We Stop for Cemeteries and Churches!

I had seen the beautiful church steeple, on our way to Rochester, but we were running behind schedule (and Mike was taking a nap while I drove), so there was no stopping for pictures.

On our way back home, once we crossed into Iowa, I started watching the skyline. Once I spied the steeple, Mike began to look for the road to get to the church. He turned on Lourdes Road, in Lourdes, Iowa, to get down to 'Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.'

It was late Saturday afternoon and the cars in the parking spaces indicated that Mass was in progress. Our Lady of Lourdes is in the Holy Rosary Cluster, with churches from four other towns, and they are all under the direction of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

The Gothic Brick church was built in 1901, and at one time there was a Convent and School. Sisters of Saint Francis from Clinton, Iowa served the Parish until the school closed in 1969. Originally, the church was named "The Immaculate Conception," and that is the name inscribed on the cornerstone. However, during the dedication, Archbishop John Keane promised to obtain a statue of "Our Lady of Lourdes" and directed that the name of the church be changed.

In the beginning, Lourdes was an Irish Settlement but through the years, Czech, Slovak, and German Immigrants have moved into the area and make up the membership.

If, ever, you are in Iowa and headed north on Hwy 63 train your "eye to the sky" and search for a beautiful, tall church steeple ....reaching for the heavens. It's worth a quick detour to see this beautiful church, in the Iowa countryside.

Yes, we do stop for cemeteries and churches!!

We welcome your comments!

Mayo Clinic is Rochester!!

We left Readlyn, Iowa headed to Rochester, MN behind schedule, but I figured that Mike's "pedal to the metal" would get us there "almost" on time. We were on our third day of "road trips" and this one would take us to see one of his twin granddaughters, Morgan, who is in the Finance Department at IBM. 

                                         

As we stopped, at a light, on the south edge of Rochester we noticed that their Water Tower was shaped like an Ear of Corn!

Mike did some research (Iowa is the Corn State, why does Rochester have an Ear of Corn for their Water Tower?), and we learned that the town is either going to "paint it or take it down" because, at night, kids are enticed to try and climb it. It has become a dangerous situation. Ever thought about putting a locked fence, with barbed wire, around it?

We never learned why it's an Ear of Corn!

We followed Margaret's directions (the name we've given to the female voice inside our GPS) to get us to Morgan's address. A quick tour of her apartment and we were off to eat and see Rochester.

Morgan took us on a walking tour of downtown Mayo, I mean Rochester! This was to help "juggle" around some of the pasta and bread and wine we'd eaten at Victoria's Ristorante and Wine Bar. 

After all, we had to get enough strength to walk around town! We highly recommend Victoria's, if you're ever in Rochester. It's within walking distance to Mayo and all the hospitals with which Mayo is connected.

Mike and I were surprised. I think we had both envisioned Mayo to be a huge hospital located on a street "near town." Mayo isn't huge - it's massive, enormous, gigantic  - okay, there really aren't enough adjectives big enough to express just how large it is! Mayo actually consumes the downtown area. As Mike said, "Mayo is Rochester!"

Morgan and her grandpa walked ahead of me, visiting (actually, I "lagged behind" taking photos!) Ever so often, they'd stop, turn around, and ask, "Are you coming?"

To say we were impressed with Mayo would  

be putting it mildly. Bob's mother loved

hospitals and always talked about, "the next time I go to the hospital, I'm going to .....". I just know she would have loved the "idea" of going to Mayo had she ever seen it!

The Gonda Building Main Entrance, for patients, has Valet Parking, like an expensive hotel! However, don't think you can just "drive up and check in." Patients must be referred to Mayo.

        

Concern for patients health and safety is of the utmost importance to Mayo. There are connecting walkways, between buildings, over Rochester streets. These enclosed walkways also provide much-needed warmth in those snowy, cold Minnesota winters! (We were told that Rochester had 86" of snow, this winter!)

  

    

In November 2018 Mayo Clinic School of Medicine was renamed Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in honor of the $200 million donation given by businessman Jay Alix. His was the largest donation ever given to Mayo.

Mayo Clinic is home to many statues, by well-known sculptors. It would be worth another trip to see those that we missed. Statutory Park, across from the Gonda Building has four major statues. The images of the Mayo Brothers, titled "My Brother and I" by Tuck Langland is of Dr. William J. Mayo and Dr. Charles H. Mayo. 

Statues of their father, Dr. William Worrell Mayo and of Mother M. Alfred Moes are also in the Park. All the statues are cast in bronze.

Additional sculptures are placed about the properties and on the walls of buildings.

  

Mayo Clinic is surrounded by various faiths and churches. Historic Calvary Episcopal Church was built in 1862, during the Civil War. It is the oldest church building in Rochester and the oldest Episcopal Parish in Minnesota. It has been designated a Historic Site. There are a number of Stained Glass Windows from the 19th and 20th Century - four were made in the Tiffany Studio in New York.

While doing research for this blog article, we discovered that we need a return trip!!  Mayowood, the 48 room Mansion of the Mayo family, is open to the public, for tours, March - October. For 60 years, it was inhabited by family members!

We did, indeed, learn that Mayo IS Rochester!!

We invite comments!!