During the month of June we had a small group of 7 people visit from around the UK with Fr Jeremy Sierla on a Wine & Spirit Retreat.
Fr Jeremy is a Benedictine Monk from Ampleforth Abbey in York and holds wine tasting (vino veritas) weekend retreats at Ampleforth. However he gladly accepted our opportunity to bring the wine tasting retreat to Caravaca de la Cruz.
We enjoyed a varied itinerary which included visits to local vineyards, museums, and restaurants serving mouth-watering traditional local food. We also visited religious and historical places of interest within Caravaca and the surrounding towns.
On the last morning before the group departed we arranged for Fr Jeremy to celebrate a private mass for us in the small chapel where the true cross is held within the Basilica Sanctuary of Caravaca de la Cruz, this was, for most, the highlight of the trip and a great honour for Fr Jeremy as we made history ourselves. This was the first ever mass to be said in English in this chapel.
Teresa Higgins
We are planning to repeat this trip, the next one to be held on October 10th – 15th 2008 Contact us for more details.
Fr Jeremy is a Benedictine Monk from Ampleforth Abbey in York and holds wine tasting (vino veritas) weekend retreats at Ampleforth. However he gladly accepted our opportunity to bring the wine tasting retreat to Caravaca de la Cruz.
We enjoyed a varied itinerary which included visits to local vineyards, museums, and restaurants serving mouth-watering traditional local food. We also visited religious and historical places of interest within Caravaca and the surrounding towns.
On the last morning before the group departed we arranged for Fr Jeremy to celebrate a private mass for us in the small chapel where the true cross is held within the Basilica Sanctuary of Caravaca de la Cruz, this was, for most, the highlight of the trip and a great honour for Fr Jeremy as we made history ourselves. This was the first ever mass to be said in English in this chapel.
Teresa Higgins
We are planning to repeat this trip, the next one to be held on October 10th – 15th 2008 Contact us for more details.
1 comment:
Fr Jeremy here, and what Tony says is true abut the highlight of the private mass in the tiny chapel of the relic of the True Cross. I know there are cynics out there who say, quite rightly, that if you put together all the pieces of wood that claim to be from the true cross you would have several trees, but if you put together all the pieces authenticated by the Vatican and by the religious authorities in Jerusalem, it adds up to less than a crossbar.
That mass was a highlight, but there were others - wandering up through the maze of streets to the Templar Fortress and the shrine all alone (Caravaca is not crowded) - the stunning views from the Casa de Cristo mountaintop - the lively and informed conversation over the local wines during the post-dinner socials - the tasting in the beautifully appointed tasting room of Casa de la Ermita with so much cheese, olives, etc that we spoiled our lunch - walking with an 8' brown bear through the streets of Calasparra - watching Caravaca United lose their bid for promotion - and above all the feeling of being shown around an unknown part of Spain by friends who lived there and knew it intimately.
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