A pilgrimage to find answers has left me overwhelmed with graces and pondering faith just that much more.

PART I- FLORIDA, PORTUGAL AND SPAIN

The next chapter in my journey- Champion, Wisconsin- will have to be written. Logistical issues just make it impossible at this time. For now, I will explore what I have gained and treasured from the following places;

• Parkland/Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

• Lisbon, Portugal

• Santarem, Portugal

• Alustriel/Fatima, Portugal

• Salamanca, Spain

• Albe De Tormes, Spain

• Avila, Spain

• Loyola, Spain

• Lourdes, France

• Toulouse, France

• Rocamadour, France

• Paray Le Monial, France

• Nevers, France

• Chartres, France

• Lisieux, France

• Paris, France

In all, I have traveled more than 10,000 miles in 4 countries, visited almost 20 places, rode almost 2,000 miles by bus, walked about 50 miles, and visited 5 different airports. All of this to deepen my catholic faith, to gain graces and miracles and to try and make sense of Heaven's prescence in a world seemingly going to hell.

In the end, I have drawn strength from a number of people who have set examples I'd like to live up to. Many of these people would be called victims or failures by the world. In the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), I see them as champions in the battle who are now cheering us on.

PARKLAND AND FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

In February of 2018, still reeling from personal tragedy of my own, I witnessed the Parkland school shooting as all of you did. All this time later, I still haven't been able to shake it.

Why God would allow these families- many of them devout believers- to be ripped apart by such a horrific tragedy, is something difficult to digest.

In particular, my journey focused on 2 people- a 14-year-old girl murdered in the hallway outside room 1215 and the Father she left behind who is now the President of the National association for safe schools.

Gina Rose Montalto was just 14 years old when that monster gunned her down in the Valentine's Day/Ash Wednesday massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida.

This devout Catholic family was scarred forever because of a demon influenced sociopath and a politicized system of government and law enforcement that failed them.

16 others died that day.

In May, I was honored to interview Tony Montalto, her father.

If I made a list of better examples of Catholics I have known bear good fruit under the weight of heavy crosses, it would be a short list. I said in the interview that I believe Gina Rose is in heaven and I do, with all my heart.

I was honored to work with Lisa Marie Nicole to create this tribute for her.

I was even more honored visiting Parkland and Fort Lauderdale with one of the most devout Catholics I have ever met, my brother in Christ Doug Meador.

We visited that school and prayed for Gina and the 16 others lost.

Who can forget the horrible images we saw of this scene in 2018?

In addition to Gina, 16 other victims died.

• Luke Hoyer

• Martin Duque Angiano

• Alex Schacter

• Nicholas Dworet

• Helena Ramsay

• Alyssa Allhadeff

• Alaina Petty

• Carmen Schentrup

• Chris Hixon

• Aaron Feis

• Scott Biegel

• Meadow Pollack

• Cara Loughran

• Joaquin Oliver

• Jaime Guttenberg

• Peter Wang.

Doug and I were honored to carry up the Sacred gifts at Mass at Gina's church- Mary, help of Christians Catholic church in Parkland.

Laying 14 long stem roses on her grave at the Queen of Heaven cemetery in Fort Lauderdale was solemn to say the least.

Gina Rose Montalto, pray for us.

LISBON, PORTUGAL

I will remember this as one of the most physically demanding and exhausting parts of the trip. I literally operated on about a half hour of sleep for a period of about 30 hours.

The wait inside the airport was brutal and there were tens of thousands of people.

The city was picturesque and celebrating Mass at the church of the birthplace of Saint Anthony of Padua was a treasured memory and a priceless grace.

The hotel temporarily lost some of my luggage, took forever to serve us dinner and then blasted loud music and a light show at 10 PM. It was not what an exhausted person needed.

Still. Mass at Saint Anthony's birthplace. Too much. One of the Saints of impossible causes and I have given some to him. I touched my crucifix to this holy place.

Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us.

SANTAREM, PORTUGAL

Santarem, Portugal is the site of one of the most famous Eucharist miracles in the history of the Catholic church that occurred almost 800 years ago.

Though I was not allowed to take a close-up picture, I found one online.

So, though this is not my picture, this is what my eyes beheld. The literal blood of Jesus Christ.

Carlo Acutis (now Saint Carlo Acutis) had his picture taken at the holy place and I had mine taken in the same spot. I touched my crucifix to this holy place.

ALJUSTREL AND FATIMA, PORTUGAL

The story of Fatima attracts millions to this village every day. It includes the largest public miracle in modern time, which occurred on October 13th, 1917

The little village of Aljustrel is about a 30-minute walk from the Cova Da Iria where our Blessed Mother appeared to 3 shepherd children. Lucia Dos Santos (10), Francisco Marto (9) and Jacinta Marto (7). The last 2 would become the youngest canonized saints in the history of the Catholic church, dying shortly after the 1917 events. Lucia lived until 2005.

The most famous photo that exists of these 3 saints is this one.

L-R Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, taken in front of the home of the youngest 2.

What a deeply humbling experience it was to touch this exact wall with my crucifix and have my picture taken there.

The first thing you are struck by is how poor and humble this family was.

The opulence of the Santa Maria hotel did not sit well with me.

I digress.

This was their parish church, where they received the sacraments of the Catholic church.

This is the well in Lucia's backyard where the children were visited by the Angel of Portugal in 1916.

We walked along the route they walked between this village and the Cova Da Iria of the apparitions. It is about a 1/2 hour walk and we did the stations of the Cross.

This was the site of the one appearance by Mary that did not occur at the Cova.

At The Cova, this statue represents the exact place where Mary appeared, atop a Holm Oak tree.

This is about what the sun looked like from their vantage point before it started it's miraculous dance on October 13th, 1917

Watch the video below for a better idea.

The candlelight and Rosary processions are mesmerizing. Here are a couple more videos for you.

For me, the honor of being allowed to help with the carrying of Our Lady is impossible to put into words. I touched my crucifix to this holy place.

A couple of relics of note are this cross which contains a small cross within it made from wood of the true cross.

and this crown that has placed within it, one of the 9mm bullets used in the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. The crown was made in 1946 with a hollow cavity at the top exactly 9mm in diameter.

Watch the video below for more Fatima highlights. Fatima was overwhelming.

Saints Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta, Pray for us.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

SALAMANCA, SPAIN

Salamanca was our first site in Spain. The site of Cathedrals and a University, it was certainly beautiful. However, it lacked the specific connection to Saints and miracles that so many other sites had. It was a pretty dramatic anti-climax after Fatima.

ALBA DE TOMES

Celebrating Mass in this place was special. We got to see relics of Saint Theresa of Avila (her heart and arm) and the Mass chapel connected to the very room in which she died. Saint Theresa's death occurred at a very significant and unique period in time.

Saint Theresa of Avila, pray for us.

AVILA, SPAIN

As Alba De Tormes was famous as the place of the death of Saint Theresa, Avila was the home of her birth and also where she met Saint John of the Cross. It was like a modern-day Camelot.

As for Saint John of the Cross, few books have impacted me like this one.

Saint John of the Cross, pray for us.

BURGOS, SPAIN

We didn't really get to experience Burgos as much as we just spent the night there. This one Cathedral is all we saw and only from the outside. It looks magnificent. I'd like to visit it someday, God willing.

LOYOLA, SPAIN

Clearly, the story of the conversion of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is one of the most incredible in our church's history. From a battlefield warrior to a warrior for guide and writer of The Spiritual exercises, his story should give us all hope. We celebrated Mass next to the room of his conversion, then passed through The Holy Doors. Truly magnificent.

I was able to capture some of the majestic music.

Pictures of the Basilica at Loyola

Continue to Part II for the France part of this pilgrimage.