Time to Meet My Parents
After we were officially dating for a few months, it was time to take Julia back to Ohio to meet my parents. Naturally, it went great. Everyone always loves Julia. My parents loved her, and my cousin and his wife told me immediately after meeting Julia that I needed to marry her.
Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, OH
Since Julia and I were in the area, we visited the Rosary Cathedral in downtown Toledo, Ohio. Fun fact: What makes a church a Cathedral is that it has a Bishop’s chair. It is considered the head church in a Catholic Diocese. Read more here if you want to know more about Cathedrals and their place in the Catholic Church.
Rosary Cathedral is absolutely stunning! It towers over Collingwood Blvd.
This cathedral contains a chapel with the largest tabernacle I’ve ever seen. Built to show the greatness of God in the Eucharist, this tabernacle filled us with awe. We spent some time in prayer in front of this tabernacle, before exploring the rest of the Cathedral.
The artwork in this cathedral is unbelievable. Paintings cover the entirety of the ceiling and a Baldachinum is seen in the sanctuary.
If you are ever in the Ohio area, you cannot miss Rosary Cathedral!
After visiting Rosary Cathedral, and before we flew back to Florida, we decided to make a visit to Chicago. We only had one day, so we decided to see their Cathedral too.
Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, IL
The first thing you will notice when you enter Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago is the ceiling. The ceiling is completely made of wood, and it is beautiful. We spent almost the entire time just staring at the ceiling.
In the back of the Cathedral, their organ has the most interesting pipes. I’d never seen anything like it.
Finally, the secret to the Cathedral is what’s not in sight. They have a big case full of relics. They don’t advertise that they are in the Cathedral. We just happened to come across them. Unfortunately, we don’t have any pictures of the relics collection. If you want to see them, they are on the left side of the church towards the tabernacle area.
After such a good trip to meet my parents and seeing such wonderful cathedrals, we returned to Florida.