Several months ago, I was invited to speak at the Magnificat Prayer Breakfast in Lexington, Kentucky. After reviewing the map, I decided to embark on a December road trip. This 10-day road trip included six stops in five states.

Leaving Florida, my first stop was McDonough, Georgia outside of Atlanta to visit my 20-year-old grandson. We had not seen each other for several years and it was so good to spend time with him. It is sad how time flies by so fast. It seems like yesterday we were welcoming him as a newborn to our family. Twenty years is a long time and boy do I feel old!

My next stop on this 10-day road trip was Knoxville, Tennessee. I travelled to Chattanooga in 2018 with my two granddaughters. Knoxville was a new part of Tennessee to explore.

I was interested in touring the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville.

As I walked toward the doors of the Cathedral, I saw two women talking in the parking lot. I introduced myself and told them I was visiting from Florida. One of the women grew up in Florida only fifteen minutes from my home in Palm Harbor. She was also a tour guide for the Cathedral and immediately changed her plans to show me around.

Before entering the church, we stopped at the outdoor prayer garden. I could only imagine how beautiful this is in the spring. Even in 30 degree weather, it was quite stunning.

My tour guide’s name was Kathy. I smiled sweetly when she shared her name with me. There are so many Kathy(s) in our parish. I thought immediately of all of them when she said her name.

The Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a 28,000 square foot structure that was dedicated in March 2018 and can accommodate up to 1,358 people.

As I looked in all directions trying to take all the beauty in, I was snapping pictures while Kathy shared the history of this beautiful structure.

One of the interesting facts of the cathedral shared by Kathy was the marble used for the altar. This white marble came from the same quarry as Michelangelo’s Pieta.

The tabernacle was another breathtaking site. I followed Kathy behind the altar to see this beautiful structure up close. She then shared that this tabernacle came from an old church in Holland. Great history and beauty was found throughout this structure.

Dogwood flowers were carved on each of the pews throughout the cathedral. I learned in my research that Tennessee produces more flowering dogwoods than any other state.

Here are more beautiful pictures of this amazing cathedral…

On the ceiling dome, paintings of the saints were displayed. One of the interesting facts pointed out by Kathy was the painting of Saint Francis of Assisi on the ceiling of the cathedral. It was noted that the two dogs painted on either side of the saint belonged to Bishop Richard Stika. Bishop Stika was the bishop at the time of the construction of the Cathedral.

Molly and Rosie – Bishop Stika’s pets – made a great addition to the painting. Unfortunately, my picture did not come out clear enough to share. However, I did find a good picture online.

After my private tour of the cathedral, I attended the noon Mass. However, the highlight of this cathedral discovery was Mass the next day to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The students from the Sacred Heart Catholic School were in attendance. The choir included the voices of students and adults accompanied by a beautiful organ and several violins.

I love visiting cathedrals, basilicas, monasteries, and shrines. This 10-day road trip was full of lots of surprises and beautiful structures right here in the good old USA. I am looking forward to sharing all my discoveries with you. Stay tuned for more blogs.

Let me know in the comments below if you have ever been to these places. Also, let me know if I’ve inspired you to take a trip to one of these beautiful places. Don’t forget to share this blog with your family and friends. Share buttons are located below!