Well, I had only seen the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception from the outside prior to this pilgrimage ... and let me tell you, it's a wonder to behold! The interior of the shrine is stunning and we arrived around noontime after a wonderful tour of all the DC sites — Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and something called the White House — and enjoyed a quick lunch in the downstairs cafeteria and some time to check out the book store and gift shop before heading to the "upper church" for Mass at 2:00 p.m.

Here's a great shot of the upper church, shared with us by photojournalist Jack Iddon, formerly of The Standard-Times of New Bedford. Be sure to check out Jack's work at his website, www.jack-iddon.com.

Father William F. Petrie (sans hat) delivered the wonderful homily honoring St. Damien and his life's work with lepers and the Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States (essentially, the pope's direct liaison between the Vatican and the U.S.), who also praised the heroic saint for his efforts.