My personal pilgrimage keeps rolling along!

I was able to add two parishes—technically, anyway--to my pilgrimage this week—both in Delano, CA. I say technically because this morning was a Communion service, not a Mass at the parish of St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal. It was scheduled for a Mass, but the priest had an emergency and was unable to make it, so he asked one of the parishioners to conduct the service. And, technically it wasn’t in the church. I don’t know why—I think they might be remodeling or something—they held the service in the “Cardinal Manning Hall”. Cardinal Manning was the bishop who conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on me way back in the 60’s. So I offered up my Communion service this morning to his memory. It was a nice-looking church from the outside with a couple of other points of interest on the grounds. The first was a plaque honoring Cesar Chavez (who else would be honored in the birthplace of the United Farm Worker’s movement?) But it is also the home to a California Historical Plaque that reads:

NO. 631 GARCÉS BAPTISMAL SITE - Three miles north of this point was the site of the first recorded Christian baptism in the San Joaquin Valley. On May 23, 1776, Padre Francisco Garcés, earliest non-Indian in this area, baptized an Indian boy whom he called Muchachito at a Yokuts Rancheria in Grizzly Gulch.

I thought that was cool.

Last evening, I attended Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish on the other side of town. It was pretty interesting, and unlike any other church I’ve seen to date. What makes it different is the way it is designed inside. It is very long and the altar is positioned in the center of the church, so that when the parishioners are on the East side of the church, the priest says Mass facing the people as in the Novus Ordo. When the parishioners are on the West side, the priest faces the altar, as in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. I thought the set up was very interesting. It also seemed to be the more diverse parish ethnically between the two. There were lots of Filipinos and Mexicans with a smattering of Caucasians here and there. And I really liked the way they had the area around the altar set up for the Lenten season. They made it look like a desert scene with sand and cactus and rocks, etc. with what looked like a sculpture of Jesus sitting on a large rock praying for the strength to get Him through His forty days. It was very good for meditating while I said my rosary before Mass.

Anyway, I only have about 100 more churches to visit in the Central Valley to complete my pilgrimage. I anticipate at this rate, I should be done about 2053. I’m not complaining—it gives me something to look forward to, and an incentive to keep going to daily Mass when I’m out of town.