Month: October 2018
The month of November contains several special Holy and Feast Days for Catholics to celebrate. Perhaps most notably, the first day of November is All Saints Day, followed by All Souls Days. Here is a deeper look at some of the important days in November.
1. All Saints Day – November 1
All Saints Day is a solemn Holy Day celebrated each year on the first of November. On this Holy day of obligation, Catholics attend Mass to honor all the Saints who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven.
Prayer for All Saints Day
Dear God, thank you for the example of the Saints. I desire to join in their company, worshiping You forever in Heaven. Please help me follow their footsteps, and Yours, Jesus Christ. Please help me to conform myself to Your image, seeking Your will in all things, as the Saints did. Please help me to devote myself, and all that I do, to Your glory, and to the service of my neighbors. Amen.
2. All Souls Day – November 2
On this somber day, also known as “The Commemoration of All Faithful Departed”, Catholics pray for all their fellow faithful who have died and are awaiting full sanctification and moral perfection before entering the kingdom of heaven. Most Catholics use this day to remember and honor family members and friends who have died through prayer and reflection.
Prayer for All Souls Day
Jesus, dear Savior, on this day we prayerfully remember all our loved ones who have died. Please give them comfort and hope and may they be at peace, knowing that they will rest in God’s arms eternally. Thank You for our memories of them and for the good times we shared. We ask You please, through their intercession to deepen our faith, strengthen our hope and increase our love that we, too, may someday stand before You, ready to enter Your Holy Kingdom. Amen.
3. Dedication of St. John Lateran – November 16
Though many people may believe that St. Peter’s Basilica is the official Church of the Pope, it is actually the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran! Located in Rome, this Basilica has always been the official Church of the Pope. The dedication of a Church is a feast for all its parishioners, and because this is the Pope’s Cathedral it is the Parish Church of all Catholics.
Visit this historical Church on Tour 97
4. Dedication to Saints Peter and Paul – November 18
This feast day celebrates both the dedication for St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Both Basilicas were built by the Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th Century and are popular pilgrimage sites. Both St. Peter and St. Paul are worshiped as Saints who shaped the early Church, thus, their statues prominently stand at the base of the steps in front of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Saint Peter is famous for holding keys in his hands, which represent holding the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”. St. Paul holds a book, representing his epistles in the New Testament, and the sword, representing a reminder to all of the means of his martyrdom.
Visit these Basilicas on a tour of Rome
5. Feast of Saint Andrew – November 30
Saint Andrew was born in 6 B.C. in Galilee and was called, to become the first disciple of Jesus and a “fisher of men.” Andrew was an Apostle, present at the Last Supper and was martyred by Crucifixion on November 30th, 60 A.D. in Patras, Greece. Relics of St. Andrew are now housed in the Basilica of Saint Andrew in Patras, Greece; in the Duomo di Sant’Andrew in Amalfi, Italy; in St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland; and in the Church of St. Andrew and St. Albert in Warsaw, Poland, among others. St. Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland and as such, his feast day November 30th is the National day of Scotland – he is also the Patron Saint of Greece, Russia, Amalfi, Barbados, singers, fisherman, maidens, and women longing to become mothers.
Visit relics of Saint Andrew on these tours:
Have a Blessed November!
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October is home to many Feast Days, and those Saints are so important to those who follow the Catholic faith. Though this month does not contain any major Holy Days, there are many special days for which to pray and celebrate in October. Here are a few of our favorites:
St Therese the Little Flower – Feast Day: October 1st
Saint Therese of Lisieux, also known as St. Therese “the Little Flower”. On the Feast Day of the “Little Flower” – we celebrate her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity. She was born in France in 1873. Since then, Lisieux has become a popular pilgrimage site for those who wish to pay homage to this beloved Saint. According to Pope Pius X, St. Therese was the “greatest Saint of modern times.”
In Lisieux, pilgrims can view her relics, clothing, her hair, personal belongings, and visit her family home, known as “Les Buissonets”. You can also visit the Carmelite Convent she entered in 1888 where she is now entombed alongside her parents.
