter observing the pilgrim’s opportunity to see the Pope. We rested for the night in Baltimore.

DAY 03

We headed to toward Emmitsburg of Maryland to arrive at National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in the morning. We waited at the parking lot at the giant bell tower of the Blessed Mother, the Pastor came to speak to us, blessed the group, and passed out the literature of the site with the main attention such as the Grotto, Mother Seton chapel, the Reservoir and the Statue. We headed up to the hill and stayed at the Grotto most of the time praying in rosary. This was this place that the miracle of healing took place to many pilgrims. In a previous trip, a related member of our tour leader was healed from a terminal cancer, this time the miracle was granted to a lady in our group who walked away from her cane. Other miracles came to some of us in the group as well.

We had some time to visit the rest of the big outdoor terrace, the Corpus Christi Chapel, the Reservoir and Grotto Mountain Water, Grotto Grave area up the hill top. We changed our schedule and stayed for the noon time Mass with everyone’s agreement.
Today the Pope celebrated the mass at the DC Stadium among those who had the entry tickets. We were very much in communion with the Pope in the mass. We headed toward Washington National Mall, about more than 30 minute drive thereafter in the afternoon.


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