Mexican influence in Spanish Springs.

The longest of my trips, so far, was my latest one to Palm Springs, California and Washington, D.C. at the end of September. I had a Cross Mission to give in Palm Springs, and another event to attend at the Smithsonian in Washington after my mission in Palm Springs.

Sidewalk landscaping in Palm Springs.

I flew out of West Palm Beach International at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning, September 21, and was traveling all day. First to Detroit, then to Salt Lake City, and, finally, to Palm Springs where I was picked up and brought to the rectory of St. Kateri, south of Palm Springs. It was an arduous trip, and It was after 10:pm by the time I walked into the rectory of St. Kateri parish. That was fourteen hours of travel when you factor in a three hour time-change. It blew my mind to think that I could have been to Ireland and back in the same amount of time. When you make a journey like this you realize what a vast and expansive country the United States actually is.

Cactus landscaping in Palm Springs.

At the Church of St. Kateri, I celebrated and spoke at four masses on Sunday, two in English and two in Spanish. The parishioners were very welcoming and were amazed, as much as myself, that I came all this way just to celebrate mass for them. They treated me very kindly, perhaps because they had pity on me.

Desert landscaping of Palm Springs.

Palm Springs is a beautiful city. It has an easy going air about it, and the desert atmosphere, with its celebrated hot springs, makes it a very tranquil and relaxing place to spend some quality time. And, that’s what I did when my mission was over. Palm Springs has a national park that is called the Joshua Tree Park and it is like no other park I have ever seen. Blooming Cactus and rocks are the main attraction in the park, but they have their own special beauty. Everybody I spoke to loved Palm Springs. In the evenings, Downtown Palm Springs comes alive with all kinds of activities and entertainment.

With the U.S. Surgeon General at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.

I flew to Washington after Palm Springs to attend an event at the Smithsonian in tribute to my friend, Faith Ryan Whittlesey, who passed away earlier this year. The gala was held in the large pictorial gallery with a huge glass ceiling. Government officials were present, as were Faith’s family and many friends. I was impressed by one of the speakers at the event, a rather young black man who is the United States Surgeon General. We spoke about our mutual friend, Faith, who took a very active interest, he told me, in his career, and was instrumental in getting him the position he now holds.

At the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The following day, I visited the Vietnam Memorial. I had seen nearly all the main monuments and parks in Washington during other trips, but I missed out on the Vietnam Memorial. This memorial is awe inspiring in its simplicity and tangibility. The name of everyone who lost his or her life in that war is inscribed on the wall. A volunteer was able to direct you to the exact spot on the wall that had the name of a loved one, and would make a print for you of any name you wanted. This dedicated volunteer pointed out how the wall ended with the names of the first and last victims of the war, side by side, to bring about closure.

At the Einstein Memorial in Washington, D.C.

I was photographed beside the huge, Einstein statue in bronze near Connecticut Ave. The genius was holding a tablet inscribed with his famous, scientific formula.

My time in Washington was exciting, connecting with old friends at dinner events and what have you.

I returned to Florida on Saturday, September 29. It was now time to have a vacation after the working vacation.

-Fr. Hugh Duffy