Since the wonderful success of last year's trip to Emmitsburg, Washington DC and Gettysburg, many kids and parents have approached me and said, "So where are we going to go this year, Mr. Campbell?" It's a question I started thinking about as soon as we returned from Emmitsburg. I have been working for several weeks putting this fall's Youth Group trip together, and I finally feel like I have enough planned to go public with it!
This October 16th-18th we will be taking a trip tp upstate New York, our principal destination being the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville. We will also be stopping at a few other points of interest along the way (keep reading!).
In the 1640's, Auriesville was the Mohawk village of Ossernenon, located deep in the heart of the Iroquois territories that stretched along the banks of the southern St. Lawrence seaway, in what is now upstate New York. The Iroquois were bitter enemies of the Huron, who dwelt in Canada and eastern Michigan and with whom the French were allied. In the 1630's, Fr. Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit, was sent to work among the Hurons and labored with them for many years until he was kidnapped by a Mohawk war party (1642). He spent the next several years in captivity among the Mohawks, who took him back to Ossernenon where he endured monstrous tortures, including having his fingers bitten off.
He later escaped the Mohawks and returned to France, but after only a few months sought to return again to Canada to preach. He was sent back, and returned again to the place of his captivity as a peace envoy from the French and Huron. This time he was tomahawked and died in Ossernenon (1646). Also counted among the north American martyrs are St. Rene Goupil and St. John Lalande, also killed in Ossernenon in the same period, and St. Jean Brebeuf, a companion of St. Isaac killed in Ontario.
The Mohawk town of Ossernenon is also the place where Blessed Kateria Tekakwitha was born in 1656, only ten years after the martyrdoms. Bl. Kateri is the first Native American to be beatified and is held in special devotion among the Indian Catholics of America. Years later, Ossernenon became the town of Auriesville, New York, and the shrine to the martyrs who suffered there was erected in 1884. This is also the first place the rosary was ever prayed in New York State, on September 29th, 1642. It remains a center of Marian devotion.
Even better, we are going to be able to attend Mass at the Shrine on Sunday, October 18th, which is the Feast of St. Isaac and the North American Martyrs. This means that we will be there on the patronal feast of that Shrine and will be able to receive a plenary indulgence for our trip (October 18th is the very day on which St. Isaac was killed).
But Auriesville is not the only place we are going! We are also going to be stopping in Lackawanna, a suburb of Buffalo, to see the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory, which is one of the most magnificent churches in New York. The basilica was erected from 1921-1926 at the oversight of Fr. Nelson Baker, a humble parish priest who wanted to found a shrine in upstate New York dedicated to Our Lady of Victory. The parish scraped together the necessary funds, and when the basilica was completed in 1926 it had no debt.
The basilica was declared a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XI only two months after its construction. The Pope said: "Among the churches of America, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Victory is, for many reasons, to be counted as one of the greatest. This sanctuary is truly a masterpiece, in the nobility of its lines, in the splendor of its marbles, in its massive solidarity, and in its artistic finish..."
This October 16th-18th we will be taking a trip tp upstate New York, our principal destination being the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville. We will also be stopping at a few other points of interest along the way (keep reading!).
In the 1640's, Auriesville was the Mohawk village of Ossernenon, located deep in the heart of the Iroquois territories that stretched along the banks of the southern St. Lawrence seaway, in what is now upstate New York. The Iroquois were bitter enemies of the Huron, who dwelt in Canada and eastern Michigan and with whom the French were allied. In the 1630's, Fr. Isaac Jogues, a Jesuit, was sent to work among the Hurons and labored with them for many years until he was kidnapped by a Mohawk war party (1642). He spent the next several years in captivity among the Mohawks, who took him back to Ossernenon where he endured monstrous tortures, including having his fingers bitten off.He later escaped the Mohawks and returned to France, but after only a few months sought to return again to Canada to preach. He was sent back, and returned again to the place of his captivity as a peace envoy from the French and Huron. This time he was tomahawked and died in Ossernenon (1646). Also counted among the north American martyrs are St. Rene Goupil and St. John Lalande, also killed in Ossernenon in the same period, and St. Jean Brebeuf, a companion of St. Isaac killed in Ontario.
