Remembrance of the Dead – One Day Pilgrimage

On Thursday, November 9, Fr. Grady will be leading a PreAdvent / Month of the Remembrance of the Dead Pilgrimage in conjunction with Stella Maris Tours. On this pilgrimage, we will be visiting several places.

We will visit the Trappist Monks at New Melleray Abbey in Peosta, Iowa (just a little south of Dubuque) and pray the Daytime Prayer (a part of the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours) with the monks.  One of the monks will speak with us about the cloistered life of a monk. We will also see how they earn a living to support their community making caskets!  Their casket making factory is amazing.

We will visit the tomb of Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli in Southern Wisconsin, see his home and celebrate Mass there
(yes we have a saint in the making right in our backyard!).  This saintly Dominican priest had a huge impact on our region
in the Midwest. In case you may have forgotten, you have the opportunity to gain an indulgence by visiting a cemetery
during the month of November each year.

We will visit St. Michael’s Church in Galena where Fr. Mazzuchelli was the architect who designed the church. We will
then have the opportunity to spend some time in this quaint town for some early Christmas shopping and lunch.

Our last stop for the day will be at the Massbach Ridge Winery in Illinois to do some wine tasting and have a tour because
Illinois produces wonderful grapes, not just corn and soybeans!

The cost for the pilgrimage is $140 per person which includes transportation, tours, tips and wine tasting.  Lunch will be on
your own.

As we travel, I will share some thoughts on how to prepare our hearts for the coming of Advent. Also, one of the Deacons
from my last parish, Deacon Ken Giacone, having been in the funeral business for many years, will share with us some
fascinating stories from his time working in this industry.

We will meet at St. Rita Church in Rockford, IL at 6:45am. We are scheduled to return to St. Rita around 6:30 pm.  As with all one day trips, this will fill very quickly.  Although there are flyers in the narthex, the quickest way to reserve a spot is by signing up online.




Go to www.stellamaristours.us to do so today. Email marcie.stellamaristours@gmail.com with questions.





Hope you can plan to join me on this fun and holy adventure this November!


In Jesus & Mary,  Fr. Brian Grady