You can visit these sites, and more, on Tour 8!
St. Francis of Assisi – Feast Day October 4
St. Francis of Assisi lived his life deeply dedicated to imitating the life of Jesus, serving the poor, and taking a vow of poverty himself. As many know, he is the patron Saint of Animals and the Environment.
There are many accounts of St. Francis respecting, preaching to, and blessing animals as he would a human. He is also responsible for founding the Franciscan Order, and is the inspiration for our Holy Father, Pope Francis.
Visit the hometown of Saint Francis on the tour that follows his life in Assisi: Tour 100.
St. Teresa of Avila – Feast Day October 15
Saint Teresa of Avila is widely known for being a nun, author, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer. Also called, Saint Teresa of Jesus, she was born in Avila (Spain) in 1515. The city is now dedicated to her, and has not changed much since her passing in 1582. Saint Teresa, the great mystic, was the first woman ever to be named a “Doctor of the Church”.
You can visit sites from her life, the La Encarnacion Convent where she became a nun, the museum built to honor her, and the Cathedral and Cuatro Postes (the four columns) dedicated to her life on tour 210!
Get an inside look into the life of this “Doctor”, by joining Tour 210.
Celebrate October with these Saints in mind!
Chris Stefanick is a proud husband and father of six (6), who has dedicated his life to spreading the Catholic Faith, mostly amongst young people. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap calls him, “one of the most engaging young defenders of the Christian faith on the scene today.”
A graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville, he is respected in the American Catholic community serving as a consultant to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. He is also currently the Director of Youth and Youth Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Denver, which serves more than half a million Catholics.
Chris has become a critically acclaimed author and speaker, with wildly successful television, radio, and YouTube programs. Chris speaks to over 90,000 people at seminars each year. Each month, his various TV and radio programs reach an audience of 1 million. He even authored a new Confirmation program that is being used by 100,000 teenagers per week.
He is the Founder and President of Denver based non-profit, Real Life Catholic, which is dedicated to reengaging a fading generation of Catholics. Through his organization’s research, they estimate that 80% of young Catholics stop practicing their faith before their 23rd birthday, which he says can be fixed through a program he calls the “College Connection.”
Real Life Catholic’s goal is to “ignite a bold, contagious faith in the heart of every Catholic by building a movement of Catholics who share the beauty, power and truth of the Gospel with a world that had largely forgotten.” It is clear from the number of book sales, conference attendees, and multimedia audience members that Chris has indeed built a movement and is engaging many Catholics on a regular basis.
Another way that Chris changes lives, and reignites faith, is through Pilgrimage. He says of his experience in the Holy Land;
“Going to the Holy Land changed the way I pray. Changed the way I share the faith. Changed my life. You can’t NOT be changed when you touch the rock Jesus was crucified on, enter the empty tomb, walk along the Sea of Galilee, and bow to enter the Bethlehem Basilica through the small ‘door of humility’.”
Chris often leads pilgrimages acting and has a few scheduled through 2022. To learn more about Pilgrimages with Real Life Catholic & Chris Stefanick, visit our website.
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Father Donald Calloway, MIC, is a prominent Marian Priest – known for his personality, authenticity, and passion for the Priesthood, and devotion to Our Lady. For years, Fr. Calloway has been one of our most sought-after Spiritual Directors, attracting Pilgrims from all over the world to join him in Pilgrimage to Holy sites all over the world – like Mexico City, Ireland, Poland, the Holy Land, Rome, and more. His vast resume of Catholic sites visited, and zeal for the helping others fall in love with the act of Pilgrimage, is why we’ve dubbed him, “The Pilgrimage King”.
His story is an unusual one – a convert to Catholicism, but the trip that led him there began as a high school dropout, addicted to drugs, kicked out of a foreign country, institutionalized twice, and thrown in jail multiple times. As he details this in his best-selling book, “No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy”, he experienced a radical conversion one evening when he inexplicably started reading a book about the Marian Apparitions in Medjugorje. After staying up all night reading the book, Donald spoke with his mother, ran to Mass, made Confession, and purged all of his detrimental possessions.
