eat, pray, love

That was our theme for the day - Eat, Pray, Love - New Orleans style.

Sister-in-law asked me to tag along on a trip to the Crescent City with her BFF and some of her friends to celebrate BFF's birthday.  BFF is currently having some serious health issues and today was a respite from that.

First stop was the Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos.  

Pray first.  Love always.  Eat when hungry.  

We prayed for healing and whatever other intentions we might have had.  Father Seelos is a German-born Redemptorist priest who volunteered to serve in New Orleans during a yellow fever epidemic.  He contracted and died from the disease about a year after he arrived there.  He had predicted as much before he arrived.  He was a cheerful, holy, busy priest. 

The Shrine was beautiful, as was the nearby Church of Mary's Assumption.  Stunningly beautiful.  I took a gazillion pictures, but the pictures don't really do it justice.  Poor lighting didn't help.  Trust me, it was gorgeous.

Above is the altar. Below, the wall behind the altar.  I don't think I would be able to focus on Mass there.  I would be like a little kid - just looking at everything....

From SIL's iPhone

 

One of the statues that had been ordered before Father Seelos arrived as pastor, was this one of Our Lady of Sorrows.  Sister-in-law and I just looked at each other.  We have been praying the Seven Sorrows Rosary for several months, and her BFF has a Our Lady of Sorrows medal.  Fr. Seelos had quite a devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows.  Our guide told us that this statue cries.  

Marian images abounded - in the museum/shrine, in the courtyard, and in the church.  I guess that is fitting since the parish is Mary's Assumption...

I still have not figured out how to arrange the pictures exactly how I would like them.  You know, it would be OK to have two side by side, but I just don't seem to have that talent!  Life goes on...

Me...courtesy of SIL's iPhone

Truly, I did narrow down my pictures.  I left out the ones of the organ, the old confessionals, the ceiling, the ones with bad reflections, the ones that made me look like I weigh even more than I do...

Come, have a seat.  Let's talk!

 Wisdom from the gift shop.  I need it in large print, please!

Oh - and we did eat.  We were all starving, and ended up here.  

I was driving, so it was more like Diet-Cokeville for me.  

All in all, a great day!  

EDITING TO ADD:   I picked up a church bulletin while I was visiting the church.  Yes, it is true...I am a church bulletin-aholic.  I can not pass by a church bulletin without picking it up.  And what's even scarier - I actually read them.  I might miss something important.  It's a sickness...

But anyway... this bulletin had some words from the pastor.  At the end was this little note:  "A write-up about St. Mary's (doesn't credit the source):  'Aside from its significance in German cultural development and in the religious history of New Orleans, St. Mary's is a priceless and unique example of the American expression of German baroque art and architecture.  The brickwork of its exterior, its unique foundations, and the plaster work, stained glass and wood carvings of its interior, are unsurpassed in New Orleans and perhaps in the nation'....Another quote states: 'the ceiling decoration is perhaps the finest expression of nineteenth century German baroque art in America.'" (and y'all thought I was a little 'off' talking about pictures of the ceiling...)