It’s time to plan your next Catholic summer daytrip
If you’re planning a Catholic summer daytrip or seeking to visit a nearby place of worship, the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania offers a wealth of diverse pilgrimage sites. Historic cathedrals steeped in centuries of prayer, tranquil shrines with saintly relics, and Catholic museums where the sacred intersects with daily life are around every corner.
Jersey Catholic has compiled a travel resource of some of the most notable pilgrimage destinations for spiritual renewal and exploration this summer.
Take a daytrip to the Cabrini Shrine in NYC
Address: 701 Fort Washington Ave., New York, N.Y. 10040
The Cabrini Shrine in Manhattan honors Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first naturalized U.S. citizen to be canonized. Mother Cabrini, who arrived in the U.S. from Italy in 1889, established numerous Catholic schools, hospitals, and orphanages. She focused particularly on serving immigrants.
The shrine, dedicated to her legacy, features a museum with artifacts from her life, a chapel where her remains rest, and tranquil gardens. The faithful can also visit her remains and celebrate Mass at the chapel. Following a screening of the recently released Cabrini movie, this museum would make the perfect daytrip.
READ: ‘Cabrini’ screening inspires young women across the Archdiocese
Visitors can learn more about her life and work on the Cabrini Shrine website. The shrine is adjacent to Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters, which houses medieval religious art.
Cabrini is the patron saint of immigrants.
Visit the Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in NYC
Address: 7 State St., New York, N.Y. 10004
The Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Manhattan commemorates the first native-born American saint.
Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the first free Catholic school for girls in the United States in 1810. She was also a mother and doting wife. Located in her former residence on State Street in New York City, the shrine features an exhibit on her life, a chapel, and historic artifacts.
The museum celebrates her pioneering work in Catholic education and social services. For more information, visit the Shrine of Elizabeth Ann Seton website.
She is the patron saint of Catholic schools, educators and teachers, loss of parents, widows, orphans, people rejected or persecuted for their faith.
Daytrip to the Padre Pio Shrine in Barto, P.A.
Address: 111 Barto Road, Barto, Pa. 19504
The Padre Pio Shrine in Barto, Pa., is dedicated to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, a Capuchin friar canonized in 2002. Padre Pio is known for his piety, charity, and also for famously bearing the marks of the stigmata. He remains a significant spiritual figure and beloved saint. Visitors come from all over the country to tour this popular pilgrimage destination.
The shrine was established by the devout Catholic couple Vera and Harry Calandra in 1971. They were inspired by the miracle of their daughter, Vera Marie, who was born with congenital defects and given a death sentence. After a miraculous encounter with Padre Pio in Italy, her health improved significantly. In fulfillment of a promise made during that encounter, Vera and Harry Calandra founded the National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto. Today, Vera Marie serves at the center, continuing her family’s legacy of faith and devotion.
The shrine features a replica of his monastery cell, a museum, a chapel, and outdoor Stations of the Cross. Visitors can plan their visit and learn more at the National Centre for Padre Pio website.
He is the patron saint of adolescents, stress relief, civil defense volunteers, January blues, and healing.
Visit the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia
Address: 1019 N 5th St., Philadelphia, P.A. 19123
The National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia honors the fourth bishop of the city, who played a pivotal role in organizing the first diocesan Catholic school system in the U.S. The popular pilgrimage destination offers retreats, mainly for students and teachers.
The shrine includes his tomb, a museum, and a chapel, celebrating his significant contributions to Catholic education. Visit the museum to view the altar where Father John Neumann offered his first Mass after his ordination and his personal relic collection. For more information, visit the Shrine of St. John Neumann website.
He is the patron saint of patron of immigrants and sick children.
Head to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC
Address: 5th Ave, New York, N.Y. 10022
St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, completed in 1878, exemplifies Gothic Revival architecture and serves as the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.
Known as a prominent symbol of Catholic faith in the city, the cathedral features twin spires, a grand organ, and numerous altars and chapels. The reliquary notably contains bone fragments from each of the 12 Apostles, along with relics from St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Rose of Lima, and three Jesuit saints martyred by the Iroquois in 1649
Self-guided tours are available through listening devices narrated by Cardinal Timothy. The self-guided audio-visual tour features; 60,000 pieces of stained glass, The sculpted bronze doors, The altar of Elizabeth Ann Seton, The Kennedys, Michelangelo, Our Lady of Guadalupe, The Pieta, The Pulpit, Raphael, James Renwick Jr., The Rose Window, The Sanctuary, Our beloved saints, and much more.
