Located on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana with the Mission Mountains behind it, it is considered by many as one of the most beautiful churches in the world. The church is famous for the beautiful 58 murals which depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments. The Mission, and the town that grew up around it was founded in 1854. The original log cabin, next to the church, now serves as the mission museum. The Mission church was built in 1891. We walked throughout the church and took photos of many of the beautiful frescoes painted by one of the priests.
Called the “Chapel in the Dakota Badlands”, the church is the oldest Catholic Church still in use in the state of North Dakota. The church was built in 1884 by Peter Book, an employee of Marquis de Mores, the founder of Medora. De Mores wife, Medora, whom the town is named after contracted to have the church built. On Sunday evening after hiking all day in Teddy Roosevelt National Park we stopped by the vacant church and surprisingly found the doors unlocked. We entered and viewed the small but beautiful church. We sat at a pew for an hour and watched mass online and prayed. It was quiet and peaceful. The historical church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Called “The Cross at the Crossroads”, the 198-foot tall by 113 foot wide cross is at the intersection of I-70 and I-57. It was the largest cross in America from 2001 to 2018. Nearby are displays of the ten commandments and statues of Jesus.
An incredible, beautiful chapel made of red cedar wood trusses and glass chapel located atop a hill on 23 acres of prairie grass overlooking the Platte River Valley and I-80. Inside the chapel, water flows freely from the back to the alter visible through glass located under the floor beside the pews. The chapel was built for travelers on the interstate and especially truck drivers who could stop and pray during their long journeys. The adjacent visitor center is carved out of a hill to evoke Christ’s tomb. In the center is a sculpture representing the Holy Spirit above a pool of water. Outside along a trail was a stunning 40-foot-high stainless-steel cross with an eight-foot-tall Jesus. This was a perfect place to stop, pray and find restful peace. I randomly pulled a $10 bill from my pocket to drop in the donation jar and written on the bill was “Jesus Loves You”. What a perfect, special message to me as we continued our 43-day journey to the Pacific Northwest.
We stopped at this beautiful Catholic Church that had a miraculous staircase that has three mysteries: who built it, what is the material it is made of and where did the material come from? Lastly, how does the staircase stay together as it defies all conventional construction practice and no nails, glue or screws were used (only wood pegs)?
In 1873 the Sisters of Loretto commissioned the construction of a new chapel for the Girls School. The chapel has high spires and beautiful stained-glass windows. As the construction neared completion the project’s architect suddenly died before he could build the most ambitious part of the project – the staircase leading up to the choir loft. The Sisters asked the local carpenters to build the staircase, but they didn’t know how. The Sisters didn’t know what to do so they turned to prayer and did a nine-day novena asking Saint Joseph, the patron Saint of carpenters, to help them with this problem. On the ninth day a knock came to the door. An elderly man with a donkey stood there. He said he came to build the staircase. The man insisted on working by himself in the chapel and no one could watch him build the staircase. After three months the sister came into the chapel and the carpenter was gone so they couldn’t pay him. The Sisters went to the only local lumberyard to pay for the lumber that the carpenter used, and they said the man did not get any materials at all from them.
Findings: A core sample of the wood used to make the stairway was analyzed and it proved to be a form of piece spruce which is not found in Arizona, nor does it match up 100% with any other type on earth. The winding staircase, double helix shape (two 360 degree turns), has 33 steps which was how old Jesus was when he died. So, who was the mysterious carpenter and was the creation of this staircase a miracle? The staircase was roped off so we could not walk up it, but I have Super 8 film of the staircase & church.
This non-denominational 17 foot by 9 foot church called Christ’s Chapel in Memory Park was built in 1949 by Mrs. Agnes Harper & was nestled in pine trees cloaked with Spanish moss. The church had a bell tower, a beautiful stained-glass window with Jesus behind the alter and had three rows of four chairs to seat 12 parishioners. We re-exchanged our vows and took photos.
This was an awesome stop and gave us a chance to reflect and pray. A paved trail of over 50 bronze statues in scenes depict the last days of Jesus life complete with music and narration. We walked over ¾ mile viewing 15+ scenes including a new scene of Moses with the Ten Commandments and Rosie sitting at the Last Supper talking with Jesus. Nearby was Our Lady of the New Millennium, a 34 foot tall stainless steel statue of the Virgin Mary. Lastly, a statue of Jesus kneeling and holding a baby fetus is beside a plaque dedicated to all babies murdered through abortion.
This painting of Jesus carrying his cross on the way to Golgotha along with the ten commandments is painted on the side of a three story building not far from President Ulysses S. Grant’s boyhood home. Painted in 2018, the mural is across from the county courthouse and next to a street of nostalgic 1880 buildings.
Okay, I know it’s not a church but every time we drive from Dayton to Cincinnati on I-75 we would pass the eye catching 62 foot tall “King of Kings” Jesus statue located at the Solid Rock Church. It was built in 2004 for $250,000. Sadly, it was destroyed by lightning in June 2010. A new replacement 52 foot tall statue called “Lux Mundi” or Light of the World was built and dedicated in September 2012. The design has Jesus stepping forward with his arms open with a welcoming gesture which, when driving by, always comforts me, makes me think of the real Jesus and makes me pray.
Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller, Holly Miller, Jacque Miller, Matt Miller, Shane Miller
Date: 1967, 1999, 2013, November 2017, 2024
At a point of land jutting into Matanzas Bay, the great cross is made of stainless-steel plates packed in concrete in its lower third to keep it from falling over during hurricanes. The Great Cross was built in 1966, stands 208 feet tall and marks the place where Christianity was first permanently established in the United States in 1565 (six months before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock. The cross is illuminated by powerful lights at night making a striking display. We walked the grounds, a beautiful greenspace with flowers and palm trees. Nearby was the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios. Nearby is a bronze statue of Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Garjales, chaplain of the Mendendez fleet who celebrated the first mass in America at St. Augustine (9-8-1565), was the first missionary and began work at America’s first mission. We visited the nearby Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine (Photo#4). Departing from this holy place we headed to the local beach where we saw God’s handiwork: a turtle nesting in the sand and a handful of starfish (Photo#2 & #3).
