There are a couple things you’ll hear me talk about over and over and over again and one of them is the value of going to your cathedral for Mass (or even just a visit) every now and again. I know all the excuses for not going (“I hate parking downtown.”   “It takes too long to get there.”  “We really just prefer to go to our own parish…”), but the benefits far outweigh the effort it’ll take to get there!

• Going to your cathedral will give you an experience of being part of the universal Church that is second only to visiting the Vatican.
• You’ll be bumped out of your comfort zone just a little bit by being in a different building, and that will likely encourage everyone to pay attention a little more closely.
• You’ll be surrounded by different art and architecture which is designed to inspire worship. (And if you happen to be part of the St. Paul/Minneapolis diocese, I could go on and on about the beauty of our cathedral!)
• You’ll be surrounded by symbolism that is designed to teach the details of the Faith.  Go early or stay after Mass and look around. There are Saints to identify, history to uncover, symbols of the Faith to decode, and more!  Many cathedrals will have either formal tours, or self-guided tour materials, and you may find advance information to check out on their web site.
• Your cathedral is the official church of your bishop and you’ll find something there that is a unique symbol of his authority as teacher and leader of the diocese.

Read this week’s story, A Trip to the Cathedral, and I hope it will inspire you to organize your own little family field trip this week.