Day 5:

The Trappists begin their community prayer at 3:30 AM with the office of Vigils, thus my day began at 3:30 AM. Fr. Doug said he was taking those prayers privately, so I went it alone.  After Lauds at 6:30 (Fr. Doug made it) and Mass at 7:00 AM, I spent some time in the casket showroom. Fr. Doug told me to try one out; I said I would get in trouble. He said, “How?  The Trappists have a vow of silence, so they can’t say anything.” He made a point, however commonsense prevailed.

Pondering mortality and prices



After leaving New Melleray Abbey we headed for West Bend, Iowa. Not far from the Abbey we noticed a sign that said “St. Francis Xavier Basilica, 3 miles,” so we turned off not knowing what to expect.  The road took us to the town of Dyersville, Iowa. Dyersville is where the movie Field of Dreams was made, and is the home of Ertl toys. However the real gem of the town is the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. Dyersville is a small town, probably about the size of Derry (for my Latrobe family and friends), or Portage (for my Altoona friends). The basilica was built by German Catholics. While it is in keeping with the German tradition of gothic architecture and intricately carved wood, the scope and magnitude of the church is what leaves you nearly breathless.

Basilica of St. Francis Xavier

After we got back on the road we made our way to West Bend. Along the way I violated two rules. In keeping with the longtime Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on all Fridays, I typically observe this custom even when on vacation.  While one can substitute another penitential act in the place of Friday abstinence, I rarely exercise this option, I did today. Secondly I ate at a chain, which is something I was determined to avoid on this trip. However the place we ate - Culver’s, home of the butter burger -  is a Midwestern chain and being regional was deemed acceptable. It was an ok hamburger however the name of the milkshake (the cement mixer) brought delight to my heart (and some trans fats as well).

West Bend is the home of the Grotto of Redemption. You cannot fully grasp the place unless you go there yourself. Built beginning in 1912 by the parish priest who had an interest in geology it contains an incredible amount of stones of all kinds. Caves of petrified wood, towers of semi-precious stones, and stairways made of some of the most interesting rock formations ever set in a religious shrine are what a pilgrim can expect. We drove six hours to get there; it was worth the trip.

After leaving we got lost and stopped and asked a guy for directions. I posed the question about getting to route 20. He said, “Route 20 is south of here.” I asked “How?” He responded, “I don’t know, it always has been.” I meant How do you get there, what road? He thought I was asking about how the road got there in the first place. At any rate we got back on track and passed through the town of Bode, Iowa where we got gas and I bought a bottle (a glass bottle) of Pepsi. It was not part of a series; it was just there in a small gas station.

After a few hours of driving we ended up in Johnston, Iowa where we visited the Bishop Drumm nursing home. While we were waiting to see the person we came to see I helped a lady go back to her room, she was 97. Truth be told 97 is old, but I was not impressed, as the lady we came to see could have been her mother. Born on April 4, 1897, we came to see Mrs. Dina Manfredini.  Mrs. Mandredini was born in Italy and came to the United States in 1920 and can still walk. I anointed her and gave her a blessing. She didn’t have much to say, but at 115 I guess she is just plain talked out. Mrs. Manfredini is the second oldest person on earth and one of twenty-two people on earth still born in the 1800s.

 

After leaving the nursing home we visited the other Altoona. Altoona, Iowa is slightly different than Altoona, Pennsylvania. Altoona, Iowa is totally flat, has no character, is completely suburban, is one of the fastest growing cities in Iowa, and seems to have no building built before 1990. I will stick with the original.

Upon leaving Altoona (a suburb of Des Moines) we had our supper at the High Life Lounge in Des Moines. It is worth a visit. From the food (bacon wrapped tater tots and the High Life Man – hamburger, sausage, three strips of bacon, Swiss and American cheese, fried onions and jalapenos, mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, and a powdered donut – I had neither), to the atmosphere (looks like a bar from 1970), it was a good time.

 
 

Finally we arrived at the home of our good friend Kevin Mayle. Kevin along with his wife Brianna and their children are staying with Bri’s parents at their farm in Atlantic, Iowa. What a great place. More on come tomorrow....