Visitors can explore more about the cathedral by visiting the St. Patrick’s Cathedral website and reading “The Story of St. Patrick’s Cathedral” by Leland Roth.
Take in Mass and then tour the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark
Address: 89 Ridge St, Newark, N.J. 07104
The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, located in Newark, is the fifth-largest cathedral in North America, dedicated in 1954. A marvel of French Gothic architecture, the main entrance of the building features 36-foot-wide stained glass rose windows crafted by the Zettler studio. Additionally, the building boasts towering structures standing at approximately 44,993 feet, making it the third tallest cathedral in the United States. The cathedral also houses the largest Schantz pipe organ ever constructed, which features 154 stops playable from two consoles.
Serving as the seat of the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, it represents a center of Catholic worship and community.
Tours take place on the first Sunday of the month, following the 12 p.m. Mass. Those interested can meet near the pulpit after Mass. Guided group tours are available on weekdays by appointment.
For more information, visit the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart website.
Daytrip to the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia
Address: 1723 Race St., Philadelphia, P.A. 19103
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, completed in 1864, is the principal church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the largest Catholic church in Pennsylvania. Its massive dome and opulent interior are standout features.
The basilica serves as a historic symbol of Catholicism in the region. The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul has hosted two papal masses: one by St. John Paul II in 1979 and another by Pope Francis in 2015.
The cathedral houses a shrine to St. Katharine Drexel, the patron saint of racial justice and philanthropists, whose remains are also kept there. The Shrine also honors Venerated Cornelia Connelly, founder of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.
For more information, visit the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul website. To arrange a tour or inquire about a Sunday tour, email cathedral.ambassadors@gmail.com.
Visit Holy Face Monastery in Clifton, N.J.
Address: 1697 US-46, Clifton, N.J. 07013
Holy Face Monastery in Clifton, New Jersey, founded in the 1950s, promotes devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus.
The monastery features a chapel, outdoor Stations of the Cross, and serene gardens, all dedicated to the veneration of Jesus’ countenance. Additionally, the monastery hosts a replica of the Holy Shroud blessed by Pope Pius XII. When the monastery was founded, Venerable Hildebrand Gregori, the Abbot General, commissioned a life-sized replica of the Holy Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin is recognized as the burial cloth of Jesus. Since 1955, the Monastery chapel has displayed this replica.
There is also a Hall of Saints and garden with three shrines dedicated to Our Lady of Tears, St. Terese, and Madonna del Sacro Monte.
For more information, visit the Holy Face Monastery website and explore “The Devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus” by Dorothy Scallan.
Stop in at the Carlo Acutis Shrine in Brick. N.J.
Address: St. Dominic Church, 250 Old Squan Road, Brick, N.J.
The Carlo Acutis Shrine in Brick commemorates the life of an Italian teenager who documented Eucharistic miracles and was beatified in 2020. Known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his expertise in computer programming, Carlo Acutis serves as a modern model of faith and technology integration. Pope Francis will canonize him in July.
In October 2023, they dedicated the newly-built shrine. Antonia Salzano, Blessed Carlo Acutis’ mother, personally installed the first-class relic housed at the shrine.
Visitors can explore exhibits on his life and work. Before visiting explore Acutis’ website dedicated to Eucharistic miracles created before his death.
Visit St. Lucy’s Church, Newark
Address: 118 7th Ave, Newark, N.J. 07104
St. Lucy’s Church in Newark, established in 1891, serves the Italian-American Catholic community. The church is renowned for its vibrant activities and devotion to St. Lucy, the patroness of vision and virgins.
It also is the home to the St. Gerard National Shrine, which was dedicated at the church in 1977. St. Gerard was an Italian lay brother known for his piety and miracles, and he is revered as the patron saint of expectant mothers and childbirth.
Additionally, the church houses The Museum of the Old First Ward, located in the St. Lucy’s Community Center lower level on 7th Avenue. The museum is run by long-time volunteer Bob Cascella, founder and president of the Newark First Ward Heritage and Cultural Society, lnc. The museum provides historical information about Italian immigration to Newark over the decades and features a notable Napolitano presipio display year-round.
For more information, visit the St. Lucy’s Church website.
