Saints up close

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Thanks to the Solemnity of All Saints falling on a Tuesday, this last weekend was a 4 day weekend for Kevin and I.  So Kevin and I had the opportunity to do some traveling.  Kevin went with some seminarians to Romania (including Transylvania) and I stayed in Italy and visited Venice and Padua with two other guys.

Venice? Padua?!  They are beautiful each in unique ways.  In Venice, as soon as one gets off the train the water is right in front of you.  After riding a boat-bus (vaporetto) on the Grand Canal for about 20 minutes, one arrives at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Mark.  This is where St. Mark is buried... St. Mark, the Evangelist, the one to whom the writing of the Gospel of Mark is attributed!

Our first morning in Venice, we went to Mass at the Cathedral Basilica and prayed for an hour before the exposed Eucharist in a monstrance (a.k.a. adoration) in its tiny adoration chapel.  Every part of this church is incredibly ornate with over 4,000 square yards of mosaics covering the ceiling.

St. Mark is buried under the main altar, front and center.  It is quite amazing that the Catholic Church has held on to and venerated the remains of such an important saint with great respect.

"Corpvs divi Marci Evangelistae" = The Blessed Body of Mark the Evangelist

Padua is where St. Anthony of Padua is buried.  His remains are also in a grand basilica.  By the basilica there is a museum filled with local artwork that depict hundreds of miracles attributed to his intercession.  He was known for his extraordinary gift of preaching.  Definitely someone I want to pray for me as I prepare for ministry.

The artwork in all these churches is very vivid and uplifting.  They all tell the stories of the Old and New Testaments with great detail bring them to life. I wish I could have taken more pictures of the insides, but you can look up these churches to find more details.  In the meantime, click here to have a look at some more pictures of Venice and Padua.  And read Pope Benedict XVI addressing how, by our baptism, we all have the vocation to be saints.