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My Favorite Place

At first, it was really hard for me to decide on one specific place to label as my favorite place because I do not focus so much on where I am, but rather who I am with. If I am with close friends or family and I am getting to spend quality time with them, then it makes no difference if I am at Disney World or on my couch. Using that same mindset, an answer to this question did come to mind: my favorite place is in a Catholic church. This might still seem broad, but bear with me while I explain what I mean. 

The word catholic means universal, and in the specific case of the Catholic Church, this means that all the Catholics in the world are part of one church. Because we are all one church under Christ, any Catholic church I walk into, whether it's my home parish or a church on the other side of the world, is a piece of home. It is a place where I can be still and silent, where I can pray and come to know God, where I discover who I truly am and how I can help others. How could that not be my favorite place?

Below are a couple pictures of churches I regularly attend, one I have visited, and one I want to visit!


This first picture is the old sanctuary of Saint Thomas More University Parish...


And here's our new sanctuary! The parish has really grown and we're all grateful for this beautiful new worship space. (Both photos, Saint Thomas More University Parish)


This picture was taken at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Okarche, Oklahoma. I visited this church because this was where Blessed Father Stanley Rother grew up. (Photo taken by me)


Lastly, this is a picture of Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. It is a dear wish of mine to visit Italy and get to see gorgeous churches such as Saint Peter's Basilica in person. (Glavo, Pixabay)

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  1. Laura GibbsJanuary 19, 2021 at 4:31 PM

    Oh, this is wonderful, Rebecca! I did not know about the new sanctuary at Thomas More... and I hope very much you will get a chance to go to Rome someday. It is a city of endless things to see, so much beauty, so much history. Maybe you can use this class to learn about the sacred spaces of India; the temple architecture is amazing and, as in Christian traditions, is full of important symbolism and architectural connections to the rituals that take place there. Here's an overview at Wikipedia: Hindu temple architecture :-)

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  2. Robert CFebruary 26, 2021 at 11:51 AM

    Hi Rebecca! I watched the construction take place at St. Thomas throughout the past year (maybe less? maybe more?) as I drove by campus, and the new building looks very impressive from the outside. Your photo is the first I have seen of the inside! Also, I got to study abroad through OU during the summer after my freshman year, and I went to Italy for the Arezzo campus. However, we got to spend a few days in Rome, and I visited St. Peter's Basilica in person as well as climbed to the top of the dome! It is incredible, and climbing the dome is so fun if you are up to the exertion!

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