Top Ten Tuesdays: Arfink`s Pilgrimage Bucket List

I’ve never been much for traveling abroad, but if I was given the chance, here is my list of the 10 pilgrimage places I would want to visit some day.

10: Divine Mercy Sanctuary, Kraków, Poland

This is the final resting place of Saint Faustina Kowalska. Also, while many find the modern styling off putting, I think it’s rather pleasing to my eyes.

9: Basilica of the Assumption – Algona Latvia

This is a very famous pilgrimage site not really well known to many of us in the US or Canada. I think it would be very cool to visit and meet some of the other thousands of pilgrims who visit each year.

8: La Sagrada Familia – Catalonia, Spain

This church is the masterpiece of Gaudi, and in my opinion the very best thing to come out of the Art Nouveau  movement.

7: St Peter’s – Rome, Italy

This one doesn’t exactly need much introduction. I have never been, and I definitely want to go!

6: St. Joesph’s Cathedral – Sioux Falls, South Dakota

I’ve actually been to this one once already, many years ago for the ordination of a friend. That was before it was restored to its original state. What was once a whitewashed mess is now once again a glittering jewel of Catholicism.

5: Basilia of St. Francis of Assisi – Assisi, Italy

This place is just too cool, and has great painting by Giotto all over the place. Also, the crypt is sweet. (as pictured below) What’s not to love?

4: National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – Washington DC

Just look at it. I want to go back here and spend a long time. I got to see it once when I was on the March for Life back in 2007, and never got to take a good look at it.

3: Sistine Chapel – Rome, Italy

This one is also pretty self-explanatory, I SO want to see the inside of this some day.

2: Notre Dame – Paris, France

I am generally not so big into the Gothic, but Notre Dame is a notable exception.

1: National Shrine of the Little Flower – Royal Oak, Michigan

This one tops my list of places I MUST visit some day. You may well wonder why. Well, besides the awesome patronage of the Little Flower, it’s also a really beautiful church in the Art Deco style, something which is incredibly uncommon and, in my opinion, very beautiful.