Highlight of the Summer

Today we traveled to Auburn, KY to the Chapel of the Divine Mercy, housed in the Fathers of Mercy Generalate. For the past two years I've wanted to visit this chapel and today we made it. The chapel now contains the high altar, Communion rail, side altars and two stained glass windows from St. Bonaventure Church, Cincinnati, Ohio. By 2005 when Ted's brother made a video to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, the church had been torn down.

I was raised in Cincinnati and we belonged to St. Bonaventure parish. I, as well as my mother, aunts and uncles, all received the religious sacraments at this church. I was baptized in 1945, made my first Confession (of many!) and First Communion in 1953, was Confirmed in 1955, graduated from the elementary school in 1959 and was married there in 1965.

I took a booklet I found in my brother's things when he died. It was the 75th Anniversary celebration of the parish in 1945, 17 days after I was born. It included the entire history of the church including when the high altar was installed and also the installation of the side altars. There was a lot of info on dates, places and costs that I thought would be of interest to the person in charge of archives.

I also took a picture of our wedding that has the entire wedding party facing the altar as the exchange of vows took place.

The chapel is absolutely breathtaking as is the entire complex. Father Wade asked if he could keep the booklet and picture to give the proper person time to make copies for their archives. He took us on a tour and we discussed whether there were gates in the Communion rail because there was evidence of a hinge at one time. He asked if they could have been brass. I knew there were gates, they were not brass but it took me awhile to recall they were marble and reflected the Alpha and the Omega. I do hope they get some more answers and info from the booklet.

Father brought holy water and his prayer book to the altar and gave us a marriage blessing. It was very moving to be standing before the same altar 47 years later asking for God's continued blessing on us. It meant so much to me.

I've taken a picture of a picture of our wedding to post here. You'll have to take my word for it that it is us because we have our back to the congregation.


Next is the high altar, one of the two restored stained glass windows, the St. Joseph side altar and the Blessed Virgin Mary altar where I laid a bouquet on my wedding day. Last is a photo of us taken by Father Wade after our blessing.






The secret to having a good marriage is to understand that marriage must be total, it must be permanent, and it must be equal. ~ Frank Pittman