Catholic Tourist Attractions

[Kateri89]

What are some interesting Catholic tourist attractions? I'm sure there are a million in Italy but where else?  One place I've thought was neat is the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania but it kind of creeps me out just as much as it fascinates me.

 

 

[Era Might]

The parish gift shop in Wekaugan, Wisconsin.

[Talithacum]

I am from California, and I love visiting all the old missions along the coast.

This is the inside of the church at the San Juan Bautista Mission.

[CatherineM]

Our Lady of Prague in Prague, Oklahoma
Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City
Lac Labiche in Alberta

[Luigi]

I've thought of doing - but have never actually undertaken - a cathedral tour of American cities. You could start in the north and work your way south (customize to your area of the country - a straight line or a circuit) - Madison WI, Milwaukee WI, Chicago IL, Joliet IL, Springfield IL, St. Louis MO, Cape Girardeau MO, Memphis TN, Jacksonville MS, Lafayette LA, New Orleans LA. I'm probably missing a couple along the way. There are shrines in some places, too = Chicago has a St. Jude shrine, St. Charles MO has a St. Philippine Duchesne shrine (and there's a smaller one in Florissant MO - Mother Duchesne's first convent). There are also Carmels, monasteries, universities, etc. in most of those places. 

 

Personally, I like history, so I plan to (someday) go to Kentucky to see the first Dominican priory in the country (the first congregation of Dominican sisters was also in the same area, but I don't know if they still have any of the original buildings), the first Trappist monastery in the country, the Sisters of Loretto's motherhouse. 

 

But you'd have to do a lot of planning and check to see when these things are open to the public. They're not touristy in the travel industry sense of the word. 

[Basilisa Marie]

Holy Hill is kinda cool, in Wisconsin. 

 

And there's the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg MD if you're into that kind of thing. :)