I’d like to offer a big shoutout to the good Trad Folks of the Kansas City area for keeping the faith alive! I had no shortage of options this morning.
Due to the timing I opted for the 7:45 Mass at Old St. Patrick’s Oratory downtown. This parish is run by the Institute of Christ the King. Pictures below.
Later in the morning we headed out of town on our next leg of the journey. We were driving north on I-35 on our way to Dubuque by way of Des Moines. In the distance I saw flashing lights that, despite several miles of roadway traveled, never got much closer. I surmised correctly that it was an honor guard of sorts. We eventually got up close to the convoy. It was six ambulances all bearing the markings of the Buchanan County, Missouri EMS Department. A quick search on my phone revealed that they were carrying the body of their chief medical officer who had died in an ATV accident just yesterday.
We offered a rosary for his soul as we rode alongside his remains for about 45 miles.
It is beautiful how God brings us into contact with people we never knew in order to pray for their souls.
Today began with a visit to the Oratory of St. Francis DeSales in St. Louis. This is without a doubt the most beautiful parish church in America! Shortly after Mass a woman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I recognized her. She had been a parishioner in Texas at my parish and recognized me! What’s even more is that I happened to be sitting behind one of my readers and his beautiful family. In fact, two of his boys had served the Mass. Pray for priests. we had a fun chat outside the church before I had to depart.
St.. Francis DeSales, St. Louis, MO
And then I drove clear across Missouri. Actually first I stopped to show my mother-in-law the grave of broadcasting legend Rush Limbaugh except that the cemetery was closed due to uprooted trees from a recent storm blocking the roads. But the guard we talked to was a prince. It turns out that he, too, was from my neck of the woods in Texas!
Then I drove clear across Missouri.
After checking into our hotel in Topeka, KS, we drove over to St. Mary’s. We met up with old friends who gave us a tour of their parish. I am talking about the new “largest church in Kansas”, that is, the Immaculata. I mentioned the Oratory was the most beautiful parish in America. Can there be a tie? See below.
I am dumbstruck at the beauty here.
A statue of Archbishop LeFebvre graced the exterior facade. He will be a saint one day.
After dinner in one of the most idyllic towns in the Midwest, we drove across the flatness that is Kansas and we’re treated to small town fireworks displays on this eve of the Independence of the former US.
Ka-boom!
God bless us all!
If you’ve read this far and feel like offering some assistance, I’m trying to locate a TLM in the vicinity of Yellowstone (or a priest willing to say the TLM for us. This would be next week. Email me if you have ideas.
We started our day with Mass as is to be expected. Returning to St. Francis DeSales in Georgetown, KY before heading further down the road, we discovered that this small country parish is anything but small on a Sunday. It was so edifying to see a hundred or more people packed into this space, worshipping God according to the ancient rite of the Roman Church This, of course, was after we navigated our SUV Past the rows of transit vans and minivans parked on the lawn just off the drive. Parking is tight here but it only adds to the visual image of a community exploding in growth. And that sermon? Stirring! Could not have asked for a better start to the Lord’s Day.
And then it was back on the road. First up, a visit to a cemetery in Kentucky’s capital city. We prayed at the grave of Daniel Boone because why not?
Then we stopped in for bourbon balls and coffee.
A little further down the road and we were sampling bourbon proper at a distillery.
Finally we took a few hours to visit with fellow alumni of our Alma Mater at a farm outside Louisville. The skies turned nasty but we managed a good time nonetheless.
And we capped it all off with five hours behind the wheel driving into the sunset. I am very excited to visit one of my favorite churches tomorrow in St. Louis!
Today I woke up in Georgetown, KY. Why, you ask, in this small town? Well, the tart Taylor Swift had a lot to do with that. You see, we were going to stay in Cincinnati last night, having met with some employees there for dinner. However due to the twit pop star staging some kind of writhing revival at the Bengals sportsball stadium, every hotel room in town and for thirty miles out was booked. So we stayed in Georgetown. Familiar Georgetown.
