Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Christ’s tomb. The wait was too long yesterday, so we went back first thing this morning and walked right in to pray before leisurely praying our way around the entire church with all it’s amazing sites. Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center – Mass We chatted with a man at…

The Old City of Jerusalem (red area in map) is not very big. If you walked the walled perimeter, it is approximately 2.75 miles. The inside area is right at 200 acres. It is a tight space brimming with energy and people. The Western Wall (of the Jewish Temple) and The Dome of the Rock…

Once in Jerusalem, we took a cab to Tantur Ecumenical Institute (20 minutes). Tantur is owned by the Holy See, and has been leased to The University of Notre Dame since the 1950’s in a post Vatican II ecumenical initiative.

Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle This beautiful church is where CSC’s own St Andre Bessette’s relics were processed before his canonization, so it holds an extra special place in our hearts! The ceiling is just stunning, and to help visitors really examine it without craning necks, mirrors have been strategically placed so you can look…

All roads lead to Rome! We were scheduled to go to Switzerland, but the weather forecast rain all week, so we changed plans and headed to Rome. We walked a little over 11 miles and took a cab for another 11 miles. It was our first time to be in 100 degree heat in over…

From the 17th to the 20th, we rested up in Dublin, watched a storm named Betty come ashore from our hotel room (rain and a little wind – not like anything on the Gulf Coast), marveled at the tide movement (up to 15 feet a day on the west coast), and traveled to Newquay on…

After the long drive from the day and night before, we needed to get outside. We went to the Killarney National Park and walked the Muckross Lake Trail. It was a little over 9 miles and a beautiful day! We stumbled on the ruins of a Franciscan Friary, too! The Muckross Friary is at the…

This parish church in Gorey, County Wexford, was a sweet stop for me (Barb). This was very likely the baptismal site of my second mom, Edie. Praying in that space and offering thanks for her life and presence in mine was a highlight of my travels so far.

We woke up in Dingle and got an early start on the Slea Head Drive, a highly recommended scenic drive on the peninsula. It did not disappoint. We headed on to the town of Kilkenny and then on to Waterford where we thought we’d stay the night. However! Our reservations were not in their system….

Killarney Cathedral Construction began in 1842, but the Famine hit and construction stopped. The good people of Killarney were finally able to start worshiping here in 1855. In 1907, they added the spire and nave. It was designed by the same architect who designed the Cobh Cathedral, and we could appreciate some of the similarities….