Category: Faith

“Why do Roman Catholics and some people who are Episcopal worship Mary when the Bible says not to do that at all?” asks David Y. in an email he sent to me.

Chantilly feels graveyards are places of peace, compassion, and connection to the past and future. They are places of refuge in an otherwise busy world. 

Our Lady of Miracles Catholic Church is high above Sierra Blanca, Texas. It’s a modern Church built to replace an aging structure closer to I-10. That older Church sits empty and lonely, seeming bereft of hope and a future. 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let us pray.

The Basilica originally dates back to 1852, while they constructed the current Church in 1906. The Church is a peaceful oasis, excusing the tourists that wonder through, that draws you in for prayer and a moment to hear the still small voice of God.

Catholic cemeteries serve as a perpetual reminder that death is just a part of the journey that leads to new life. Catholic cemeteries are sacred places that strive to create an environment conducive to prayerful visitation and are reminders of the promise of the resurrection of the spirit.

Through death, the Christian enters eternal life (Rom. 6:23). Belief in the resurrection anchors the Christian’s hope in the face of suffering and death. Because death is anticipated and integrated into one’s daily life, the Christian can embrace death serenely as the culmination of life.

The Franciscan spirit is one of action, of doing. It is by this spirit, infused into the order by Saint Francis, that guides the Franciscans of today and the future.