Carmel by the Sea: The Basilica of Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo

Another unplanned pull off along the road was in Carmel by the Sea. This time it was the mission that drew my attention more than the promise of shopping or fine dining (though Carmel has both in abundance). As a Catholic, I am often attracted to historic churches, places of worship, abandoned abbeys and relics that speak of centuries gone by. I say "as a Catholic" only because I believe there's something in these places for me that I also find in my faith - a quiet, a sense of placement and purpose, and a strong sense of historical connection, of the idea of something larger than me having a hand in the structure and function of the world and the people in it. Whenever I enter a historic church there's something in the air that comforts - a lingering of incense, a dust mote in a sunbeam, the scent of candlewax puddling beneath the burning flames of remembrance. There's a echo, always, no matter how many people are there. An echo of the past, an echo of the footsteps I make as I tread lightly, the echo of song, once lifted on high through the arched ceilings and paned windows, directed above. If I can, I stop, light a candle, say a prayer for my grandmother who is largely responsible for my upbringing, and walk on, content believing that it matters.


For more info on the mission go to http://www.carmelmission.org