Seven Churches Visitation {Holy Thursday}

Remember when I talked about our perhaps overly ambitious  humble Holy Week plans? Well, we did most of that. Minus the feet washing. We ran out of time before Holy Thursday Mass and I was ex.hau.sted. from the church visitations that afternoon.

Would you like to see a few quick photos I put together? Excuse the collages where I mixed the churches together. It seemed like it caught their beauty a bit better than individual photos.

First, we successfully did Spy Wednesday, which the kids got into and seemed to enjoy. Some of them may or may not have been in it totally for the coins. 

We're all Judas in disguise sometimes, aren't we?

We headed out of the house promptly after an early lunch on Holy Thursday to visit our Seven Churches. Which, started off a bit rough as we found two locked churches. 

We pressed on to the next town knowing that their two churches would certainly be unlocked. 

Our Lady of the Angels, Sauk Centre 

St. Paul's, Sauk Centre

We then headed down the road and met up with my dad who joined us in the next four churches.

St. Rose of Lima, St. Rosa 

(click the collages for closer viewing)

A few more miles down the road we drove to the next small town.

Sacred Heart, Freeport

Again, several more country miles led us to a Catholic church that I don't think I've ever been inside. 

Immaculate Conception, New Munich

Last, but not least, probably one of the largest old time churches in our diocese. 

St. Mary's, Melrose

The last church we hit was our own parish. Conveniently, due to our rush at that point, I neglected to take photos. 

Aren't those some beautiful churches? I am blessed to have grown up near many of those old, spacious, altar filled churches that we visited so often in my childhood. I was happy to share them with my children, especially a couple that they'd never set foot in until last week.

In the end, our afternoon amounted to:

: Stopping at nine churches

: Praying the Stations of the Cross (2 stations at each open church)

: Ran into one priest friend and visited

: Drove in gusty 40 mph wind x at least 75 miles

: Climbed in and out of the van nine times x 5 people 

: Returned home 5 hours later

We arrived home with just enough time to have a simple Lord's Supper meal. I had prepared homegrown herb chicken in the crock pot along with herb roasted potatoes in the oven. We rounded out the meal with a loaf of sourdough bread and sparkling red grape juice to complete the simplicity. 

I have a few more photos to share from our other Triduum and Easter days, 

but those will have to wait. 

I hope that your Easter season has been a blessed and joyful one this week.