The logistics of the upcoming trips are really something
The logistics of these upcoming trips are really something and it's exciting and a little intimidating at the same time.
Day 1- Friday November 6th
I usually get home from work around midnight, so Day 1 starts with not much sleep. I need to be out the door to drive to Springfield, VA. At Saint Bernadette's Catholic church, I will finally get my chance to experience the relic tour of Saint Bernadette and relive, to some extent, the Lourdes experience.
It is there that I will begin the devotion of First Friday Masses dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Should I be fortunate enough to complete the 9 masses in July, it will be my 4th time doing so.
After these sacred activities, it's off to the hotel.
I will spend the night at the Hylton Doubletree in Dulles, Virginia which will include reading, praying and maybe a podcast before I get some sleep.
Day 2- Saturday November 7th
The day starts with breakfast and the shuttle ride to the airport. I get through security and get to my gate. This part is starting to become old hat for me, so I don't Forsee any issues up to this point.
My plane leaves Dulles at 10:00 AM local time and arrives about 4 hours and change later. The time change rolls back 2 hours, so I arrive in Denver, Colorado about 12:10 local time.
I will be in Denver less than an hour and a half but that is long enough to officially check the box on a 25th state that I will have visited.
The plane leaves at about 1:25 local time to fly to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe means "Holy faith" I touch down in state #26 at about 2:45 local time. This is where the itinerary gets tricky. I booked the appointment with Hertz at the airport for 3:30 for the rental car to give a little time cushion. I'm actually hoping that I can get there by 3:00 and that the pre-check-in gets me out of the door by 3:15-3:20.
In that perfect world scenario, I would drive to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi for 4:00 PM Mass. That would be priceless for a number of reasons.
Another opportunity at a plenary indulgence for the Saint Fracis Jubilee.
A spectacular location to finish my first Saturday's. 5 different Masses all in Churches I never attended Mass in.
Plenty of time to get to the hotel (8 minutes away), check in and catch the kickoff of Notre Dame vs #1 Miami.
On the other hand, if I am delayed at the airport or the rental counter, I do not want to arrive late for Mass. That happened in Dallas and I don't want a repeat.
Thus, I have to explore other options- churches with a 5:00 PM Mass. That means missing part of the game, to be sure, but far worse is that it means missing out on the Plenary Indulgence.
I looked up a number of churches in the area and the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe would be a really interesting choice because that would mean yet another anticipation of Mexico after I already had one in Dallas. It would be a very worthy consolation prize.
In any event, I will catch at least the 2nd half of the game at the Residence Inn hotel, have a meal, some prayers and then retire for the night.
Day 3- Sunday, November 8th
I am going to be an optimist and say I will be basking in the glow of a Notre Dame victory as I eat breakfast. Then I will hit the road for 3 destinations in the surrounds.
The first, about 35 minutes away, is the Sanctuary of Chimayo which has been called ''the Lourdes of America" because of it's ''holy dirt'' that is associated with documented miracles. I cannot wait to learn more.
After Chimayo, I will travel to the miraculous Loretto chapel home of the staircase built by Saint Joseph. I intend to end the day at either the Basilica of Saint Francis or the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe depending on which one I didn't attend the night before. 4 New Mexico destinations before returning to the hotel. If I go to Saint Francis, I might go there first for 9:00 AM Mass followed by noon mass at Chimayo.
Day 4- Monday, November 9th
Probably the most pressure packed morning of the entire trip is my mission for this Monday. By my calculation, I had better be out the door by 3:00 AM local time to be on the safe side. I have about a 5-hour drive from Santa Fe, New Mexico to the airport in El Paso, Texas. I need to return the car to Hertz then make it to my gate. There, for the first time, I should meet our pilgrimage group.
This promises to be the single most difficult and stressful part of the whole trip.
At about 12:20, our flight leaves for the skip to the other side of Texas- Dallas- where I was at just a month before.
Our flight to Dallas takes about 2 hours and, crossing time zones, we gain back one of the hours we were set back before. We sit in the Dallas- Fort Worth airport for about another 1 1/2 hours before we depart for Mexico City, Mexico. The flight to Mexico City takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes, we arrive between 7:30- 8:00 PM local time.
Mexico City's airport will be the 5th airport I have gone through just in this early part of this trip.
It will be the 13th airport I have been to in my life. That seems incomprehensible to me. I can't even give you the number of major cities, but it will be in the dozens. I will have dinner and crash for the night in the 6th different country in less than a year and a half.