This hamlet lies 45 miles south along I-75 from Cincy. It is familiar to us because we stayed here thirteen months ago on another road trip. In fact, our hotel this time is literally next door to that from last year. We settled in for the night and went to sleep (after a few gin and tonics).
This morning we attended Holy Mass at St. Francis DeSales Mission. The weather was stormy. It rained a fair bit. This church, in the bluegrass countryside about fifteen minutes outside town, is, I believe, a Novus Ordo parish where the FSSP also celebrate Mass. See picture below.
I am happy to report that the church looked twice as full as it did a year ago. Fwincisss Effect. Our morning sacrifice ended, we puttered around. Did some laundry. Got some lunch. And then we headed to the Ark.
The Ark Experience, as it is officially known, is a supposedly to-scale re-creation of. Noah’s Ark. except that Noah didn’t charge damn near $300 for five people to enter and $15 for parking. I went mainly to see the engineering of the structure and I will tell you that it does not disappoint from that angle. Just be advised that the entire “museum” of the Ark is curated by fundamentalist Protestants and is almost entirely wrong. Oh well, you live and learn.
I saw the above image and my wife said, “Come on, people. June is over!” Remember that Satan inverts everything.
Also, I was surprised at how many dinosaurs Noah brought onto the Ark considering that dinosaurs didn’t exist. Don’t @ me.
Next up, St. Louis and the most beautiful parish church in all of the former United States.
Today I discovered a place very similar to my native New Jersey, sans the Atlantic Ocean and the goombahs. Let me explain.
I must state from the outset that I have driven through the Buckeye State many times before. I’ve even transited through the state’s capital – Columbus – two or three times; but never stayed here. Last evening, under the haze of supposed Canadian smoke we arrived to our hotel and settled in. And then we all slept.
Today the kids and I (along with my mother-in-law) decided to sightsee while my wife tended to some business. That Canadian smoke? Yep, it’s back and it’s really obnoxious. And I still really don’t believe that it’s from a wildfire but call me crazy. We were going to visit the Columbus Zoo – made famous and made large by one Jack Hanna – but the kids didn’t want to walk and mother-in-law has seen her share of animals and of course, you know, air quality and all. Honestly, if you can’t breath in a little smoke how on earth are we expected to survive the chastisement? Seriously.
So instead we called upon Daddy’s love of history and architecture and we visited the Ohio Statehouse. The Legislature was absent today so we had the building all to ourselves and it did not disappoint. When the guide wakes us into a room displaying a tribute to the suffragettes, I was both glad and disappointed that I wasn’t wearing my “Repeal 19” tee shirt.
Ohio!
But it wasn’t until later in the evening that I really came to appreciate this place for the Jersey-esque vibe it gave me.
Today for the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, we attended Mass at the Institute’s parish in Columbus – the Oratory of St. Leo the Great. The beautiful parish, tucked in a neighborhood south of downtown, reminded me of the old time parishes back home. So did the neighborhood. Old homes, well maintained, and even the odd brick-lined street gave me a feel for my childhood.
The church itself was magnificent! I will be there on Friday for the noon Mass and will grab more pictures then. In the meantime, take a look at who was hovering over my shoulder when I took my seat…
You knew she’d have to make her presence known!
Also, I have written about this before, but the priest and the servers were so edifying. The young priest, clean shaven, standing erect, chanting in a manly tenor tone interacting with the boys – a mix of young lads and a few young men just figuring out how to gingerly walk through a sanctuary without tripping over feet suddenly too big for their bodies – were the most reverent of men. Right angled turns, incense swung ever so perfectly. I see that and I want to be more manly. This is how you offer a sacrifice.
So if you read this and happen to live in Columbus, look for me at Mass as we close out the month of the Sacred Heart. Your parish is beautiful and I can’t wait to come back.
Folks, I got off all that social media nonsense a while ago. Sorry but I'm not on Twitbook, Facepalm, YouHu, WingWang or any of the others. Maybe an event will happen to make me change my mind like Peter and Paul coming down with flaming swords and commanding it be so. Until then, read the blog and if you feel a comment is in order or you feel like sharing a tip or suggestion for a topic, email me at harvey@harveymillican.com.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 