It's that time of year, when we pack up our families and head off to places unknown -- or places very familiar but far from home. Our family will be heading to the New Jersey shore soon, a favorite vacation spot for us. Unfortunately, for some families, vacation often means taking a break not only from work but from worship as well. But that doesn't have to be the case. You can always find a church and a Mass nearby. Just check out www.masstimes.org for a schedule of Masses no matter what city or country you might be visiting.
We've had our fair share of interesting vacation Mass experiences. On our first trip to North Wildwood, our good friend came down for the day and celebrated Mass for us. That was really special, in particular for our children, who had never experienced Mass in such a personal way. The next year, however, was payback time. We ended up in a gymnasium with the steepest bleachers I'd ever seen -- and they were completely full except for the top row. I stood at the bottom with our youngest, while my husband took the two older kids up to the nosebleed section. I was convinced they were going to topple head over heels during the Our Father. Last year we finally found a beautiful church with an equally beautiful liturgy. We have found our vacation worship home. Don't forget to find yours.
