You can also watch this podcast interview on Youtube by clicking here.

Buen Camino!
Dr Taylor Marshall

The post 145: How to Walk the Camino de Santiago [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Listen to the mp3 podcast below to the amazing experience of arriving with all the pilgrims on the Camino of Santiago (podcast and photo below):

Buen Camino!
Dr Marshall

The post 142: Tears and Arrival in Santiago! (Camino 6) [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Today we arrived at the historic Benedictine monastery at Samos. I detail the building and lament on the collapse of Christianity in Spain (and especially the collapse of monasticism). Click below to listen:

Dr Taylor Marshall

The post 141: Monastery at Samos, Spain (Camino 5) [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

We passed through the medieval town of Hospital de Órbigo which was once run and controlled by the Knights Hospitallers to aide Christian pilgrims along the Camino to Santiago, Spain.

Previously in AD 456, invading armies loyal to King Theuderic I (son of King Clovis of the Franks) here fought King Rechiar (Suevic king of Gallaecia – first Germanic Catholic king).

Here’s the story of the Leonese knight Suero de Quinones who was rejected by the woman he loved. She placed him in the “friend zone,” and so he burned out his anger through jousting:

The post 138: The Angry Jousting Pilgrim of 1434 (Camino 2) [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Buen Camino,
Dr Taylor Marshall

The post 137: Beginning Camino of St James and Various Routes (Camino 1) [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Mari Webber, New Saint Thomas Institute Member and Sword and Serpent Launch Team member (and Our Lady of Guadalupe NSTI Pilgrim) purchased in Germany this beautiful smoking Saint Nicholas for our family. Our children love it! Thanks Mari for your generosity!

You place incense inside of him and he blows the incense smoke out of his mouth, as if he is smoking his pipe:

and here is Mari taking an “epic selfie” with a copy of Sword and Serpent in Germany:

Thank you Mari for our smoking German Saint Nick!

Happy Advent to everyone!

Godspeed,

Taylor Marshall

The post Saint Nicholas is smoking incense in our kitchen! appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

1 You should visit the 4 Major Basilicas of Rome: St Peter’s (Vatican), St Paul’s outside the Walls, St Mary Major, and St John Lateran. These are the four grandest churches in Rome and each will take your breath away. My favorites are St Peter’s and St Mary Major.

2 The best part of Rome are the off-the-path churches. Saint Peter’s Basilica is amazing, but I find myself enjoying and communing with God in a special way in churches such as St Agnes in Agony off the Piazza Navona or at Sunday Mass in the St Maria Trastevere.

3 If you’re healthy, walk everywhere. Try not to use cabs or the metro. Walking a city is the best way to know a city. If you can’t walk, go with someone who knows Rome well.

4 Bus tour. Speaking of getting to know Rome, as cheesy as it sounds, I recommend getting on one of those tourist double decker buses and riding around the city at least once. It will provide you with a global “view” of the city.

5 Read a good book on Christian Rome before you arrive. I recommend my book The Eternal City: Rome and the Origins of Catholicism for Catholic pilgrims looking for Catholic insights into the history and theology of Rome.

6 Eat meals at scenic Italian spots. Will food cost more on the piazza of the Pantheon or on Piazza Navona? Of course! But it’s worth it. Watch people. Listen to the musicians. Watch performers. One evening, I was eating alone on the Piazza Navona and two married British couples on an anniversary trip to Rome invited me to their table and even bought me champagne. We had a great time talking about Latin. It was a fun and magical evening that I’ll never forget – and it would have never happened if I had dinner at a cheap kabob shop off the Tiber.

7 Pasta is great, but it’s not the end-all be-all in Rome. Italian food isn’t all pasta. I rarely consume pasta in Rome. I spend my meals loving the cured pork dishes, the veal, the cheese, and the vegetables. If you are into pasta, some of the best pastas are those that are lightly topped with sauces or fine oils. Quality over quantity.

8 Everyone raves about Roman gelato. But after living there for almost a month, I learned that there is gelato…and then there’s real gelato.

Just as wine comes in a variety of value, even so gelato. Through priests I met, I was introduced to interesting flavors that I would have never tried. There are an array of nut flavors that I highly recommend. Pistachio, of course, but also try Bacio (chocolate hazlenut – like Nutello!!!), Mandorla (almond), and Castagna (chessnut). And of course blend with chocolates and dark chocolate and berry flavors. I found that gelato sold at tourist centers and from moveable carts tended to be the worst in the city.

9 Prayer at holy sites. Rome is a holy city of martyrs, relics, saints, tradition, and glory. But you can get so caught up in seeing everything that you don’t talk to God. Don’t just gawk at Michelangelo’s Pieta and take photos for Instagram. No, kneel down in front of it and pray. Don’t rush from church to church. Find the tabernacle and talk to Jesus about your pilgrimage.