He went on to get his G.E.D., then earn a B.A. from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and conclude with both an M.Div. and S.T.B degree from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Not to mention, finding time to get an S.T.L in Mariology from the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio. He is now considered to be a renowned Theologian, currently serving as the Vicar Provincial and Vocations Director for the Marian Fathers. To date, he has written eleven (11) books, with many more on the way, in addition to winning an Emmy.
He has made “Pilgrimage” a regular part of his life. He says a Pilgrimage is,
“A time of prayer that helps a person draw closer to heaven, especially by visiting Holy sites associated with Jesus, Mary, and the saints… meant to help you experience a deeper conversion and assure you of God’s merciful love.”
To date, Father Calloway has completed over twenty (20) pilgrimages, and guided hundreds of Catholics along the way. His story is so human, and uniquely relatable, that many have had their faith’s reignited through Fr. Calloway’s journey. We’re blessed to continue to have the opportunity of having Father Calloway lead our pilgrims, with departures scheduled through 2020.
For more information, and a personal letter from Fr. Calloway, please visit:
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In 1983, Milanka Lachman was working for Yugoslav Airlines when she received several calls from people asking for help arranging travel to Medjugorje to witness the Marian Apparitions there. She could hear in their voices that these people felt called to make this Pilgrimage and felt suddenly strongly compelled to help them get there. She gave these clients her personal home phone number fearing she could be fired by her Communist superiors if she were heard discussing Medjugorje.
Though it was a difficult task, Milanka accepted the challenge and arranged a non-stop PanAm flight to Dubrovnik, secured hotel space, and organized for a driver. At the time, Medjugorje was a small village of only 300 people who were opening their doors and sharing meals with Pilgrims free of charge. Milanka was so moved by her first Pilgrimage experience that she felt called to dedicate her life to facilitating the act Pilgrimage for other Catholics, and 206 Tours was born.
In October of 1985, in a small town on Long Island, Milanka set out to create her company. At just 27 years old, she was a single mother of two with little experience in the travel industry, no money, no family, no clergy connections, and no support. Milanka approached the task with Faith, knowing that God would help her in her mission to help others answer His call of Pilgrimage.
Thirty-three (33) years later, 206 Tours has grown into one of the country’s leading Pilgrimage operators facilitating over 300,000 Pilgrimages to 28 countries all over the world. Every Pilgrimage is accompanied by a Catholic Spiritual Director who says Mass and is available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation daily. With hundreds of regularly schedules departures and the ability to create one of a kind custom group pilgrimages, 206 Tours helps Catholics to deepen their relationship with God.
Of the 300,000 Pilgrimages completed, 63,000 of those have been free of charge. Tens of thousands of lives have been changed through Pilgrimage with 206 Tours, and hundreds of people have been called into Priesthood or experienced vocation callings. The Holy Father has noted that, “Pilgrimage is one of the most eloquent expressions of the faith of God’s people” and 206 Tours also understands that the call to service and charity is also one that will deepen Catholic Faith. Holding charity and service as a core value, 206 Tours have been blessed to be able to support many Catholic charities in the 33 years, helping to grow the Catholic community not only on Long Island, but also all over the world. Learn more about how 206 Tours gives back here.
In 33 years, the 206 Tours family has seen firsthand, and learned the importance of Pilgrimage and how it can completely transform lives. While on Pilgrimage, deep and long-lasting friendships and connections are often made, faith is renewed and revived, and life takes on a new meaning.
In the years to come, 206 Tours aims to make Pilgrimage even more accessible to the Catholic community, maintaining the originally goal of helping others to experience Pilgrimage. The strength and perseverance of 206 Tours is attributed to the strong network of employees, partners, clergy and pilgrims around the world who are keeping the act of Pilgrimage alive and of course all credit and Glory to God, as without Him, the last 33 years would not have been possible.
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