Final Serendipity

Written from home in NJ:
As I've noted, we occasionally take a moment out of our planned itinerary because a sign said that something vaguely interesting was just off to the right or left. Our final testament to this came from three places, all spiritual and inspiring.
The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. When our brother Joe died last year, one of the ways to remember him was to contribute to this small memorial in Emmittsburg, Maryland, just south of Gettysburg. As we made our way toward the battlefield, a sign told us of the memorial. It is on the grounds of the National Fire Training Academy (formerly the College of the Daughters of Charity) and the headquarters of FEMA, whom I'm sure you recall from Hurricane Katrina days. Because it is federal property, you need to sign in and wear visitor tags. But the memorial is lovely and touching in its simplicity and worth the visit. An eternal flame reminds us of how many of these men and women met their end. Plaques note the year and state they were from. One plaque by itself lists the names of the firefighters in NYC on 9/11. Nearby, a 20 foot sculpture depicts the famous picture of firemen raising the flag at Ground Zero.
Right next door is the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, aka Mother Seton. Her shrine is an expansive basilica, decorated with mosaic and stained glass. A side altar allows a brief prayer to the saint, whose earthly remains are buried a few feet below the altar. The lower level is a testament to her life: her marriage and early widowhood; her conversion from the Episcopal Church; her founding of the Daughters/Sisters of Charity and its work in schools and healthcare.
Again, a beautiful and inspiring center of contemplation.
St. Meinrad's Abbey, Indiana. Most of us at some point have run into the catalog from "Abbey Press" with its quasi-religious posters or sayings and collectibles. As we drove along I-64, there was a sign for St. Meinrad, the town. Since we get the catalog, Patty recognized the name. It is an abbey of Benedictine Monks who work on two basic businesses: the books, posters et al; and caskets. They also have a beautiful church, built in 1904 and remodeled in the 1990s. We stumbled onto a tour being given by one of the monks, so that we were able to get a first-hand look at the church, the lower chapel (which evokes the Byzantine rite), and the garden, for which our tour guide was the primary caretaker.
The visits made us slightly late for our intended destinations, but I look forward to more traveling where time is not of the essence and we can folow the rules of serendipity as we will.