The Unexpected Basilica

Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville, Iowa

 During our trip to the Midwest this summer, we visited three baseball fields: Wrigley Field (Chicago), American Family Field (Milwaukee), and the Field of Dreams (Dyersville).  After visiting the last on a beautiful early summer day, we headed into town for lunch.  After lunch, we were surprised to find the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, a spectacularly beautiful, historic church that is indeed a minor basilica.  A gentleman mowing the lawn outside gave us a brief overview of its history and encouraged us to tour the interior.  The photo included here is from the choir loft.  The parish website has good information about its history and the church building.

Also in Iowa is Hawkeye Point, the state's high point, which Mike Warner described in a post on his blog.

Saint Ignatius Church at Port Tobacco

St. Thomas Manor (left) and St. Ignatius Church (right)

Saint Ignatius Church (and Saint Thomas Manor) at Port Tobacco is a notable site in American Catholic history, founded soon after the first Catholic settlers arrived in Maryland on the Ark and Dove.  The parish is "the oldest continuously active Catholic parish in what is now the United States" (according to a guide available from the parish website).  Saint Thomas Manor was the farm run by the Jesuits there; the two-story manor house was built around 1741.  The church was built in 1798.  In the 1990s, parishioners and others created needlework to adorn the kneelers in 56 pews.  Near the church is a historical marker that lists the local Knights of Columbus councils; in the parking lot across the street is a sign explaining the different parts of the building.  The view from the ground between the church and its historic cemetery overlooks Port Tobacco and the Potomac River.