Friday we drove the 8 miles to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
It is situated on a very large, beautiful, rolling estate and as you pass through the front gate, this is what greets you!
Mass began at 7AM (it was still pretty dark), so we took this photo of our little pilgrimage group after mass in the courtyard outside the church.
The interior of the church is breathtakingly beautiful!
Just above the main altar back piece is this fabulous monstrance containing the consecrated host - the body of Christ for prayer and adoration.
The tabernacle, at altar level, also in the altar back piece is a miniature replica of the altar back piece!
The right side aisle leads to a wonderful shrine to the Blessed Mother.
The stained glass tells the story of the Rosary - here is the Annunciation.
The Stations of the Cross are painted reliefs and are very beautiful.
The front of the altar has a mosaic pelican. The pelican, if it cannot find food for her young will pluck its breast with its beak until she bleeds. She will then feed her young with her own blood. It has long been a symbol of sacrifice and of the Eucharist.
(The tabernacle in Garabandal, Spain - where the Blessed Mother appeared to four young girls in the 1960's - also has a pelican on its door.)
In a side hallway was this highly unusual statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Note His Sacred Heart is bleeding into the cup and he is holding a host - very symbolic of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
In the stairway descending to the lower chapel, this relief depicts the scene at Calvary with Mary Magdalene, Mary the Mother of Jesus, and the Apostle John. The skull indicates Calvary or Golgotha - place of the skull.
Outside the lower chapel is an exhibit of the Shroud of Turin.
When the Shroud was first photographed, the negative revealed much more detail than had been previously seen. The figure depicted was clearly crucified and the stains on the cloth depict Jesus' wounds. Later mystics and visionaries gave detailed accounted of Jesus' crucifixion and are validated by the wounds depicted on the Shroud.
This statue "Ecce Homo" behold the man! reveals the trauma that doctors and scientist believe Jesus suffered based on a detailed study of the stains on the Shroud. This is extremely graphic and rightly should disturb anyone who sees it. (I recall when we unveiled the Crucifix at Saints Francis and Clare, people were concerned about the scuffed knees and seeping nail wounds being too graphic!)
The lower chapel contained the burial place for the deceased Poor Clares of this monastery.
On either side of the main altar back piece are statues of St Clare and St Francis.
(St Clare is depicted holding a monstrance with which she "defended" the convent at San Damiano.)
Ouside and across the courtyard is this small building containing a (1/4 size?) creche.
The figures are wonderfully lifelike and were a joy to behold.
Near the parking area was this statue of the Blessed Mother depicting Simeon's warning: "and a sword shall pierce your soul"
Nearby is a new shrine that honors Our Lady of Lourdes.
It is well done and is indeed reminiscent of the Grotto at Lourdes.
Pizza tonight and 7 AM mass again tomorrow!
Great pictures! Thanks for sharing.
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