St. Anthony’s Shrine in Ellicott City is my absolute favorite place to visit in the entire state.
I stopped in on May 31, which was Pentecost, with my husband Patrick. It was a welcome retreat from our home, where I have spent just about all of my time, since March 17. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the main building, including the chapel, the library and the glass room conference center were closed. However, the grounds facilities are open for one and all to enjoy during this splendorous time of year!
Pentecost is one of my favorite holy days because I have a particular devotion to the Holy Spirit. I begin each of my classes at Archbishop Curley High School with the following prayer:
Dear God,
Send us the gifts of the Holy Spirit
so that we may begin and end
all things well.
Amen.
Pentecost, the end of the Easter season, signals the beginning of the church and I feel the call to spread the good word and to help others to recognize signs that God is in our daily lives. On Pentecost, I express my gratitude for this incredible, invisible force that bestows believers with spiritual gifts. As a writer and a teacher, I can feel the Holy Spirit flow through me so that I can spread it on to the empty pages and eager students before me, especially when we find ourselves frustrated. I have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout my life, especially on Pentecost, especially at St. Anthony’s, especially during Covid-19.
When Patrick and I first arrived at St. Anthony’s, we noticed two girls in college graduation caps and gowns posing for some celebratory photographs before the locked gates of the courtyard. Their graduation had not occurred at a convention center, so they chose this picturesque location to denote this momentous occasion. The sprawling valley behind them and Beaver Dam marble to their right offered so much more than a brick wall as their backdrop. The Holy Spirit was their “photobomb.” We congratulated them and set off for the trails.
Beside the St. Maximilan Kolbe shrine sat a pair of late middle-aged women on a bench sharing a 6-feet-apart heart-to-heart. I imagined they were lifelong friends, perhaps from Catholic grade school, who paused for a moment to catch up on grandkids and retirements. When they parted, they exchanged what they called a “socially distant hug.” They agreed that this was a most beautiful day and that the flowers were gorgeous. At some point, they decided that St. Anthony’s would be the perfect place to catch up. The Holy Spirit would be their guide.
St. Anthony’s gardens were lush with peonies and irises and the trees were in their prime. Patrick and I used an app on his phone to identify plant species throughout our hike. Butterflies flittered about and birdsongs from the treetops were our soundtrack. We even stumbled upon two black snakes mating! Fortunately, they didn’t want anything to do with us.
At one point, we ran into a trio of friends and their chubby yellow lab. Everyone was wearing a mask (except the dog) and, like me, two of them were wearing red shirts for Pentecost. They offered us directions down the Brother Leo trail and told us they come here often — to get lost.
There were many statues and other monuments throughout the trail, but my favorite was the treehouse on the St. Francis Trail. For the first time in forever it was just Patrick and me standing on a platform 20 feet above ground. We experienced a tranquil moment of silence, save the wind in the trees and the tweeting of birds, all of which I attributed to the Holy Spirit.
The statues and other works of art we encountered for the rest of our journey reminded us that this was no ordinary nature trail, as did the randomly placed rosaries on benches along the way. A green iridescent rosary hanging from a bench caught my eye. Green is my favorite color, so I felt as though it was intended for me. I brought it home with the intention of returning to St. Anthony’s with a dozen rosaries to share.
Our visit to St. Anthony lifted me in ways only the Holy Spirit can. Our visit to St. Anthony lifted me in ways only the Holy Spirit can.Why else would those girls choose this site to celebrate their graduation? Why else would two close friends find this to be the best place to exchange stories, laughter, tears and socially-distant hugs? This is the perfect place to come during these challenging times to find peace and the sights and sounds of spring. It was a Pentecost I will never forget.