10 Live in the moment and feel Rome. Here are some examples from my own experience: Watch an Italian cat curl up under an ancient statue. Smile at a newly wed couple cuddling near a fountain. Sit in an ancient Roman church and watch a wedding of two people I’ve never met. Randomly meet seminarians on the street and invite them to lunch. Pass the peace in Italian at a local Mass.

There’s much more that I could say, but these 10 are the big ones with 1, 2, 9, and 10 as the most important.

The post 10 Tips for Catholics Visiting Rome appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Here are 9 quick reflections on Our Lady of Guadalupe after having returned home to the US:

1. More than ever, I’m convinced that Mary leads us deeply to Jesus. There are things about Jesus that we can never know without Mary. She is a microscope that “magnifies” different attributes of Jesus and His eternal message.
2. The miraculous image of Our Lady on the tilma seems to have changed since I saw it last two years ago. This is obviously subjective perception on my part. It seemed larger and more alive and more colorful.
3. I loved seeing my son Jude serve Mass for the first time at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and his second time at the relics of Blessed Miguel Pro. This was a highlight for me. Here’s a pic:
   
4. Last time at the Basilica, I promised Our Lady to bring my wife Joy with me on the next pilgrimage. It was difficult traveling Mexico with a 4 month old baby, but she did a great job and I’m really proud of her.
5. Our group of 43 pilgrims (most from NSTI) were fantastic. Kate (one of our pilgrims) related how bringing her intentions to Guadalupe was liking carrying the roses of prayer in her own tilma like Saint Juan Diego and having Our Lady “rearrange them” to be more acceptable.
6. The devotion of the Mexican people as they prepared for a Papal visit was inspirational. Their faith and joy are inspiring.
7. When at San Miguel, we saw all the poor people carrying Baby Jesus dolls to the churches to be blessed. They were doing this to commemorate the “Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.” It’s a beautiful devotion that I have never known.
8. Food in Mexico is so good. Churros. Fruit popsicles. Mexican Bernaise sauce!
   
9. We observed pilgrims walking on foot for 6 days to Mexico City to greet the Pope. 6 days! Would we spend 6 days of penance for the good of the Vicar of Christ and to welcome His Holiness in an act of hospitality?

There are 100 of other things (I’ll share more on Guadalupe in a podcast), but it was just a wholesome and beautiful pilgrimage. I hope that you’ll join us again in a year or so when we do it again.

If you want to watch a Webinar on Our Lady of Guadalupe, click here.

If you want to join me on a Pilgrimage to Rome and Italy, please reserve your spot by clicking here.

Godspeed,
Taylor Marshall

The post 9 Thoughts on Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Although many people have forgotten, the heads of Peter and Paul are situated in the baldacchino which you can see in this video (click here to watch):

[reminder]

The post Where are the Skulls of Saints Peter and Paul? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

If so, you’re invited to our 2016 NSTI Pilgrimage to Rome, Assisi, and Siena with solid priests, reverent Masses at sacred sites, confessions, relics, basilicas, martyrs, Padre Pio, Eucharistic miracles, catacombs, and Catholic classes taught by me along the way on “Rome and the Origins of Catholicism.” This is a unique pilgrimage that combines spiritual growth, academic discovery, and lots of food, folks, and fun.

Video: What You’ll See in Rome:

Here’s a video of me explaining (with photos) of what you’ll experience on this special pilgrimage. Spots are are limited due to hotel and coach space. Watch below or click here to watch:

https://youtu.be/j7W9-YvaMEw

Please reserve your spot by clicking here.

[reminder]

The post You’re Invited to Rome for a Pilgrimage (Pilgrim vs. Tourist) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

We are going to see Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and I want you to join us on this pilgrimage!

Please watch this video where I explain this unique pilgrimage and show you photos of our itinerary to the miraculous tilma, Tepeyac hill, the old basilica, new basilica, Cathedral and apparition site of St Michael:

Get the details and sign up for this Guadalupe pilgrimage by clicking here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the one apparition of Our Lady that is still with us. I’d like for you to join me on an educational pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe. You might be nervous about traveling to Mexico, but the New Saint Thomas Institute has teamed up with 206 Tours to provide a first class pilgrimage with experienced Catholic tour guides, Catholic priests to say Mass for us and hear confessions, Spanish translators, clean coaches, clean water, great food, and your hotel in the nicest neighborhood of Mexico City.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, this is an excellent opportunity to experience it on a professional tour with academic instruction along the way. I’ll also be teaching four NSTI classes while we ride on the coaches to various shrines and churches:

1. History and Tradition of Our Lady of Guadalupe
2. Mary as Mediatrix
3. How to Explain Mary to Protestants
4. The History of Marian Doctrine and Dogma over 2,000 years

You can learn all about the pilgrimage in this video.

• Feb 4-9, 2016
• 20% discount for Catholic clergy
• Discount for current active Members of NSTI (use coupon code)

Please reserve your spot by clicking here.

[reminder]

The post Pilgrimage to Our Lady Guadalupe w Taylor Marshall appeared first on Taylor Marshall.