Day 5- Tuesday, November 10th
I saw a replica of the miraculous tilma of Juan Diego in a hotel cafe in Wisconsin in September. I saw it again in Dallas, Texas a month later and will have seen it yet again, a month after that in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Those were replicas. Seeing the real thing will be something else because there is only 1. It is one thing to read about Saint Juan Diego, it is another thing to visit the church he was baptized in. This is the paragraph from the tour site.
After breakfast, we begin our pilgrimage with a walk through the Plaza of the Three Cultures and visit the Church of Santiago, where St. Juan Diego was baptized. We then continue to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, recalling the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Juan Diego. We venerate the tilma of Juan Diego bearing the miraculous image of Our Lady. Visit the New and Old Basilicas and the museum, with time for prayer and reflection. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
This will be my 7th visit to an approved Catholic apparition site of Jesus or Mary, following Fatima, Lourdes, Paray Le Monial, Rue De Bac, Champion and Champion a second time. God willing, I will visit Champion a 3rd time Thanksgiving weekend.
At this point, I will have seen 3 of the top 4 Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world (Rome excepted).
By the time I retire for the night, my head will be spinning from all that I have seen.
Day 6- Wednesday, November 11th.
After breakfast, we continue our pilgrimage with a visit to the Church of the Holy Family to venerate the tomb of Fr. Miguel Agustín Pro, SJ, Jesuit martyr, and visit the museum dedicated to his witness of faith. Continue to the Metropolitan Cathedral, the oldest and largest cathedral in Latin America, to admire its sacred art and architecture. Visit the National Palace to reflect on history through its remarkable murals. At the Plaza of Santo Domingo, visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Church of Santo Domingo. Before returning to the hotel, visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Where to start? Wednesday is like a whole pilgrimage unto itself!
Father Miguel Pro was a Jesuit martyr who was killed by the Mexican government in 1927 as part of the Cristero War. It is just another reminder that Catholicism is hated by the world.
The Metropolitan Cathedral will obviously take it's place among the great shrines and cathedrals I have seen and hope to see in the future.
It certainly looks breathtaking and, knowing me, I will probably take 75-100 pictures there, as well as all the other places. The shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga pays honor to a miraculous manifestation of Our Blessed Lady in Spain in the 8th century. It's really a fascinating story. Seeing shrines dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Dominic will be very special too.
Day 7- Thursday, November 12th.
After breakfast, we travel on pilgrimage to Puebla, one of Mexico’s most beautiful colonial cities, set high above sea level. Along the way, view two majestic volcanoes—one active and the other snow-capped. Visit the Cathedral, St. Dominic’s Church, and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary. At the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, venerate the incorrupt body of St. Sebastian of Aparicio. Enjoy lunch (on your own) at a traditional restaurant known for Puebla’s famous mole. Return to Mexico City for dinner and overnight.
Visiting separate churches dedicated to both Saint Dominic and Our Lady of the Rosary, on consecutive days is pretty cool and so is visiting another church dedicated to Saint Francis.
At this point, I do not know at which of these we will celebrate daily Mass but I do know that I will see an incorruptible saint for the 4th time. The other 3, Saint Bernadette, Saint Catherine Laboure and Saint Louise De Merrilac were all in France.
Of those 3, Bernadette is likely the most known but Louise De Merrilac Pictured below) might be the most astounding in that she died 366 years ago.
Amazingly enough, Saint Sebastian of Aparicio has that beat by 60 years!
This Saint died in the year 1600 on the same day my father died- February 25th. To see this is going to be astounding.
Day 8- Friday, November 13th
After breakfast, we travel on pilgrimage to the ancient pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan. Explore the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, the Ciudadela, and the Avenue of the Dead. Visit the on-site museum to better understand this early civilization. Continue to Tulpetlac, where Our Lady appeared to the uncle of St. Juan Diego. Visit the Well of Healing and celebrate a private Mass, entrusting our prayers and intentions to Our Lady. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
A lot to unpack here because this holds Biblical prophecy. It was from the uncle of Juan Diego that we got our blessed mother's title as Our Lady of Guadalupe.
There is a shrine in Guadalupe, Spain that was founded circa 1325 after a shepherd found a statue of Mary in the river. The site has been one of annual pilgrimage for centuries, even visited by Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella. This provides at least a tangential connection to ''the new world'' and a reason why Our Lady would have chosen this title. It's tenuous but plausible. However, there are those who thing it is possible that either the uncle misheard the Lady or that the others misheard him. I find the 2nd option the more probable.
One idea proposed is that the actual name given was Coatlaxopeuh which means ''She who crushes the serpent''. This is a tantalizing interpretation, but I can't confirm if it's correct.