The Mohawk town of Ossernenon is also the place where Blessed Kateria Tekakwitha was born in 1656, only ten years after the martyrdoms. Bl. Kateri is the first Native American to be beatified and is held in special devotion among the Indian Catholics of America. Years later, Ossernenon became the town of Auriesville, New York, and the shrine to the martyrs who suffered there was erected in 1884. This is also the first place the rosary was ever prayed in New York State, on September 29th, 1642. It remains a center of Marian devotion.
Even better, we are going to be able to attend Mass at the Shrine on Sunday, October 18th, which is the Feast of St. Isaac and the North American Martyrs. This means that we will be there on the patronal feast of that Shrine and will be able to receive a plenary indulgence for our trip (October 18th is the very day on which St. Isaac was killed).
But Auriesville is not the only place we are going! We are also going to be stopping in Lackawanna, a suburb of Buffalo, to see the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory, which is one of the most magnificent churches in New York. The basilica was erected from 1921-1926 at the oversight of Fr. Nelson Baker, a humble parish priest who wanted to found a shrine in upstate New York dedicated to Our Lady of Victory. The parish scraped together the necessary funds, and when the basilica was completed in 1926 it had no debt.The basilica was declared a Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XI only two months after its construction. The Pope said: "Among the churches of America, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Victory is, for many reasons, to be counted as one of the greatest. This sanctuary is truly a masterpiece, in the nobility of its lines, in the splendor of its marbles, in its massive solidarity, and in its artistic finish..."
There is a lot of other great things to see in Lackawanna, as well. I understand that the Buffalo Botanical Gardens are within walking distance of the basilica, and that for a very modest price one can go in an see the most extensive collection of diverse plantlife in New York.Of course, no trip to upstate New York would be complete without a visit to the Niagara Falls! The falls are only a 35 minute drive from Lackawanna and are definitely worth seeing. Entry to Niagara Falls State Park is free, which is even better (though you have to pay to see some of the other attractions, like riding the Maid of the Mist).
Now I'm sure you want to know how much the trip will cost. That is perhaps the most wonderful part of all! The trip to Emmitsburg cost $100 per child, and many of you were amazed how how inexpensive that trip was compared to others (some Youth Groups charge $400+ for a weekend trip like this). Well, after speaking to people at various hotels, taking into account renting avan and all the other expenditures, I am happy to say that this trip will cost only $75 per student.
Here is our tenative itinerary. This will be worked out better in the coming weeks:
Friday, Oct. 16th
7:00 AM - Depart OSP
2:00 PM -Arrive in Lackawanna, NY, get checked into hotel, relax
3:00-6:00 PM -Visit Our Lady of Victory Basilica, eat dinner in Lackawanna
7:00-Bedtime -Free time in the hotel
Saturday, Oct. 17th
9:00 AM -Checkout, drive up to Niagara Falls
10:00-12:00 PM -Niagara Falls, lunch in Niagara
12:00-4:30 PM - Drive to Auriesville
4:30 - Arriv in Auriesville, get checked in to hotel
Sunday, Oct. 18th
Attend 11:00 AM Mass at the Shrine
12:00-4:00 PM - Visit the Shrine (the Shrine is a sprawling, wooded area that takes several hours to walk through and see everything)
4:00 PM -depart for Michigan
1:00 AM - Arrive at OSP
If you are interested in going, here are the following deadlines:
Deadline for Registration & Payment: September 30th
If you know you would like to go, please don't wait until the last minute. I have tenative reservations with two hotels that are waiting on me for final numbers and the sooner I get a count the better. The maximum number of people I can take is 26 kids (plus three adult chaperones, and myself, for a total of 30 people).
Please keep an eye out for further updates!
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