[whimpykid]

Dear Brothers + Sisters ~

If this would fit another folder better, please move.

My family is blessed to travel to Europe in a few weeks, on a whirlwind tour with my non-Orthodox extended family. The trip is a gift to us – and we had pretty much no say in the plan, yet we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity. The center of the trip is the Passion Play in Oberammergau, which I am sure will be a great blessing. Overall, we have very little “free time,” but I am hopeful to find some Orthodox pilgrimage sites a couple of the cities, which we might be able to visit.

Our whole family is in London for a day and half. I am hopeful we might all take the train to St. John Monastery in Essex. (I am going to write another post w/ questions about this.) My oldest three will be in London a little longer (arriving before us) and may have the opportunity to visit other sites, if you have recommendations right in London area. They will be visiting Oxford to celebrate our favorite “almost Orthodox” author, C. S. Lewis. My daughter just found out they could get a private tour of his home, and she is elated!

I am confident there are Orthodox sites in Rome. Obviously, many of the Catholic holy sites are pre-schism, so I am trying to determine which of those we should visit. My extended family is Protestant, and a bit ... anti-Catholic, so they will not choose to venture that direction. If you have any “must sees” or places where we might venerate relics of pre-schism saints in Rome, I’d love to hear your suggestions.

I know this is a long shot, but we have extra time in Lucerne, Switzerland. I understand there is possibly an old Benedictine Monastery still there (St. Leodegar). Any thoughts on Lucerne, let me know.

Finally, we have a day and half in Paris too, w/ plenty to see. However, if there might be an Orthodox site we should visit, we’d love to prayerfully consider it. We have a great love for Mother Maria Skobtsova and Fr. Dimitri Klepinin, but I do not think their relics are there. (I know they were canonized in Paris, and were arrested in Paris, but not sure where they were buried.) If you know of a place of veneration in Paris, I’d greatly appreciate hearing about that too.

Thank you in advance for ANY ideas/thoughts! Also, if I may be so bold, I would greatly appreciate your prayers for me. I have a somewhat debilitating autoimmune disease and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed finishing this year of homeschooling, plus preparing my six children, husband and me for this trip. Lord have mercy. I thank God for this precious group!

Forgive me,

Barbara

[9V42h1eT]

for Fr Dimitri Klepinin i can find out for you when i can get home.

As for places in London,
Greenwich for St Aphege's place of Martyrdom
St Peter's in Victoria and St Paul's cathedral were originally built by St Erkenwald.
St Peter's in Victoria apparently has relics of St Boltoph, i think the church is Uniate.
St Etheldreda's hand is in her church in Farringdon. Its RC

The Orthodox Convent in Brondesbury Park is with the SIR and St John Maxmivotich established it and Metropolitan Philaret stayed there when he was in London.

That's all i can think of for now and its a lot to visit in 1 day.

[Gakeincidoniac]

The place of Veneration for both Sts Dimitrie and Maria is:
77 Lourmel Street

St Dimitrie's body was cremated most likely after his death which took place in Germany and probably same goes for St Maria but I have not read too in depth into her life as to whether her body was mass cremated with others or mass buried.

[Bonioners]

Hello Barbara,

Lucky you!!! What a blessing your family has been given in this trip!

Rome is my favorite city in the whole world; it is awesome, timeless, and it is impossible to not feel its spiritual aura, whether one is Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox. The very roots of early pre-schism Christianity are everywhere (the catacombs, the chains of St. Peter, the basilicas built by Constantine, the Colliseum where so much early martyrdom for the faith occured, etc.).

The Vatican is amazing for the museums and the basilica of St. Peter. Infact, did you know that besides the present Renaissance structure being the biggest in Christendom, that it is also the site of an older basilica dedicated to St. Peter built by St. Constantine the Great and that the authentic relics of St. Peter are beneath it? So, whether one believes in the Papacy or not, one can still derive much from visiting there...

Besides the Vatican, here is a list of the many preschism churches and sites which one can see in Rome-the Eternal and beautiful....Enjoy and I pray that you will feel well for your trip. (many people I know suddenly feel better when they travel to pilgrimage sites, and visiting Rome can definitely be considered a pilgrimage if one has the mindset you do to visit holy sites)...Enjoy the delicious food there too!

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/rome

May God be with you and your family, and may the archangel Michael keep you safe in your travels--
Be well!
Alice

[provigil]

I don't have any personal experience of the places you mentioned, but I found the following article, in which a Fr. Nicholas Nikichine (a Russian Orthodox Priest) discusses some of the various Orthodox pilgrimages/relics near Paris:
http://www.roadtoemmaus.net/back_iss..._OF_SAINTS.pdf

Good luck, and have a great trip!

[Nosmas]

I am so grateful to each of you who responded and presented me with much blessed opportunities! Thank you also for your prayers on our behalf. I will report back when we return. God bless you all!
Barbara

[NumDusthouh]

If you can get to Norfolk ( Essex, then Suffolk then Norfolk but not too far from Norwich which is 2 hours on the train form Liverpool Street London )in the time in North Norfolk there is the shrine at Walsingham www.walsingham.org.uk - even Henry VIII walked there barefoot before he split with Rome.n Also in Norwich itself is the shrine of the Lady Julian of Norwich www.julianofnorwich.org Neither Orthodox but very important Christian sites in the UK.

[arriplify]

Walsingham is Orthodox if you do the research.

[Calluffence]

Walsingham is Orthodox if you do the research.

So is Texas, but you have to do a little more indepth research.

ok, Alot more.

[NodePark]

I just remembered about St Pancras church it is a small one behind St Pancras international Train Station. If you walk behind it where the taxis are and keep walking further up towards Camden you eventually see it situated within a cemetary. It has an icon of St Pancras from Greece or of Greek origin.

[iklostardinn]

I agree with Alice, Rome is my favorite city too. I love the history and the architecture of the whole city. It is absolutely beautiful. There are a ton of churches that you can visit and tour there in Rome. They all are amazing and beautiful. I was talking with one of my friends after sunday school who recently went and went to Greece as well. I haven't been to Greece but my friends really enjoyed it too. But anyways, there are plenty of Orthodox churches around Rome that you can definitely check out. God Bless!