I have said many times that my bucket list is too long to go to places multiple times. However, I was drawn back to St. Louis, Missouri when researching cathedrals and basilicas in the United States.

Twenty-five years ago, my husband and I traveled to Missouri to witness our oldest son’s graduation from US Army basic training in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After graduation, we spent time touring St. Louis. It is a fun memory of the three of us cramming into a small elevator to get to the top of the famous arch. We also went on the Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch tour. I particularly enjoyed the St. Louis stables and the Clydesdale horses. I never thought I would return to St. Louis. However, the videos I found on the cathedrals in St. Louis were intriguing and I knew I had to see it for myself.

My first stop was the Old Cathedral located in the Gateway Arch National Park. The cathedral has been on this site for nearly 200 years. Twenty-five years ago, our priorities were different, and we never noticed the beautiful structure steps away from the arch entrance.

The official name of the Old Cathedral is The Basilica of St. Louis, King of France. This structure is also the first cathedral west of the Mississippi. Prior to my visit, I connected with the cathedral’s office manager, Tina, who provided information and an early entrance to the beautiful museum. I was quite taken back by all the beautiful artwork in the cathedral. I particularly loved the painting of the crucifix at the front of the altar. This painting is a replica of the original Christ Crucified by Diego Velasquez which hangs in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain. The replica was painted by Charles F. Quest and is three times larger than the original painting.

When handing me the brochure for the Old Cathedral, Tina encouraged me to find the Hebrew letters located on the outside of the cathedral. This was an interesting find. As you can see from the photo below, directly above the four columns is a Latin inscription which means: “To One and Triune God.” Above the Latin inscription are the Hebrew letters: “YHWH.” This is the Hebrew name of God. When these Hebrew letters are placed inside a triangle in Christian art, it signifies the Trinity.

I also enjoyed exploring the Old Cathedral museum with many artifacts from the early days of St. Louis. The history of St. Louis is quite interesting. A visit to the Old Courthouse, also located in the Gateway Arch National Park, reminded me of the importance of this history. The Old Courthouse was the site of the first two trials of the Dred Scott case. This case took over a decade from its initial suit to the Supreme Court’s decision in 1857.

Another interesting fact about the Old Courthouse is that it is listed in the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The Old Courthouse was the site of hundreds of lawsuits for freedom and was last used as a courthouse in 1930.

You do not want to miss the video below. Not only does it include the beautiful Old Cathedral and Old Courthouse, but the new cathedral in St. Louis known as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis will take your breath away. I could not believe the beauty displayed in this church. As noted in its brochures, the cathedral basilica contains one of the largest collections of mosaics in the world. Twenty different artists are responsible for the mosaics covering 83,000 square feet. All this beautiful artwork began in 1912 and was completed in 1988. Shortly after, in 1997, the cathedral was designated a basilica by Pope Saint John Paul II.

This short visit to Missouri included another special site located south of St. Louis. Stay tuned for my next blog that will feature this interesting find. In the meantime, enjoy the video below. Be sure to share this with your family and friends. Encourage them to sign up for updates on travel blogs and my next book launch. The cover for book #5 is being finalized and will be revealed soon.

Enjoy the video!