Fraternity-Testvériség, 2004 (82. évfolyam, 2-4. szám)
2004-04-01 / 2. szám
Page 14 Fraternity- Testvériség thought these pillows would make great nursing home/ hospital gifts. Kathy immediately began recruiting the seamstresses of the group including Linda Martin, wife of Vice Chair Rev. Les Martin. It was now time for the tour to begin. We learned that Franciscans are dedicated to service in the Holy Land. In the church itself are many side chapels. The beautiful Easter floral decorations were still present. It was very moving to stand at the replica of Jesus’ birthplace as it would look in Bethlehem. Our guide, who has traveled to the Holy Land, estimates the site to be 80-90 percent exact in its representation. At Christmas time, the Holy Land celebration is reenacted here just as it is in Bethlehem. We learned that it was St. Francis, in 1223, who was responsible for establishing the manger scene of Jesus’ birth in the stable with the animals which is so widely displayed today. There is also a replica of Jesus’ tomb and Mary’s home. The lower part of the church contains the catacombs to illustrate the underground tunnels where Christians were buried in niches carved out of the walls. No one is buried here, though. The painted scenes on the walls were copied from the Roman catacombs. The Chapel of Purgatory, dedicated to the faithfully departed, contained beautiful mosaics on the walls. Peggy marveled at what a “tedious, time consuming job” it must have been to create such a work of art. The painted murals throughout the church were just breathtaking. In fact, there was an artist there all set up with his easel copying one of the murals while adding his own special touches to make the painting come alive. Outside amongst the gardens are small shrines which are very conducive to meditation. There is also an Ascension Chapel. This octagonal shrine is a replica of the one on Mt. Olive which commemorates Christ’s ascension into Heaven. Once outside, we began to feel the 90 degree heat which was non-existent in the cool stone church and the catacombs. If you haven’t made it to the Holy Land, this church is where you’ll find the closest replicas of the most holy sites. It is very inspiring. For those of you with internet access, visit www.myfranciscan.com and click on “The Shrine.” After being spiritually fed, we were ready to be physically nourished so we headed off to lunch at Union Station. This is the hub of rail travel in the District and is an attraction in itself. Built between 1903 and 1907, it was restored in the 1980s for $160 million. It is a work of art modeled after ancient Roman design with its arches, white marble flooring, sculptures and murals. It includes 120 shops and restaurants. We dined at the America Café. We enjoyed the lunch break and even ended up having a math lesson. Did you know you can divide 2 banana splits amongst 7 women? After lunch, we opted to break for the day in order to rest up for the evening’s banquet. Tuesday was another beautiful, breezy, yet cooler day as we journeyed off to Mt. Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington. George acquired this home from the widow of his half brother, Lawrence, in 1754. The mansion is beautifully situated with a breathtaking view of the Potomac. The home is now owned by the Mt. Vernon Ladies’ Association. As we waited in line amongst the throngs of school groups to gain entrance to the actual home, we ladies solved world problems, discussed the latest fashions, movies and even shared some helpful laundry hints! As we got closer to the house, we learned that it is not made of stone as it appears, but of wood which has been varnished, then painted and sprinkled with sand while still wet to give the appearance of rough stone. Once inside, we were told there are 21 rooms, 10 of those bedrooms. There are many original pieces in the house, but the guide explained the only original piece we were allowed to touch was the banister to the second floor. Just think how many times George and Martha must have held onto it! Upon noticing the use of bold green paint in the two-story dining room, we were told that green was a sign of wealth. It was the most expensive color due to the processing it went through to achieve its hue. Paint was an expensive commodity in the 18th century. It was imported in powder form and then mixed with linseed oil. Washington even had his own paint cellar on the grounds. His private study contains his Presidential chair and globe. We toured the upstairs where we saw the guest rooms and Washington’s bedroom. It was here that George passed away on Dec. 14, 1799 at the age of 67 from a bacterial throat infection. Martha died in 1802. On the grounds are the smokehouse, barn, gardener’s house and servants’ hall among the many buildings. George Washington enjoyed farming. In fact, he thought of himself primarily as a farmer, not a statesman. He would experiment with new seeds and plants before using them on his estate. And finally, there is the final resting place of George and Martha. Our trip through history continued with lunch on the grounds at the Mt. Vernon Inn where the staff was dressed in colonial costumes. It was nice to relax after much walking and to reflect on what we saw. Maria Kovács, wife of Director Joe Kovács, remarked, “This is a special day for me. I’ve never been here before. I remember how my great grandmother did the laundry. I am always humbled to walk where history was made.” For Margaret Erdei, wife of Director Fred Erdei, it was a nostalgic trip. “I felt like I was- going back in history. We’re reliving the past. The last time I was here was in 1945 when Fred was stationed at Fort Belvoir and I was visiting with our little girl." “I was in awe of the large acreage of land (8,000 acres) and how Lunch at Otello’s: Left-Margaret Margaret Erdei, Linda, Martin, Margaret Nicholas, Maria Kovács, Megyeri (photo by Cindy Torok) Pauli, rightKathy
