‘Christmas in St. Louis’ pilgrimage scheduled for Dec. 14-17

Archdiocesan pilgrims will travel to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill., and view the Way of Lights, an impressive outdoor display of more than 1 million lights depicting the birth of Christ. (Photo courtesy of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows)

Criterion staff report

“Christmas in St. Louis,” a four-day archdiocesan pilgrimage to celebrate the Advent and Christmas seasons, will be led by Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general, on Dec. 14-17.

“The ‘Christmas in St. Louis’ pilgrimage was a tremendous success in 2005,” Msgr. Schaedel said. “We feel that continuing this pilgrimage tradition would be our way of preparing for the blessed Christmas holiday.”

The pilgrimage is limited to 50 participants and several people have already signed up, said Carolyn Noone, associate director of special events for the archdiocese.

“In previous years,” Noone said, “our Christmas trips have sold out within a few days.”

The pilgrims will depart from the Archbishop O’Meara Catholic Center in Indianapolis at 9:15 a.m. on Dec. 14, she said, and travel by deluxe motor coach.

They will participate in Mass at 11:30 a.m. at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, and have an opportunity to venerate the remains of St. Theodora Guérin at the motherhouse church of the Sisters of Providence.

The pilgrims will also tour the National Shrine of St. Theodora Guérin and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Providence, and enjoy lunch at the Providence Center dining room.

Following lunch, the pilgrims will travel to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill. After dinner that night, they will travel by bus to view the Way of Lights, an impressive outdoor display of more than 1 million lights depicting the birth of Christ.

On Dec. 15, the day begins with Mass at the Old Cathedral in St. Louis followed by lunch at Zia’s in the Italian section of the historic city.

During the afternoon, the pilgrims will enjoy sightseeing, including the Gateway Arch Museum, scenic Forest Park, Union Station, the Anheuser-Bush Brewery and many other places of interest.

That evening, they will dine at the famous Bevo Mill, which was built in the early 1900s by brewery founder August A. Busch and is a replica of a Dutch windmill. After dinner, they will enjoy the renowned musical production of Wicked at the Fox Theater.

On Dec. 16, the pilgrims will participate in Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, which has the largest mosaic collection in the world.

That afternoon, they will travel to historic St. Charles, Mo., which is known for its cobblestone Main Street lined with gaslights and restored buildings filled with antique, craft and gift shops. Strolling carolers add to the holiday atmosphere, and there will be time for shopping.

The St. Charles Symphony Orchestra will present an afternoon “Christmas Concert” that will add to the spirit of this blessed time.

Since time will be spent on the famous Mississippi and Missouri rivers, the day’s activities include dinner and social time on the riverboat “Casino Queen.”

On Dec. 17, the last day of the trip, the pilgrims will participate in Mass at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville en route to Indianapolis.

The cost of the pilgrimage is $425 per person based on double occupancy, $529 for a single room and $399 for a triple room. The fee includes hotel accommodations, deluxe motor coach transportation, most meals, theater and concert tickets, and tour guide.

(For more information, contact Carolyn Noone at 317-236-1428 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1428, or by e-mail at cnoone@archindy.org.) †