TRIP SUMMARY

Only three hours by bus from the Washington D.C area, Philadelphia has a rich Catholic heritage with many splendid shrines and churches and was home to St. John Neumann and St. Katherine Drexel. An ideal day trip pilgrimage, you can visit these famous sites and enjoy a pleasant lunch at one of Philadelphia’s finer restaurants. (Optional overnight trip including Baltimore.)

TRIP DETAILS:

-$97 Per Person

-Bus Pickup 6:30 AM at St. Mary Catholic Church, Alexandra VA

-Holy Mass and tour of the Central Shrine of the Miraculous Medal

-Lunch at one of Philadelphia's Outstanding Restaurants near Penn's Landing

-Afternoon tour of St. Katherine Drexel Shrine in Bensalem, St. John Neumann Shrine and Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia

-Return to St. Mary's approximately 8:45 PM

 

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:

MIRACULOUS MEDAL SHRINE

It was in March of 1915, that the organization devoted to Mary's interests - the "Central Association of the Miraculous Medal" (CAMM) - came into existence, with Father Joseph Skelly, C.M. as its first Director. On Monday, December 8, 1930, in order to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Apparitions of our Blessed Mother to Saint Catherine Laboure, Father Joseph Skelly, C.M. initiated the first Monday Evening Novena Service. He used a "little Novena booklet" containing the prayers his confreres prepared especially for this Novena.

 

ST. KATHARINE DREXEL SHRINE

In 1887 Katharine and her two sisters went to Rome and had a private audience with Pope Leo XIII. Kneeling at his feet, Katharine pleaded for a missionary priest to be sent to the Indians of the United States. The Pope responded: "Why not, my child, yourself become a missionary?"

The process of canonization for Katharine was begun by John Cardinal Krol who officially introduced her Cause in Rome in December 1964. On January 26, 1987, Mother Katharine was declared Venerable.

The journey to Canonization came to fruition on October 1, 2000, at the time Pope John Paul II in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City, at the solemn celebration of Mass, proclaimed Mother Katharine Drexel, "Saint Katharine Drexel!"

 

ST. JOHN NEUMANN SHRINE

Almost immediatley after Bishop Neumann's death in 1860 devout souls were drawn to his grave. They came from far and near. More than a few were claiming extraordinary miracles of grace. It was as though John Neumann, now dead, continued his works of mercy among his people. For decades this unsolicited devotion continued. Finally after many years and many incontrovertible miracles worked through the intercession of this holy man, his Cause was introduced in Rome. In 1921 Pope Benedict XV saw fit to have John Neumann declared "Venerable." The procession of the faithful continued and in 1963 Pope Paul VI declared him "Blessed" John Neumann. The crowds of pilgrims prompted the building of the lower church. His remains, remarkably well preseved after a century of interment, were exhumed and placed in a glass encasement beneath the altar in the lower church. Bus loads of pilgrims came from diffrent parishes throughout the year to pray to Saint John. Finally the long expected happened in Rome on 1977. Pope Paul VI declared John Neumann a Saint in heaven.

 

THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF ST. RITA OF CASCIA

Almost twenty-five years of religious life, Rita was given what she considered a most treasured and singular gift from God. Always devoted to Jesus crucified, her desire constantly grew to share in his great act of love for her and for all humanity by helping to carry his cross. One day as she knelt in prayer, her forehead was pierced by a violent wound, a thorn from the crown that covered Jesus's own head. She bore this wound for fifteen years until the day of her death.

In 1907 the Augustinian Friars from Villanova, one of the suburbs surrounding the City of Philadelphia, were asked to found a parish to assist in the care of the tens of thousands of Italian families coming into the city. When they did, they chose Saint Rita as the patron of the new foundation - a wise and providential choice, not only because Rita herself was a daughter of Italian soil, but also because her canonization just a few years earlier in 1990.

In 1915 the magnificent upper church was completed and has continued to operate both as a parish church and as the center of devotion to the Saint of Cascia in the United States.