shrine of the most blessed sacrament

The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is located in a peaceful location in the Alabama countryside about an hour drive away from Huntsville and Birmingham. It includes a beautiful church decorated with gold leaf, a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes, a creche, and a very strange replica of a Spanish castle. People of most religious orientations will find it a spiritually refreshing place though it is a bit plasiic compared to other pilgrimage sites. Definitely a great place to stop if you are driving between Birmingham and Huntsville. Beware of the strict dress code (though the staff will provide you with coverings if necessary).

Stayed three nights at the St. Benedict's log cabin guest house. The Shrine is in an absolutely beautiful country setting. A great opportunity to experience peace and relaxation. Highly recommend a visit.

My wife and I visited the Shrine after stopping at the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman. We did not allow enough time for the Shrine and want to return again to experience the full benefit. We did participate in the morning Rosary in the main church. The surroundings are absolutely inspiring as a new traditional design. We then attended Mass in the lower level of the church. The service was very traditional. We enjoyed the exhibits in the main church. The Stations of the Cross and replica of the Lourdes grotto were very nicely done. The grounds are immaculate and must really come to life in spring and summer. The gift shop contains many books and inspirational material, with very few trinkets. Our mistake was not alloting enough time to take the tour of the John Paul II Eucharistic Center. The Shrine is set up for pilgrimages and that may be the best experience but you can have a very inspirational visit on your own.

This was our 2nd trip to this fantastically beautiful shrine and it was even more awe-inspiring than our first visit. first let me say that there is absolutely no doubt that this is a Catholic shrine. It was financed thru contributions raised by Mother Angelica (of EWTN fame), and has daily masses celebrated. In addition to the church itself (fantastically beautiful) there is a building resembling a castle with a gift shop, offices and meeting rooms. The whole place has a "hushed" feeling about it and you will be greatly moved by your visit.

Beware if you are a catholic, nowhere on the entry info board it is mentioned this is a catholic church. I specifically looked for a word 'catholic' everywhere. The lack of the word 'catholic' is significant in my eyes. Looks like some kind of a religious heretical sect with weird rules.

All the wonder and awesomeness of a religious community. Nice gift shop. Great displays of religious history. Worth the detour off the main road

We were so impressed with the beauty and quiet of this place. Our visit was brief and we wish we had thought to bring a lunch so that we could extend our stay in this peaceful place.

The overall beauty of this place will leave you with a true feeling of peace. No matter your religious persuasion, you will appreciate the spirituality that is evident here.

The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is truly spectacular. A little off the beaten path... but so worth it. Irregardless of your personal religious beliefs, I expect you will be able to appreciate the depth of religious feeling that has been poured into this place. Be aware that there are certain areas where a dress code is enforced for the sake of respectfulness.

We unexpectedly stopped here and were spiritually overwhelmed by this shrine's beauty and solemnity. Every faithful Catholic must stop by to feel awed by God's presence! A pilgrimage to Hanceville is highly recommended - you won't regret it. We only wish we would have had more time to spend there!

My husband and I returned to the shrine...to experience the new addition and long awaited opening of the the JP2 Eucharistic Center. We were so blessed this time to experience this new addition to the shrine.Also we had ALMOST FORGOTTEN the incredible peace you experience on the campus of the shrine. For anyone who reads this........ PLEASE take the time to experience this place....the incredible PEACE we experienced is still with us nearly a month later.

No sleeveless tops, no shorts (and I don't think capris), skirts above the knee. In other words, I was stopped ASAP. They offer robes to put over your clothes, if you choose to continue the visit on the grounds. Photography is a no-no. Show respect. This amazing place is the vision of Mother Angelica, and is affiliated with the Eternal Word Television Network. No "church money" was used to build this shrine, costs paid for by five generous private donors. There is plenty to see. Or just serene place of peace to quietly pray to our Lord.

No expense was spared in this magnificent shrine. It's situation on hundreds of well- groomed sprawling acreage almost in central rural Alabama about half way between Birmingham and Huntsville. Mother Angelica was instrumental in raising the funds to build this monastery for a mostly cloistered community. There are however, many well- informed guides. The castle-like structure has been constructed with a Euroean influence and built to minimize maintainable. It is spectacular and should appeal to all ages and religions.

This shrine is a place of prayer. Now it has been enhanced by the opening of the John Paul II Eucharistic Center which depicts the history of God's covenant with man throughout history. It is well done and very inspirational for people of all faiths.

A must-visit for Catholics!The entrance alone going to the Shrine is peaceful, serene and beautiful - you just need to stop and look at how the place was designed by Mother Angelica. Marvelous!I recommend the 7am Mass instead of the 10am Mass on the Sunday. The 10am Mass is the conventional Mass for the public, however, the 7am Sunday Mass is for the Nuns, and when you hear them sing during the Mass... ... ...The church architecture is truly magnificent! Visit the Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Center, and take the tour. The rich history, background and videos add to the touch of the place, with the history of Saints and lots of visual aids adorn the place.We attended the procession on June 22 on the Feast of the Corpus Christi, and they had it televised in the EWTN channel as well as in Youtube. The overall experience was amazing.There is even a Lourdes Grotto in the premises, plus a place to meditate on the Stations of the Cross.This place is for Catholics and non-Catholics alike...