What I can say is Mary is the one who crushes the serpent and she certainly does that here. I haven't been able to find much about the well of healing.
Day 9- Saturday, November 14th
After breakfast, we continue our pilgrimage to the historic district of Coyoacán and visit the richly decorated Church of St. John the Baptist. Continue to Xochimilco for a private Mass at the Church of San Bernardino. Following Mass, enjoy a peaceful gondola ride along the famous “floating gardens of Mexico,” often called the “Venice of Mexico,” with a box lunch served onboard. This joyful experience of fellowship is a highlight for many pilgrims.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Saint Juan Bernadino is, of course, the uncle of Saint Juan Diego. The peaceful gondola ride seems like it will be a welcome time of decompression and meditation.
Day 10- Sunday, November 15th
After breakfast, we travel on pilgrimage to the northwest area of Mexico City to celebrate a private Mass at the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, a miraculous sanctuary known for its curative graces. Visit the adjacent room displaying “milagros” and “retablos” offered in thanksgiving for prayers answered. Continue to the National Museum of Anthropology, where lunch is available on your own. Conclude the day with a farewell visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, offering prayers of thanksgiving for the blessings received during the pilgrimage.
Overnight at the hotel.
The shrine of Our Lady of Remedies reminds me of my visit to Rocamadour in France last year.
Though the shrine, and its associated image are considered miraculous, there is no reported apparition such as at sites like Fatima, Lourdes and Guadalupe. Nevertheless, it is written of on many Catholic sites (including Dayton) and is a very visited shrine.
So, the church approves the invocation of Mary under this title and image. Obviously, returning to the Guadalupe shrine will be sweet but leaving will be hard.
Day 11- Monday, November 16th
After breakfast, enjoy some free time for personal prayer and reflection before transferring to Mexico City International Airport for check-in and our return flight to the United States, carrying home the spiritual fruits of our pilgrimage.
This is where I will break from the group as my flight leaves a bit earlier than the others. They will fly from Mexico City to Dallas, to El Paso then on to their final destinations. My flight leaves at 1:45 PM Mexico time and will arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina about 6:50 PM local time. Though this does not add a new state to my visited roll, it does add a new airport, the 6th different airport of this trip and the 14th of my life. To me, that's just hard to comprehend.
I have almost a 3-hour hold over in Charlotte before flying home to Dulles. I will get home well after midnight and half to work the next day...well that day technically. It should be worth it.
A break of a week and a half before phase 2 of November pilgrimages continue.
Day 12- Thursday, November 26th (Thanksgiving Day)
I wanted to do something different this Thanksgiving so that's what I'm doing. I'll be flying to my 27th state, my 15th Airport and visiting the 3rd city/town named after a Saint.
In January, I visited Saint John, Indiana and in July, I visited Saint Alban, Vermont. Now, I will land in Minnesota in the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
From one State to another, from one saint to another.
I will leave Saint Paul to drive to Saint Ansgar, Iowa. Iowa becomes visited state #28 in my life. Even more incredibly, it will be the 25th state visited in 2026, with 11 of those first-time visits.
Never, in my wildest imagination would I have believed I would visit 25 different states in one calendar year. Only because of God does something like that happen.
Saint Ansgar was a 9th century missionary to Scandinavia. He shares a birthday with our blessed lady (September 8th) and came to be known as the Apostle of the North.
From Saint Ansgar, I head back east and briefly will cross back into Minnesota before another first in my life- crossing the Mississippi river!. I enter into La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Day 13- Friday, November 27th
I will visit the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This will be my 4th encounter with Our Lady of Guadalupe in less than 2 months!
Dallas, Texas
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Guadalupe, Mexico
La Crosse, Wisconsin
I will spend Thanksgiving night in La Crosse, and visit the Shrine on the Friday.
Day 14- Saturday, November 28th
I will then be driving to Champion, Wisconsin to make my 3rd visit this year to that approved apparition site of Our Lady.
I plan to spend Friday night in Green Bay.
From there, I will travel to the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians (Holy Hill) in Hubertus. I wanted badly to visit that site in September but logistics spoiled that.
I will then drive to Darien, Illinois where I will spend the night.
Day 15- Sunday, November 29th
I will then return to the Chapel of Therese of Lisieux where I visited in January on possibly the coldest day of my life.
Later that day (Sunday), I will drive to O'Hare airport to return the rental car and then fly home.
Your prayers are humbly and greatly appreciated that I may receive great graces from these trips.
As these trips are completed, my map of visited states looks like this.
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