Book Reviews and More: Holy Places Sacred Sites in Catholicism

Friday, 21 March 2025

Holy Places Sacred Sites in Catholicism - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

Holy Places Sacred Sites in Catholicism

Barbara Calamari

Sandra DiPasqua

Penguin Studio

ISBN 9780670030811

ASIN B011J46TGO

Holy Places Sacred Sites in Catholicism - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua

I stumbled upon another volume by this writing team and have since reading that first one tracked down all but 1 in digital format. Because of a dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks. The first volume I read was all about Holy Cards, and it was a fascinating read. This is the sixth volume I have read by this writing duo and I can easily state they have all been great. In fact I only have 1 to go and wish that they had more in the works. But back to this specific volume, the description of this book states:

“Sacred sites are as old as mankind. In the Roman Catholic world, the hundreds of places honored as holy continue to inspire intense feelings of religious faith and, many believe, perform miracles. The pilgrims who visit these sites yearly number in the hundreds, thousands, and even millions. In Holy Places, writer Barbara Calimari and artist Sandra DiPasqua offer an inspirational and informative guide to the religious and cultural meaning of these special places.

Lavishly illustrated with images from Western art, photographs, stained glass, artist renderings, and holy cards, this book focuses on eighteen of the most well-known Catholic holy sites: the cathedrals of Chartres, Santiago de Compostela, and Saint Peter's Basilica; the Gargano caves in Italy where Saint Michael the Archangel first appeared; Croagh Patrick, a rocky cliff in Ireland from which Saint Patrick expelled the demons; the sanctuary in the church of Chimayo in New Mexico where the soil is said to have miraculous properties; and many more. Including a full history and description of each site, with maps and a calendar of holy days and festivals, Holy Places will make the perfect gift for the armchair traveler, the would-be pilgrim, and all readers interested in Christianity.”

The chapters and sections in this volume are:

Introduction

Assisi, Italy

The Catacombs, Rome, Italy

Chartres, France

Chimayo, New Mexico, United States

Lough Derg and Croagh Patrick, Ireland

Lourdes, France

Mont-Saint-Michel, France

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Tepeyac, Mexico City, Mexico

In the introduction we are informed:

“Sacred sites are as old as mankind. All civilizations recognize certain locations that are deemed to be special or divinely charged with energy. In some cases, religions rise and fall, but the holy site remains the same. In this book, "Holy Places", we are detailing several of the most well-known and popular Catholic shrines. These locales attract as many of the faithful today as they did one thousand years ago. What we have attempted to do in this book is to research the original reasons why a place came to be known as a site of miraculous occurrences that would make others want to gather there. All of these places are dedicated to a certain saint or came about because of a miraculous incident. Many have strong groups of devotees. Instead of formal pilgrimages most of the modern visits are conducted in group tours. At first glance, the crowds and the commercialism seem to deprive a place of its mystery. What we have found is that most of these places were considered holy in prechristian times and that present day commercial traffic has not robbed them of their spiritual eminence. There is still something very powerful in the feeling a group who gathers there generates.”

I was familiar with all but one of the sites presented in this volume. Each chapter has several pages and numerous photo’s. The pages are beautifully laid out and designed. The information is informative and fascinating. The authors really dug into the history and presented each site with details and facts.

This is an excellent volume. It ties in well with the books the duo have written on Holy Cards, Mary, and Saints. This is a stunning volume, both the physical book and the eBook edition. I greatly enjoyed working through it and plan on rereading it again. It is an excellent book I can easily recommend for home, school, or church library!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan!