It's hard to believe, but this will most likely be our final post from our pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Paul. Tomorrow morning, we begin the long journey back to Indiana. I do plan to upload pictures once I return home - adding pictures to the blog turned out to be more time-consuming and complicated than I had anticipated. So be sure to check back in the coming days for a photo retrospective of our pilgrimage. But first, reflections on our final day.
We began this morning by traveling south of Athens to the Peloponessian Peninsula, about 90 minutes from the center of Athens. We made a quick stop at the Corinth Canal, built in 1893 to connect the Aegean and Ionian Seas and provide a much shorter route for ships than around the peninsula. Our sightseeing proper began at the ancient city of Mycenae. One of the two great ancient European civilizations - the other being the Minoans on Crete - the Myceneans reached their height during the Bronze Age, around 1500 BC. This confederation of kingdoms included such cities as Sparta and Athens, but its center was the city of Mycenae. Today, we know the most about this civilation from Homer's epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Half of those involved in the famous Trojan War were Myceneans, including their commander, King Agammemnon of Mycenae. The city of Mycenae was lost for centuries before being rediscovered in the 1870s. Today, you can visit the acropolis of the city, including the foundations of the palace buildings of the kings, various other foundations, and the famous Mycenean tombs. We viewed two different tombs, including one that is thought to be the Tomb of Agammemnon. All that remains now are the foundations of the buildings, but many treasures and objects made of gold were discovered at the site in the 1870s - we viewed these treasures on our first day in Greece at the National Archeological Museum in Athens.
Following our visit to Mycenae, we traveled to ancient Corinth where we began with lunch at outside restaurants just outside the archeological site. Corinth was a major trade and commercial city in the ancient world, and at the time of St. Paul was one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire, probably even more significant than Athens. St. Paul spent 18 months living in Corinth, where he practiced his trade as a tentmaker along with Priscilla and Aquila. He later wrote at least four letters to the church in Corinth, two of which are preserved in the New Testament. Today, ancient Corinth is a ruined archeological site with two noteworthy components - a few columns of an ancient Temple to Apollo which is the oldest stone temple in Greece, and significant remains from the Roman Agora or marketplace. The agora contained shops and workshops, most likely including Paul's tent shop. It also includes the Bema, the speaker's platform from which politicians and religious leaders, including Paul, would address the community. While we were there, workers were setting up a platform on the Bema in preparation for tomorrow's conclusion to the Year of St. Paul, when the Archbishop of Athens and a Papal Representative will visit Corinth and speak to the people from the same spot where St. Paul spoke. While standing in the Agora, we also read the words of St. Paul - his famous treatise on love from 1 Corinthians 13.
The afternoon concluded with Mass. Since all of Corinth is an archeological site, and there are no Catholic churches in the area (only Orthodox churches), we celebrated an outdoor Mass at Cenchrae. Mentioned briefly in Acts 18.18, Cenchrae is the port city of Corinth. Located right on the Aegean Sea, this is where St. Paul would have sailed in and out of Corinth. There are just a few ruins left of the ancient port, but we were able to celebrate Mass among the ruins, right on the water - and with a public beach not too far away! Really for the only time during this pilgrimage, we had the opportunity to celebrate Mass very much on ground where St. Paul walked, using the stone blocks of the port as an altar and seating area. As has often happened during our Masses, as the Mass went on we slowly gathered a small crowd of people who were passing by, saw what was happening, and were drawn to us. It was quite moving and a fitting way to conclude our pilgrimage In the Footsteps of St. Paul.
In just a few minutes, we will leave the hotel for a farewell dinner at a restaurant in the Plaka, an old neighborhood in the shadow of the Acropolis here in Athens. Then, after one final night of sleep, we will bid farewell to Greece and the Mediterranean and bring our experiences and stories back to all of you, our family and friends whom we look forward to seeing!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day Eleven - Rome/Athens
It's hard to believe, but our pilgrimage is winding down. Tomorrow is our last full day of activities before flying home. As you can tell through this blog, it has been a wonderful and life-changing experience for all of us. To family members and friends who have been following our journey, know that we all can't wait to see you soon and share the blessings of the pilgrimage. But we're not done yet!
This morning, we began the day early with Mass at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the church where the original of this icon is preserved. It was quite a privilege to be able to celebrate Mass at the main altar in this church, directly in front of the image. As has been typical for our Masses throughout the pilgrimage, a few other people joined us for Mass who were just passing through the area or who had stopped in the church for a prayer at the beginning of the day and saw that Mass was being celebrated. From the church, we headed to the airport for check-in for our flight to Athens. At the airport, we bid farewell to our Tour Escort, Mary. For those who have not been on an organized tour like this, there are many details that you cannot even begin to imagine would need to be taken care of. Mary was with us the entire time while we were in Rome, and her sole responsibility was to make sure that everything happened as it was supposed to and that we had everything we needed. Among other things, she kept us updated with the daily schedule, confirmed all buses and drivers, served as a laiason with the churches where we celebrated Mass, made sure everything was taken care of at the hotel, and helped everyone learn how to get around Rome, from directions to the best gelato to instructions on how to use the subway system. Mary was an excellent Tour Escort and made our trip to Rome much more enjoyable. Today, she flies to London to lead another tour group, this time through seven European countries!
Our flight to Athens was a bit delayed, but otherwise fairly uneventful. We met our transfer assistant and bus at the Athens airport and then drove into Athens to meet our tour guide, Evie, who had also been with us on our last day in Athens. Today, Evie took us on a tour of the Acropolis, definitely the most famous site in all of Greece. On a hill overlooking the city (about 80 steps up - nothing like the 300 steps to the Acropolis of Lindos that we visited on Rhodes!), the Acropolis was the ancient place of worship for the Greek people. It is dominated by the massive Parthenon, the temple to the goddess Athena - we all know what it looks like, but to be standing right in front of it, you really appreciate how large and imposing a structure it is. There are several other temples located on the Acropolis as well that we toured. We then visited the ancient Olympic Stadium, used for games in ancient times and reconstructed for the first of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. When the Olympics were held in Athens in 2004, this stadium was the site for the archery contests, the oldest Olympic sport, and the finish line for the marathon race. On tablets next to the stadium are lists of all cities that have hosted the Olympic Games since 1896 - all listed in Greek, of course! We then made a quick visit to the Temple of Zeus, a Roman temple built by the Emperor Hadrian that was actually larger than the Parthenon. Today, only 16 of the origial 104 columns survive, so it is not nearly as imposing a structure as the temples on the Acropolis.
After checking in at our hotel, we were off to a buffet Greek dinner in the hotel restaurant, and then a free evening. Tomorrow morning, we head to the Peloponnesian Peninsula for visits to the ancient sites of Corinth and Mycenae. We will end our pilgrimage by visiting one of the most important cities where St. Paul lived as well as one of the most ancient civilizations in the world.
This morning, we began the day early with Mass at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome, celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the church where the original of this icon is preserved. It was quite a privilege to be able to celebrate Mass at the main altar in this church, directly in front of the image. As has been typical for our Masses throughout the pilgrimage, a few other people joined us for Mass who were just passing through the area or who had stopped in the church for a prayer at the beginning of the day and saw that Mass was being celebrated. From the church, we headed to the airport for check-in for our flight to Athens. At the airport, we bid farewell to our Tour Escort, Mary. For those who have not been on an organized tour like this, there are many details that you cannot even begin to imagine would need to be taken care of. Mary was with us the entire time while we were in Rome, and her sole responsibility was to make sure that everything happened as it was supposed to and that we had everything we needed. Among other things, she kept us updated with the daily schedule, confirmed all buses and drivers, served as a laiason with the churches where we celebrated Mass, made sure everything was taken care of at the hotel, and helped everyone learn how to get around Rome, from directions to the best gelato to instructions on how to use the subway system. Mary was an excellent Tour Escort and made our trip to Rome much more enjoyable. Today, she flies to London to lead another tour group, this time through seven European countries!
Our flight to Athens was a bit delayed, but otherwise fairly uneventful. We met our transfer assistant and bus at the Athens airport and then drove into Athens to meet our tour guide, Evie, who had also been with us on our last day in Athens. Today, Evie took us on a tour of the Acropolis, definitely the most famous site in all of Greece. On a hill overlooking the city (about 80 steps up - nothing like the 300 steps to the Acropolis of Lindos that we visited on Rhodes!), the Acropolis was the ancient place of worship for the Greek people. It is dominated by the massive Parthenon, the temple to the goddess Athena - we all know what it looks like, but to be standing right in front of it, you really appreciate how large and imposing a structure it is. There are several other temples located on the Acropolis as well that we toured. We then visited the ancient Olympic Stadium, used for games in ancient times and reconstructed for the first of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. When the Olympics were held in Athens in 2004, this stadium was the site for the archery contests, the oldest Olympic sport, and the finish line for the marathon race. On tablets next to the stadium are lists of all cities that have hosted the Olympic Games since 1896 - all listed in Greek, of course! We then made a quick visit to the Temple of Zeus, a Roman temple built by the Emperor Hadrian that was actually larger than the Parthenon. Today, only 16 of the origial 104 columns survive, so it is not nearly as imposing a structure as the temples on the Acropolis.
After checking in at our hotel, we were off to a buffet Greek dinner in the hotel restaurant, and then a free evening. Tomorrow morning, we head to the Peloponnesian Peninsula for visits to the ancient sites of Corinth and Mycenae. We will end our pilgrimage by visiting one of the most important cities where St. Paul lived as well as one of the most ancient civilizations in the world.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Day Ten - Rome
Today, our last full day in Rome, has definitely been the most relaxed of our tour days - although filled with visits to several important churches. Our departure time was the latest of the entire trip - we didn't leave the hotel until 9:30 this morning! - although some people took the opportunity of a later group start to go off on their own to some holy sites in the early morning. We began our group tour by visiting the Basilica of St. Clement, one of the best places in Rome to see the history of the city and church architecture in one place. The current basilica, built in the 12th century, was constructed on top of a 4th century basilica, which was constructed on top of a series of 1st century Roman houses. Excavations over the past 100 years allow you to tour all three levels, giving you a great picture of how the city of Rome and church architecture has developed. We then traveled to the Scala Santa, or Holy Stairs, a church which contains the staircase from Pilate's house in Jerusalem that Constantine's mother, Helena, brought to Rome. These were the very stairs that Jesus walked up on his way to be judged by Pilate. The stone stairs are now covered with wood, and pilgrims are only allowed to climb them on their knees. Several of our pilgrims did this, while others walked up a parallel staircase while praying.
The Scala Santa is right next to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral Church of Rome and the mother church of the entire world. As with yesterday, we arrived at St. John Lateran while a large group of pilgrims was preparing to celebrate Mass at the main altar, so we visited the Basilica as best we could, without being able to go to the central part of the church. After a short lunch break - for most of us, pizza and gelato - we visited the Church of St. Alphonsus, where the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is kept above the main altar. We will have Mass here tomorrow, on the actual feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, but we don't have a lot of extra time before we will have to head to the airport, so we scheduled a more extended visit today. We stopped to pray as a group in front of the icon, praying especially for the members of OLPH parish in New Albany. On our way out of the church, I noticed a mosaic in a side chapel of an American saint - unusual for Rome! He is St. John Neumann, bishop of Philadelphia in the 1840s and father of Catholic education in the US. He was a member of the Redemptorist religious order, founded by St. Alphonsus Ligouri, and thus it is appropriate that his image be in the church run by his order. We then visited the fourth and final of the Four Major Basilicas of Rome - St. Mary Major. The oldest and largest church in Rome dedicated to Mary, this beautiful basilica has some ancient mosaics and the ceiling is covered with gold that is believed to be the first gold brought by Christopher Columbus from the New World. Here, we celebrated our daily Mass in a side chapel, and then we returned to the hotel for a siesta time before dinner. A few of us went back into the city during the siesta time to visit some places again or do some shopping. We then gathered at the hotel for our final dinner in Rome, and of course a mandatory walk to find some gelato after dinner. Tomorrow morning, we will have Mass at the Church of St. Alphonsus and then fly to Athens for the final two days of our trip.
We have heard from some family members of pilgrims that there was a heavy rainstorm in southern Indiana this morning, and we hope everyone is well. Here, we have yet to see a single raindrop since we arrived in Europe - although there are some scattered storms forecasted for tomorrow morning. We have enjoyed the weather here in Rome - sunny skies with high temperatures around 80 each day - and we're not especially looking forward to returning to Greece, where the temperatures are about 10 degrees warmer. I think everyone in the group is ready to make a return trip to Rome - and we haven't even left yet! Pentecost Tours and our on-site tour escort, Mary, have made this a wonderful, memorable, and spiritually uplifting trip in many ways, and we can't wait to share our experiences (and pictures!) when we return to the States. But first ... back to Greece.
The Scala Santa is right next to the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral Church of Rome and the mother church of the entire world. As with yesterday, we arrived at St. John Lateran while a large group of pilgrims was preparing to celebrate Mass at the main altar, so we visited the Basilica as best we could, without being able to go to the central part of the church. After a short lunch break - for most of us, pizza and gelato - we visited the Church of St. Alphonsus, where the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is kept above the main altar. We will have Mass here tomorrow, on the actual feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, but we don't have a lot of extra time before we will have to head to the airport, so we scheduled a more extended visit today. We stopped to pray as a group in front of the icon, praying especially for the members of OLPH parish in New Albany. On our way out of the church, I noticed a mosaic in a side chapel of an American saint - unusual for Rome! He is St. John Neumann, bishop of Philadelphia in the 1840s and father of Catholic education in the US. He was a member of the Redemptorist religious order, founded by St. Alphonsus Ligouri, and thus it is appropriate that his image be in the church run by his order. We then visited the fourth and final of the Four Major Basilicas of Rome - St. Mary Major. The oldest and largest church in Rome dedicated to Mary, this beautiful basilica has some ancient mosaics and the ceiling is covered with gold that is believed to be the first gold brought by Christopher Columbus from the New World. Here, we celebrated our daily Mass in a side chapel, and then we returned to the hotel for a siesta time before dinner. A few of us went back into the city during the siesta time to visit some places again or do some shopping. We then gathered at the hotel for our final dinner in Rome, and of course a mandatory walk to find some gelato after dinner. Tomorrow morning, we will have Mass at the Church of St. Alphonsus and then fly to Athens for the final two days of our trip.
We have heard from some family members of pilgrims that there was a heavy rainstorm in southern Indiana this morning, and we hope everyone is well. Here, we have yet to see a single raindrop since we arrived in Europe - although there are some scattered storms forecasted for tomorrow morning. We have enjoyed the weather here in Rome - sunny skies with high temperatures around 80 each day - and we're not especially looking forward to returning to Greece, where the temperatures are about 10 degrees warmer. I think everyone in the group is ready to make a return trip to Rome - and we haven't even left yet! Pentecost Tours and our on-site tour escort, Mary, have made this a wonderful, memorable, and spiritually uplifting trip in many ways, and we can't wait to share our experiences (and pictures!) when we return to the States. But first ... back to Greece.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Day Nine - Rome
Today we officially celebrated the Year of St. Paul in Rome, with some other stops along the way. We began at the Church of Saints John and Paul, referring not to Paul the apostle but to 3rd-century Roman martyrs. The church that was built over the house of these two brothers is one of the oldest in Rome and is also one of the most popular wedding churches in Rome. After a brief visit to this church, we officially began a Pauline Pilgrimage.
The Pauline Pilgrimage began at the Abbey of Tre Fontane, or Three Fountains. There are three churches at this abbey, the church for the Trappist monks who live hear, a church called Stairs to Heaven dedicated to St. Bernard of Clairvaux who lived here while in Rome, and the Church of the Three Fountains. Our purpose for coming here was in this last church, for it was here that St. Paul was executed. After being held at the Mamertine Prison in the heart of Rome (which we visited two days ago), St. Paul was brought outside the walls of the city to be killed. Executions were always done outside the city walls for hygenic reasons and because death was thought to make a place unclean. Since St. Paul was a Roman citizen (unlike St. Peter), he was not crucified, a punishment reserved for non-citizens. Instead, he was decapitated by sword. Tradition says that his head bounced three times and that fountains sprung up at each place - hence the name of the church, Three Fountains, where these springs are preserved. Mass was going on as we visited the church, but we made a quiet visit inside and then gathered outside to read from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy, where he says that his departure is at hand and that he has run the good race (2 Timothy 4.1-8).
We then continued to the ultimate destination of our Pauline Pilgrimage, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. After being executed, St. Paul was buried less than a mile away from the place of his death in a small cemetery. When Christianity was legalized by the Emperor Constantine, he ordered a church to be built over the tombs of both St. Peter and St. Paul. The church built over St. Paul's tomb was rebuilt several times then destroyed by fire in the 19th century, so most of the present church is less than 200 years old. As we arrived at the Basilica, there were dozens of buses lined up outside - our guide, Sylvia, said that she had never seen this many buses. Our first stop on the agenda was a private Mass, which we had arranged ahead of time. Any group can arrange for a private group Mass at any of the Major Basilicas of Rome, and especially during the Year of St. Paul, many groups have been requesting private Masses in the church where St. Paul is buried. As it turned out, all those buses were carrying a group of 2,500 pilgrims who are members of a prayer group and had arranged for a private group Mass at the Basilica. Since the group was so large, they were given the main nave of the church for their Mass, which was being celebrated by the Cardinal Archpriest of the Basilica and several bishops and priests, all of whom were in the sacristy when I arrived to get ready for our small group Mass. We were assigned to the Chapel of St. Benedict - honoring the Benedictine monks who are responsible for the care of this Basilica. Another small group was also celebrating Mass in a neighboring chapel. Because of the large group Mass in the main part of the church, it was impossible for us to approach the tomb of St. Paul after our group Mass was finished. So we left the basilica to go to a local cafeteria-style restaurant for lunch, then returned as the large pilgrimage group was leaving. With the Basilica much less crowded, we were able to pray individually at the tomb of St. Paul and visit the rest of the basilica.
After leaving St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, we went to the Catacombs of St. Callistus for a tour. The largest of the many catacombs in Rome, this Christian cemetery is the final resting place of more than 500,000 Christians who died between the 3rd and 9th centuries. A local guide led us through the catacombs. We were then scheduled to visit a small church called Domine, Quo Vadis?, but it is closed for restoration, so our guide instead suggested that we visit Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, or the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Located very near our hotel, it is one of the seven Pilgrimage Churches in Rome. Built at the request of St. Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, it was built to house the relics of Christ's passion that she brought back from Jerusalem - a piece of the true cross, a nail, two thorns, and part of the inscription above the cross. These relics are kept in a chapel behind the main altar. After visiting this church, we returned to the hotel, where we are on a two-hour siesta before dinner. Tomorrow, we have the latest start time of the whole trip - 9:30 am! - and will visit the other two Major Basilicas, St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major, as well as some other important churches. It will be our last full day in Rome before we head back to Athens on Saturday morning.
The Pauline Pilgrimage began at the Abbey of Tre Fontane, or Three Fountains. There are three churches at this abbey, the church for the Trappist monks who live hear, a church called Stairs to Heaven dedicated to St. Bernard of Clairvaux who lived here while in Rome, and the Church of the Three Fountains. Our purpose for coming here was in this last church, for it was here that St. Paul was executed. After being held at the Mamertine Prison in the heart of Rome (which we visited two days ago), St. Paul was brought outside the walls of the city to be killed. Executions were always done outside the city walls for hygenic reasons and because death was thought to make a place unclean. Since St. Paul was a Roman citizen (unlike St. Peter), he was not crucified, a punishment reserved for non-citizens. Instead, he was decapitated by sword. Tradition says that his head bounced three times and that fountains sprung up at each place - hence the name of the church, Three Fountains, where these springs are preserved. Mass was going on as we visited the church, but we made a quiet visit inside and then gathered outside to read from St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy, where he says that his departure is at hand and that he has run the good race (2 Timothy 4.1-8).
We then continued to the ultimate destination of our Pauline Pilgrimage, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. After being executed, St. Paul was buried less than a mile away from the place of his death in a small cemetery. When Christianity was legalized by the Emperor Constantine, he ordered a church to be built over the tombs of both St. Peter and St. Paul. The church built over St. Paul's tomb was rebuilt several times then destroyed by fire in the 19th century, so most of the present church is less than 200 years old. As we arrived at the Basilica, there were dozens of buses lined up outside - our guide, Sylvia, said that she had never seen this many buses. Our first stop on the agenda was a private Mass, which we had arranged ahead of time. Any group can arrange for a private group Mass at any of the Major Basilicas of Rome, and especially during the Year of St. Paul, many groups have been requesting private Masses in the church where St. Paul is buried. As it turned out, all those buses were carrying a group of 2,500 pilgrims who are members of a prayer group and had arranged for a private group Mass at the Basilica. Since the group was so large, they were given the main nave of the church for their Mass, which was being celebrated by the Cardinal Archpriest of the Basilica and several bishops and priests, all of whom were in the sacristy when I arrived to get ready for our small group Mass. We were assigned to the Chapel of St. Benedict - honoring the Benedictine monks who are responsible for the care of this Basilica. Another small group was also celebrating Mass in a neighboring chapel. Because of the large group Mass in the main part of the church, it was impossible for us to approach the tomb of St. Paul after our group Mass was finished. So we left the basilica to go to a local cafeteria-style restaurant for lunch, then returned as the large pilgrimage group was leaving. With the Basilica much less crowded, we were able to pray individually at the tomb of St. Paul and visit the rest of the basilica.
After leaving St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, we went to the Catacombs of St. Callistus for a tour. The largest of the many catacombs in Rome, this Christian cemetery is the final resting place of more than 500,000 Christians who died between the 3rd and 9th centuries. A local guide led us through the catacombs. We were then scheduled to visit a small church called Domine, Quo Vadis?, but it is closed for restoration, so our guide instead suggested that we visit Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, or the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. Located very near our hotel, it is one of the seven Pilgrimage Churches in Rome. Built at the request of St. Helena, mother of the emperor Constantine, it was built to house the relics of Christ's passion that she brought back from Jerusalem - a piece of the true cross, a nail, two thorns, and part of the inscription above the cross. These relics are kept in a chapel behind the main altar. After visiting this church, we returned to the hotel, where we are on a two-hour siesta before dinner. Tomorrow, we have the latest start time of the whole trip - 9:30 am! - and will visit the other two Major Basilicas, St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major, as well as some other important churches. It will be our last full day in Rome before we head back to Athens on Saturday morning.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Day Eight - Rome
Another wonderful day! Although there were few scheduled activities for the day, it once again has been memorable and uplifting. We began the day with an early Mass at the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia, one of the most beautiful of the smaller churches in Rome. Located just around the corner from St. Peter's Square, the inside of the church is decorated with many colorful frescos, paintings, and sculptures. We were able to celebrate Mass at the main altar in the church just with our group - our tour escort, Mary, said that she has never had a group that has been able to have their own private Mass at the main altar in this church, so it was quite special. Following Mass, we made the short walk to St. Peter's Square for the weekly General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI. Since we got their fairly early, we were able to have seats in the front, left-hand section of the square. During the hour-and-a-half wait before the start of the audience, the square gradually filled with Catholics from all over the world. Near us, there was a family from Massachusettes stationed with the military in Germany; a parish group from Pamplona, Spain; and a group from Italy. It was a beautiful day in Rome - blue skies with some white clouds and temperatures in the upper 70s - so it was fairly comfortable sitting in the square waiting for the General Audience to begin.
Around 10:30, Pope Benedict entered the square on his open-air papal jeep to great applause. He passed through many sections of the crowd, although not ours, but we were able to have decent views once he arrived in the front of the square. The audience began with a reading from a Psalm in several languages, followed by the Holy Father's weekly catechetical talk. This week, he remarked on the end of the Year of St. Paul, the beginning of the Year for Priests, and today's feast of St. John the Baptist, making a connection between the three saints celebrated (St. John Vianney for the Year for Priests) and how they completely gave their lives to Christ. The talk was in Italian, but the Holy Father later gave a summary in several languages, including English. After the talk, representatives of several major language groups spoke to the Holy Father and introduced groups from their language - French, German, English, Spanish, Polish, and Italian. In the English speaking section, the priest speaking specifically welcomed the group from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany, Indiana - we cheered and the Holy Father waved at us. Most of the group did not know that we would be announced, so this was a pleasant suprise. Following all of the announcements, the Holy Father began the singing of the Our Father in Latin, and then gave his Apostolic Blessing to those present, to their family members at home, and upon all religious articles that people had brought to be blessed.
At this point, most people thought the General Audience was over, and so they began to leave. But our tour escort told us that it is not, and that we should make our way to the very front left-hand section, which is where the Holy Father leaves the sqaure after greeting bishops, dignitaries, and newly married couples. There were many people to greet, so it took a while for the Holy Father to finish - but we persevered and waited, most of us in the second or third row of people behind the barrier. When he finished the greetings, the Holy Father got back into his open-air papal jeep, which took him down from the platform area and directly in front of our section before leaving the square. We were no more than 10 feet away from the Holy Father - he was literally right in front of us, waving and smiling as he left St. Peter's Square - a very moving and unforgettable experience!
Just this morning could have been a full day, and so this afternoon we had free time to explore the evening however we wanted. The bus took us to a central point in the historic center of Rome, near the Trevi Fountain, and smaller groups went off throughout the city for the afternoon. Of those who have returned to the hotel, they visited the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Church of St. Agnes in Agony, the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the Spanish Steps, and much more. This evening, dinner is on our own - some are planning on checking out a local trattoria in the neighborhood of the hotel that our tour escort recommended. And, of course, many of us are sampling the best Roman dessert - gelato! After a more relaxed evening, tomorrow we continue our pilgrimage to the great Basilicas of Rome and move forward in the Footsteps of St. Paul.
Around 10:30, Pope Benedict entered the square on his open-air papal jeep to great applause. He passed through many sections of the crowd, although not ours, but we were able to have decent views once he arrived in the front of the square. The audience began with a reading from a Psalm in several languages, followed by the Holy Father's weekly catechetical talk. This week, he remarked on the end of the Year of St. Paul, the beginning of the Year for Priests, and today's feast of St. John the Baptist, making a connection between the three saints celebrated (St. John Vianney for the Year for Priests) and how they completely gave their lives to Christ. The talk was in Italian, but the Holy Father later gave a summary in several languages, including English. After the talk, representatives of several major language groups spoke to the Holy Father and introduced groups from their language - French, German, English, Spanish, Polish, and Italian. In the English speaking section, the priest speaking specifically welcomed the group from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany, Indiana - we cheered and the Holy Father waved at us. Most of the group did not know that we would be announced, so this was a pleasant suprise. Following all of the announcements, the Holy Father began the singing of the Our Father in Latin, and then gave his Apostolic Blessing to those present, to their family members at home, and upon all religious articles that people had brought to be blessed.
At this point, most people thought the General Audience was over, and so they began to leave. But our tour escort told us that it is not, and that we should make our way to the very front left-hand section, which is where the Holy Father leaves the sqaure after greeting bishops, dignitaries, and newly married couples. There were many people to greet, so it took a while for the Holy Father to finish - but we persevered and waited, most of us in the second or third row of people behind the barrier. When he finished the greetings, the Holy Father got back into his open-air papal jeep, which took him down from the platform area and directly in front of our section before leaving the square. We were no more than 10 feet away from the Holy Father - he was literally right in front of us, waving and smiling as he left St. Peter's Square - a very moving and unforgettable experience!
Just this morning could have been a full day, and so this afternoon we had free time to explore the evening however we wanted. The bus took us to a central point in the historic center of Rome, near the Trevi Fountain, and smaller groups went off throughout the city for the afternoon. Of those who have returned to the hotel, they visited the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Church of St. Agnes in Agony, the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the Spanish Steps, and much more. This evening, dinner is on our own - some are planning on checking out a local trattoria in the neighborhood of the hotel that our tour escort recommended. And, of course, many of us are sampling the best Roman dessert - gelato! After a more relaxed evening, tomorrow we continue our pilgrimage to the great Basilicas of Rome and move forward in the Footsteps of St. Paul.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day Seven - Rome
Wow! This has been quite a day, and there aren't adequate words to explain all that we have experienced today. But, as always, I will try.
We began the day with Mass in the Chapel of the Patron Saints of Europe in the Vatican Grottos, in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica and just feet from the tomb of St. Peter. I think everyone on the pilgrimage would agree that this Mass has been the most spiritually moving and emotional highlight of our trip thus far. Our private Mass in this chapel was early in the morning, when only groups celebrating Mass are allowed in St. Peter's, so it truly was able to be a time of prayer. Being in such a holy place and in close proximity to the tomb of St. Peter made for a memorable Mass as well. But the choir that was singing in a neighboring chapel was angelic. A beautiful choir was singing for a Mass in another chapel in the Grotto area, and the stone walls and floors of the Grotto carried their sound throughout all the other chapels. As we celebrated Mass, these angelic voices in a cappella harmony filled our chapel and heightened our prayer to a point that surely was nothing less than a foretaste of heaven. There was no doubt that God was present with us this morning, and this Mass helped us remember that we are first of all on pilgrimage, praying in the footsteps of the apostles and those countless Christians who have gone before us but are on the same path that we are.
Following Mass, the group continued to the Vatican Museums, one of the great museums of the world, where they met our local guide for the week, Sylvia. The tour of the Vatican Museums included the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's famous frescos, ancient Greek, Roman and Christian sculptures and much more. While the group toured the Vatican Museums, I went off on a side pilgrimage of my own, having been to the museums before. I took the Rome Metro to the Christian Brothers Generalate, the headquarters of the order that runs La Salle University, my alma mater. There, I prayed at the tomb of St. John Baptist de la Salle, the founder of the Christian Brothers and the patron saint of teachers. I rejoined the group in time for the tour of St. Peter's Basilica. Having already been in the church in the morning for Mass, this tour was an opportunity to walk through the basilica more slowly and admire the art (like Michelangelo's Pieta and the famous statue of St. Peter), as well as the tombs of saints and popes from St. Peter to Blessed John XXIII to Pope John Paul II. St. Peter's is the largest church in the world, the burial place of over 170 popes, and the center of the Catholic world. After today's visit, we all understand better the great history and universality of the Catholic church - it is all here at St. Peter's.
After a brief lunch and time for shopping, we switched gears from Christian Rome to ancient Rome. Sylvia took us on a tour of the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, some of the largest excavated ruins of ancient Rome. We also visited the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, patrons of doctors, which has some of the oldest frescos in Rome. The highlight of the afternoon was a visit to the Mamertine Prison, just off the main section of the Roman Forum, where both St. Peter and St. Paul were imprisoned before they were executed. This tiny, dark prison certainly helps us understand the conditions that these apostles endured under the Roman persecutions. But they continued ministering and spreading the gospel, even as their own deaths approached, baptizing people in the prison itself, including the guards. We prayed in the Mamertine Prison as a further step in our journey in the Footsteps of St. Paul.
As you can imagine, this was a long day! We had a couple hours of well-deserved rest late in the afternoon before dinner at the hotel. Some of us also explored the neighborhood around the hotel, a charming traditional Roman neighborhood. After dinner, several of us did a very Italian thing - we took an after-dinner stroll to find some gelato! Now, our stomachs filled and our feet tired, it is time to rest another night before tomorrow's Papal Audience with Pope Benedict XVI. We have a free afternoon tomorrow as well, so I hope to post an update on the Papal Audience as soon as I can.
We began the day with Mass in the Chapel of the Patron Saints of Europe in the Vatican Grottos, in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica and just feet from the tomb of St. Peter. I think everyone on the pilgrimage would agree that this Mass has been the most spiritually moving and emotional highlight of our trip thus far. Our private Mass in this chapel was early in the morning, when only groups celebrating Mass are allowed in St. Peter's, so it truly was able to be a time of prayer. Being in such a holy place and in close proximity to the tomb of St. Peter made for a memorable Mass as well. But the choir that was singing in a neighboring chapel was angelic. A beautiful choir was singing for a Mass in another chapel in the Grotto area, and the stone walls and floors of the Grotto carried their sound throughout all the other chapels. As we celebrated Mass, these angelic voices in a cappella harmony filled our chapel and heightened our prayer to a point that surely was nothing less than a foretaste of heaven. There was no doubt that God was present with us this morning, and this Mass helped us remember that we are first of all on pilgrimage, praying in the footsteps of the apostles and those countless Christians who have gone before us but are on the same path that we are.
Following Mass, the group continued to the Vatican Museums, one of the great museums of the world, where they met our local guide for the week, Sylvia. The tour of the Vatican Museums included the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo's famous frescos, ancient Greek, Roman and Christian sculptures and much more. While the group toured the Vatican Museums, I went off on a side pilgrimage of my own, having been to the museums before. I took the Rome Metro to the Christian Brothers Generalate, the headquarters of the order that runs La Salle University, my alma mater. There, I prayed at the tomb of St. John Baptist de la Salle, the founder of the Christian Brothers and the patron saint of teachers. I rejoined the group in time for the tour of St. Peter's Basilica. Having already been in the church in the morning for Mass, this tour was an opportunity to walk through the basilica more slowly and admire the art (like Michelangelo's Pieta and the famous statue of St. Peter), as well as the tombs of saints and popes from St. Peter to Blessed John XXIII to Pope John Paul II. St. Peter's is the largest church in the world, the burial place of over 170 popes, and the center of the Catholic world. After today's visit, we all understand better the great history and universality of the Catholic church - it is all here at St. Peter's.
After a brief lunch and time for shopping, we switched gears from Christian Rome to ancient Rome. Sylvia took us on a tour of the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum, some of the largest excavated ruins of ancient Rome. We also visited the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, patrons of doctors, which has some of the oldest frescos in Rome. The highlight of the afternoon was a visit to the Mamertine Prison, just off the main section of the Roman Forum, where both St. Peter and St. Paul were imprisoned before they were executed. This tiny, dark prison certainly helps us understand the conditions that these apostles endured under the Roman persecutions. But they continued ministering and spreading the gospel, even as their own deaths approached, baptizing people in the prison itself, including the guards. We prayed in the Mamertine Prison as a further step in our journey in the Footsteps of St. Paul.
As you can imagine, this was a long day! We had a couple hours of well-deserved rest late in the afternoon before dinner at the hotel. Some of us also explored the neighborhood around the hotel, a charming traditional Roman neighborhood. After dinner, several of us did a very Italian thing - we took an after-dinner stroll to find some gelato! Now, our stomachs filled and our feet tired, it is time to rest another night before tomorrow's Papal Audience with Pope Benedict XVI. We have a free afternoon tomorrow as well, so I hope to post an update on the Papal Audience as soon as I can.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Day Six - Athens/Rome
The airport in Athens is one of the newest major airports in the world, built for the 2004 Olympic Games held here. As a new airport, it also has great new technology, like free internet access! So today's post comes from the airport in Athens, where we are waiting for our early evening flight to Rome.
This morning, our cruise ship docked at Pireaus, the port of Athens. After a fairly lengthy disembarkation process, we met our transfer assistant, Valerie, and our bus to be tranferred to the center of Athens for the day. We had four stops on our agenda.
First, we visited the Cathedral of St. Dionysius, the Roman Catholic cathedral of Athens. St. Dionysius was the first person St. Paul converted and baptized in Athens, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. He was later martyred and is the patron of Athens. We celebrated Mass at the side altar of the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral, honoring two other couples celebratng significant wedding anniversaries this year: Sparky and Dolores Sparks, celebrating 45 years, and Frank and Joyce Roberts, celebrating 50 years.
From there, we traveled by bus to the foot of the Acropolis, where we walked on foot to the Areos Pagos, or Hill of Ares. At the time of St. Paul, this hill housed the courts of the city. It was here that St. Paul preached his famous sermon to the Athenians as recorded in Acts. While at the base of the hill, we read Paul's sermon, in the very place it was first proclaimed. Today, the hill is a large rocky area with a great view of both the Acropolis and the city of Athens.
Next we stopped at Mitropoli, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Athens, where we briefly toured the church and learned about Orthodox art and architecture.
Following the tour, we had a little over an hour and a half for lunch on our own. The group split into several smaller groups and went to many of the sidewalk cafes or restaurants in the Plaka, a historic center of the city not far from Mitropoli. The group I was with ate at Exopinis, a great little Greek restaurant. After lunch we took the bus to the airport, and now we are off on the next leg of the pilgrimage. God willing, the next blog post will be from the Eternal City - Rome!
This morning, our cruise ship docked at Pireaus, the port of Athens. After a fairly lengthy disembarkation process, we met our transfer assistant, Valerie, and our bus to be tranferred to the center of Athens for the day. We had four stops on our agenda.
First, we visited the Cathedral of St. Dionysius, the Roman Catholic cathedral of Athens. St. Dionysius was the first person St. Paul converted and baptized in Athens, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. He was later martyred and is the patron of Athens. We celebrated Mass at the side altar of the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral, honoring two other couples celebratng significant wedding anniversaries this year: Sparky and Dolores Sparks, celebrating 45 years, and Frank and Joyce Roberts, celebrating 50 years.
From there, we traveled by bus to the foot of the Acropolis, where we walked on foot to the Areos Pagos, or Hill of Ares. At the time of St. Paul, this hill housed the courts of the city. It was here that St. Paul preached his famous sermon to the Athenians as recorded in Acts. While at the base of the hill, we read Paul's sermon, in the very place it was first proclaimed. Today, the hill is a large rocky area with a great view of both the Acropolis and the city of Athens.
Next we stopped at Mitropoli, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Athens, where we briefly toured the church and learned about Orthodox art and architecture.
Following the tour, we had a little over an hour and a half for lunch on our own. The group split into several smaller groups and went to many of the sidewalk cafes or restaurants in the Plaka, a historic center of the city not far from Mitropoli. The group I was with ate at Exopinis, a great little Greek restaurant. After lunch we took the bus to the airport, and now we are off on the next leg of the pilgrimage. God willing, the next blog post will be from the Eternal City - Rome!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Pictures from Patmos and Ephesus
Sunrise over the Aegean Sea (off the shore of Patmos)
Outside of the Grotto of the Apocalypse, Patmos
Library of Celsus, Ephesus
Group Picture in front of the Great Theater, Ephesus
These are just the beginning. It's taking quite a while to load pictures, so I'll stop here for now. There will definitely be more pictures added to the blog after we return from the pilgrimage.
Pictures from Athens
For those of you who have been waiting for pictures, here they are! I finally found a computer that will allow me to transfer pictures from my digital camera. So far, I alone have taken almost 300 pictures - so these will just be some highlights. First, from Athens
Group Picture at St. Joseph Church
St. Joseph Church - Location of Daily Mass in Athens
National Archeological Museum
The Acropolis at Night
Day Five - Ephesus
One of our group commented at dinner this evening that today really seemed to be the start of a pilgrimage, and I think I can agree with her. Before today, most of our daily outings were to see places or objects of great historical or cultural significance, but without a direct connection to the reason for our pilgrimage, or any pilgrimage. This morning's visit to Patmos and this afternoon's visit to Ephesus most definitely were pilgrimages.
This afternoon, our cruise ship docked in the port of Kusadasi, where we met our local guide and driver for the bus ride to Ephesus. We first went to the top of Nightingale Mountain to visit the House of the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, Mary lived in Ephesus with John the Apostle after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. A 19th century german nun and mystic, Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, had a vision of the location of the house where Mary lived outside of Ephesus, and explorers later found a house exactly as she had seen. There is no concrete evidence that Mary lived here, but it is a beautiful tradition. The house itself is very small - two tiny rooms - and we were just able to walk through it. Since today is Sunday, it was a very busy day at the House of Mary, which was filled both with people from several cruise ships and people from Turkey on summer holiday. Most of our group was surprised to learn that Mary is also revered in Islam, and so many (at least half) of the people at the House of Mary today were Turkish Muslims. There was definitely an air of pilgrimage about the place, and it was a moving experience.
We then traveled by bus to the ancient city of Ephesus, the second largest ancient excavation site in Europe (after Pompeii in Italy). St. Paul spent around 3 years living and preaching in Ephesus, and the city became the recipient of one of his letters. Historically, Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the ancient world, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the Temple of Artemis) and the second capital of the Roman Empire at one time. The ruins of the city are magnificent. We were able to walk the very road that St. Paul walked - the paving stones of today are the same stones of the ancient city - and see the squares, markets, and theater that St. Paul would have frequented. The two best-preserved sites in Ephesus are the facade of the Temple of Celsus and the great Theater of Ephesus, which is spoken of in Acts 19. Upon reaching the Theater, we stopped to read selections from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. When St. Paul wrote his letters, there was usually only one copy, and very few people could read. So someone would read the letter aloud to the rest of the Christian community, either in small or large groups. It was quite a moving experience to read the very words that St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians while standing on the ground where he walked, in the shadow of the Theater which he lived near.
This evening, we celebrated Mass back on the cruise ship and especially honored Richard and Laverne Smith, two of our pilgrims, who today celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Dinner followed, and now we are getting ready to pack in preparation for leaving the ship in the morning. Tomorrow, Monday, we will spend part of the day in Athens before flying to Rome for five nights. As the sun set on the Aegean Sea this evening, we thank God for the blessings of this portion of the pilgrimage, especially today's moving visits to Patmos and Ephesus as we truly walked in the footsteps of the apostles.
This afternoon, our cruise ship docked in the port of Kusadasi, where we met our local guide and driver for the bus ride to Ephesus. We first went to the top of Nightingale Mountain to visit the House of the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, Mary lived in Ephesus with John the Apostle after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension. A 19th century german nun and mystic, Sister Anne Catherine Emmerich, had a vision of the location of the house where Mary lived outside of Ephesus, and explorers later found a house exactly as she had seen. There is no concrete evidence that Mary lived here, but it is a beautiful tradition. The house itself is very small - two tiny rooms - and we were just able to walk through it. Since today is Sunday, it was a very busy day at the House of Mary, which was filled both with people from several cruise ships and people from Turkey on summer holiday. Most of our group was surprised to learn that Mary is also revered in Islam, and so many (at least half) of the people at the House of Mary today were Turkish Muslims. There was definitely an air of pilgrimage about the place, and it was a moving experience.
We then traveled by bus to the ancient city of Ephesus, the second largest ancient excavation site in Europe (after Pompeii in Italy). St. Paul spent around 3 years living and preaching in Ephesus, and the city became the recipient of one of his letters. Historically, Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the ancient world, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the Temple of Artemis) and the second capital of the Roman Empire at one time. The ruins of the city are magnificent. We were able to walk the very road that St. Paul walked - the paving stones of today are the same stones of the ancient city - and see the squares, markets, and theater that St. Paul would have frequented. The two best-preserved sites in Ephesus are the facade of the Temple of Celsus and the great Theater of Ephesus, which is spoken of in Acts 19. Upon reaching the Theater, we stopped to read selections from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians. When St. Paul wrote his letters, there was usually only one copy, and very few people could read. So someone would read the letter aloud to the rest of the Christian community, either in small or large groups. It was quite a moving experience to read the very words that St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians while standing on the ground where he walked, in the shadow of the Theater which he lived near.
This evening, we celebrated Mass back on the cruise ship and especially honored Richard and Laverne Smith, two of our pilgrims, who today celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary. Dinner followed, and now we are getting ready to pack in preparation for leaving the ship in the morning. Tomorrow, Monday, we will spend part of the day in Athens before flying to Rome for five nights. As the sun set on the Aegean Sea this evening, we thank God for the blessings of this portion of the pilgrimage, especially today's moving visits to Patmos and Ephesus as we truly walked in the footsteps of the apostles.
Day Five - Patmos
Happy Father's Day to all fathers, including my own! By today, many of us are realizing that the constant movement of the pilgrimage makes it hard to remember what day of the week it is. It took a while for us to remember that today is Sunday, as well as Father's Day in the US (although some of our Australian friends told us that Father's Day is not celebrated until September in their country). Today began with probably the earliest departure of the trip - breakfast was at 6:00 so that we could be ready to disembark the ship at 6:45 am for Patmost. We are going to two ports today, so the first port had to be early.
Patmos is a beautiful island on the far east of the Aegean Sea, near Turkey. It is most well known for us Christians as the place where St. John the Theologian wrote the Book of Revelation while exiled here. Today is a gorgeous day - like our other days in the Aegean - blue skies, a nice breeze off the water, but already this morning starting to get warm. We met our bus driver and tour guide, a native of Patmos, at the harbor and went first to the Grotto of the Apocalypse. Ancient tradition says that this cave is the very place where St. John received the vision from Christ and dictated the Book of Revelation to his assistant, Prochorus. Several chapels have been built around the cave, but we eventually made it to the cave itself. Since this is Sunday, a Greek Orthodox Mass was being celebrated in the cave when we arrived. Orthodox Masses include constant chanting throughout the service, so it was quite moving to have the chanting accompany our visit to the grotto. Because it is a small room, there are large numbers of pilgrims, and Mass was being celebrated, we had to move through fairly quickly, walking without stopping through the grotto. There was a definite air of sacredness throughout the visit - it seemed that no one from any of the many pilgrim groups spoke as we descended the 45 stairs to the grotto or while in the grotto itself. We later found out that the grotto has special significance to our tour guide because his daughter was baptized there. I think we have all agreed the great blessing of having native tour guides, and we have had very good ones.
After visiting the Grotto of the Apocalypse, we journeyed by bus higher on the main mountain of Patmos to visit the Monastery of St. John. More steps awaited us after leaving the bus before reaching the monastery courtyard. Founded in 1088, the monastery is still active and has 17 monks today. Most of the buildings date from the 11th century, and the icons and frescoes of the chapels date from teh 12th-18th centuries. Our guide led us through the monastery chapels and then the museum, which contains some of the oldest and most important Greek icons still in existance. In addition, we were able to see pages from a 5th century manuscript of the Gospel according to Mark. The pages of this manuscript are scattered in museums all over the world - from the Vatican to the British Museum - but more pages are here on Patmost than anywhere else. It is one of the oldest existing manuscripts of any portion of the New Testament. Following our tour of the museum, we had a little time to look in the shops that line the walk from the monastery back to the bus, and then we proceeded back to the harbor and the cruise ship. We just finished lunch and now are sailing along the coast of Turkey to reach Kusadasi, the port town for the ancient city of Ephesus. From there, we will have a guided tour to the House of the Virgin Mary and the ruins of Ephesus. From this point of the pilgrimage on, we will be following more precisely in the footsteps of St. Paul, beginning in the city he lived in for two years and to which he addressed one of his letters.
Patmos is a beautiful island on the far east of the Aegean Sea, near Turkey. It is most well known for us Christians as the place where St. John the Theologian wrote the Book of Revelation while exiled here. Today is a gorgeous day - like our other days in the Aegean - blue skies, a nice breeze off the water, but already this morning starting to get warm. We met our bus driver and tour guide, a native of Patmos, at the harbor and went first to the Grotto of the Apocalypse. Ancient tradition says that this cave is the very place where St. John received the vision from Christ and dictated the Book of Revelation to his assistant, Prochorus. Several chapels have been built around the cave, but we eventually made it to the cave itself. Since this is Sunday, a Greek Orthodox Mass was being celebrated in the cave when we arrived. Orthodox Masses include constant chanting throughout the service, so it was quite moving to have the chanting accompany our visit to the grotto. Because it is a small room, there are large numbers of pilgrims, and Mass was being celebrated, we had to move through fairly quickly, walking without stopping through the grotto. There was a definite air of sacredness throughout the visit - it seemed that no one from any of the many pilgrim groups spoke as we descended the 45 stairs to the grotto or while in the grotto itself. We later found out that the grotto has special significance to our tour guide because his daughter was baptized there. I think we have all agreed the great blessing of having native tour guides, and we have had very good ones.
After visiting the Grotto of the Apocalypse, we journeyed by bus higher on the main mountain of Patmos to visit the Monastery of St. John. More steps awaited us after leaving the bus before reaching the monastery courtyard. Founded in 1088, the monastery is still active and has 17 monks today. Most of the buildings date from the 11th century, and the icons and frescoes of the chapels date from teh 12th-18th centuries. Our guide led us through the monastery chapels and then the museum, which contains some of the oldest and most important Greek icons still in existance. In addition, we were able to see pages from a 5th century manuscript of the Gospel according to Mark. The pages of this manuscript are scattered in museums all over the world - from the Vatican to the British Museum - but more pages are here on Patmost than anywhere else. It is one of the oldest existing manuscripts of any portion of the New Testament. Following our tour of the museum, we had a little time to look in the shops that line the walk from the monastery back to the bus, and then we proceeded back to the harbor and the cruise ship. We just finished lunch and now are sailing along the coast of Turkey to reach Kusadasi, the port town for the ancient city of Ephesus. From there, we will have a guided tour to the House of the Virgin Mary and the ruins of Ephesus. From this point of the pilgrimage on, we will be following more precisely in the footsteps of St. Paul, beginning in the city he lived in for two years and to which he addressed one of his letters.
Update on Rhodes
I ended my last post a little abruptly - most of the keyboards in Greece have both our alphabet and the Greek alphabet on the same keyboard. Somehow, I managed to unknowingly switch over to the Greek alphabet, and I couldn't figure out how to switch back! No one was around to ask, and I was running out of time anyway, so I just cut-and-pasted to finish things up. Here's a little more on Rhodes.
The Old City of Rhodes contains the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. The Knights of St. John were founded to take care of the sick and wounded during the Crusades. Because of the great political tensions in the world at the time, they kept having to move their headquarters. At one point, they settled on Rhodes and built a magnificent fortress and palace. To enter the fortress, you have to go through three sets of gates and massive stone walls. The oldest and most famous part of the fortress is the Street of the Knights where the nights from each country built their own buildings where they lived. Today, the streets of th Old City, as the inside of the fortress is called, are filled with shops and cafes. It is the best preserved medieval town in Greece, and one of the best in the world.
After our guided tour of Rhodes Town, we returned to the ship for lunch, and then several of us used the free afternoon to return to the town and wander the streets. We then had Mass on the ship with one of the other pilgrim groups, and then a formal dinner together as a group. Most people got to bed early on Saturday night because we had a VERY early meeting time on Sunday. More about that in the next post ...
The Old City of Rhodes contains the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. The Knights of St. John were founded to take care of the sick and wounded during the Crusades. Because of the great political tensions in the world at the time, they kept having to move their headquarters. At one point, they settled on Rhodes and built a magnificent fortress and palace. To enter the fortress, you have to go through three sets of gates and massive stone walls. The oldest and most famous part of the fortress is the Street of the Knights where the nights from each country built their own buildings where they lived. Today, the streets of th Old City, as the inside of the fortress is called, are filled with shops and cafes. It is the best preserved medieval town in Greece, and one of the best in the world.
After our guided tour of Rhodes Town, we returned to the ship for lunch, and then several of us used the free afternoon to return to the town and wander the streets. We then had Mass on the ship with one of the other pilgrim groups, and then a formal dinner together as a group. Most people got to bed early on Saturday night because we had a VERY early meeting time on Sunday. More about that in the next post ...
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Day Four - Rhodes
The entire day today is being spent docked at the island of Rhodes, the fourth largest Greek island and home to two cities of great importance in the ancient world. This morning, our entire group participated in a 4 1/2 hour private excursion to Lindos and Rhodes Town. Our tour guide, Dafni, is a native of the island of Rhodes and has been giving guided tours of the island for 20 years - she has been one of the best tour guides we have had so far.
We began by traveling by bus along the eastern coast of the island to the town of Lindos, about 55 kilometers from where our cruise ship is docked in Rhodes Town. Lindos was one of the three most important cities of the ancient world and has a wonderful acropolis on a hill overlooking the town. The only way to reach the acropolis is by foot - climbing up over 300 steps - or by donkey. None of us road the donkeys, but 15 of us made the long, hot, tiring climb to the acropolis. The ruins of a temple to Athena and a medieval fortress are there, but perhaps the best reward to our climb was the view from the top of the Aegean Sea, the town of Lindos, and part of the rest of the island. But our reason to come here as pilgrims was to view St. Paul's Bay, which is only visible from the top of the acropolis. On one of his missionary journeys, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul sailed to the island of Rhodes, into this very bay, and stayed for a short while. It is a beautiful, small bay - I can't wait until I can post some pictures! Most of us also had some time to shop in the town of Lindos before boarding our bus for the return trip to Rhodes Town. Along the way, we stopped at a pottery store where we were able to see local Rhodians making some of their famous pottery.
When we arrived in Rhodes Town, Dafni took us on a walking tour of the Old City. There are many layers of history in this city. In ancient times, it was home to the Colossus of Rhodes, an enormous statue of Zeus and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In medieval towns, the Knights of St. John οccupied the Old City where they built a beautiful fortress and palace. We walked the Old City and then returned to the cruise ship.
We began by traveling by bus along the eastern coast of the island to the town of Lindos, about 55 kilometers from where our cruise ship is docked in Rhodes Town. Lindos was one of the three most important cities of the ancient world and has a wonderful acropolis on a hill overlooking the town. The only way to reach the acropolis is by foot - climbing up over 300 steps - or by donkey. None of us road the donkeys, but 15 of us made the long, hot, tiring climb to the acropolis. The ruins of a temple to Athena and a medieval fortress are there, but perhaps the best reward to our climb was the view from the top of the Aegean Sea, the town of Lindos, and part of the rest of the island. But our reason to come here as pilgrims was to view St. Paul's Bay, which is only visible from the top of the acropolis. On one of his missionary journeys, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul sailed to the island of Rhodes, into this very bay, and stayed for a short while. It is a beautiful, small bay - I can't wait until I can post some pictures! Most of us also had some time to shop in the town of Lindos before boarding our bus for the return trip to Rhodes Town. Along the way, we stopped at a pottery store where we were able to see local Rhodians making some of their famous pottery.
When we arrived in Rhodes Town, Dafni took us on a walking tour of the Old City. There are many layers of history in this city. In ancient times, it was home to the Colossus of Rhodes, an enormous statue of Zeus and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In medieval towns, the Knights of St. John οccupied the Old City where they built a beautiful fortress and palace. We walked the Old City and then returned to the cruise ship.
Catholic Pilgrimage Groups
Today's posts come from a cafe in Rhodes, our port of the day, where they have cheap and fast internet access. Before talking about today's excursions, some information about the other Catholics on board our cruise ship.
The first afternoon of the cruise, when our group met to set our schedule and answer questions, two women overheard us talking about Mass and asked if they could join us. They are from northern Florida, just north of Daytona Beach, and we were happy to welcome them to our first onboard Mass on Friday. As the afternoon went on, we discovered two other Catholic groups on the ship also journeying on pilgrimages in the Footsteps of St. Paul. One group is led by a Franciscan priest originally from Owensboro, Kentucky. He is leading a group of 30 from all over the country. Tomorrow, they will leave the cruise ship and proceed for a 5-day trip through other parts of Turkey. This evening, we are going to join together with this group for our Mass on board ship. The other group is a 30-person diocesan pilgrimage from Canberra, Australia. They are led by their Archbishop as well as their Archbishop emeritus. Like us, they are also visitng Athens and Rome, so we may encounter them during other parts of our trip. It has been a real blessing to find other pilgrims along our journey, all of us following in St. Paul's footsteps. In a way, it reminds me of the medieval pilgrimages when people from all over the world would meet on the roads to great sites like Canterbury in England or Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The journey of a pilgrim is a powerful experience, and it can be made even more meaningful knowing that you are not alone in your pilgrimage.
The first afternoon of the cruise, when our group met to set our schedule and answer questions, two women overheard us talking about Mass and asked if they could join us. They are from northern Florida, just north of Daytona Beach, and we were happy to welcome them to our first onboard Mass on Friday. As the afternoon went on, we discovered two other Catholic groups on the ship also journeying on pilgrimages in the Footsteps of St. Paul. One group is led by a Franciscan priest originally from Owensboro, Kentucky. He is leading a group of 30 from all over the country. Tomorrow, they will leave the cruise ship and proceed for a 5-day trip through other parts of Turkey. This evening, we are going to join together with this group for our Mass on board ship. The other group is a 30-person diocesan pilgrimage from Canberra, Australia. They are led by their Archbishop as well as their Archbishop emeritus. Like us, they are also visitng Athens and Rome, so we may encounter them during other parts of our trip. It has been a real blessing to find other pilgrims along our journey, all of us following in St. Paul's footsteps. In a way, it reminds me of the medieval pilgrimages when people from all over the world would meet on the roads to great sites like Canterbury in England or Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The journey of a pilgrim is a powerful experience, and it can be made even more meaningful knowing that you are not alone in your pilgrimage.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Day Three - Mykonos
Just a quick post for now on our third day of pilgrimage - I am on a computer on the cruise ship, where the internet access is much more costly! We set sail this morning on our cruise aboard the Aquamarine to sail for Mykonos. Two things that we most noticed on today's sail - the Aegean Sea is filled with islands of all sizes - we never really lost sight of at least one island as we sailed; second, the seas are rough! Probably the most memorable part of the day was Mass celebrated in one of the dining areas onboard while we were moving - which meant a lot of swaying back and forth as the ship moved during Mass. This evening, we were docked at the island of Mykonos, a small picturesque island of white buildings, windmills, and many churches. We each went our own direction on shore, visiting shops and strolling through the narrow, winding streets. Some of us were able to find the Catholic Cathedral of Mykonos, a church not much larger than the parish church in Athens where we celebrated Mass yesterday. We have finished dinner, and some are off to the show. Tomorrow, we visit the island of Rhodes, where St. Paul stopped on one of his journeys. Sometime soon, I hope to post more about today, including stories of some of the other Catholics and pilgrimage groups we have met.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Day Two - Athens
Today, we had a very brief introductory tour of the city of Athens, with the highlight being a visit to the world-renowned National Archeological Museum. One of the most important museums in the world, this facility houses the largest collection of ancient Greek art and sculpture - from magnificent gold funeral masks and jewelry of the Myceneans, to the marble statues of gods, goddesses, athletes, and statesmen that are the foundation of ancient sculpture. Our local guide, Mina, gave us a tour of the museum, pointing out and explaining the most important pieces. Because of heavy traffic in getting from the airport to the center of the city, we only had about an hour to tour the museum, but we were able to see all the important pieces and understand more about their history.
After the tour of the museum, we had our first Mass of the pilgrimage. Today's location is unique among the many places where we will be celebrating Mass because it was at a regular parish church, St. Joseph Church, not a larger church or shrine of special significance. Catholics are a very small minority in Greece - less than 1% of the population - about 98% of the population is Greek Orthodox. So there are not very many Catholic parishes in Athens. This particular chuch could probably seat about 50 people comfortably. We were warmly welcomed by two Missionaries of Charity Sisters, Mother Theresa's order, who have a residence at this church. It was a great, simple Mass to begin our pilgrimage.
This afternoon, we all had free time to explore the city on our own, get settled at the hotel, or take a nap to catch up on sleep. Some of us decided to wander through the city and explore - it's said that one of the best ways to get to know a city is to get lost in it; if that's true, then I know Athens well! We then had a wonderful dinner of Greek delicacies at the hotel dining room - everything from stuffed grape leaves to artichoke salad to grilled eggplant to backlava. After dinner, I offered to go on a walk with anyone who wanted to the Acropolis to see it lit up at night - part of the fruit of my afternoon wandering was finding the quickest way to the Acropolis from our hotel - and the entire group took me up on the offer! The Acropolis is about a 20 minute walk from our hotel, and it is surrounded by some great little neighborhoods with restaurants, shops, and cafes. It seems these restaurants only have outdoor seating! It is a beautiful night - much cooler than the 90s of this afternoon, with a cool breeze and clear skies. We had a great walk and got to see the Acropolis and its temples bathed in bright light.
Tonight, I am posting this update from an internet cafe down the street from the hotel - the computers at the hotel have been very slow this evening, and this is much faster. But the downside is that there isn't a way to upload pictures from my camera here at the internet cafe. So hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures soon. For now, know that we are having a wonderful, spirit-filled pilgrimage - everyone in the group sends love and good wishes to their family and friends. In the morning, we board our cruise ship for a three-day cruise through the Greek Isles and to the coast of Turkey. I will update things when I get a chance, and hopefully with some pictures!
After the tour of the museum, we had our first Mass of the pilgrimage. Today's location is unique among the many places where we will be celebrating Mass because it was at a regular parish church, St. Joseph Church, not a larger church or shrine of special significance. Catholics are a very small minority in Greece - less than 1% of the population - about 98% of the population is Greek Orthodox. So there are not very many Catholic parishes in Athens. This particular chuch could probably seat about 50 people comfortably. We were warmly welcomed by two Missionaries of Charity Sisters, Mother Theresa's order, who have a residence at this church. It was a great, simple Mass to begin our pilgrimage.
This afternoon, we all had free time to explore the city on our own, get settled at the hotel, or take a nap to catch up on sleep. Some of us decided to wander through the city and explore - it's said that one of the best ways to get to know a city is to get lost in it; if that's true, then I know Athens well! We then had a wonderful dinner of Greek delicacies at the hotel dining room - everything from stuffed grape leaves to artichoke salad to grilled eggplant to backlava. After dinner, I offered to go on a walk with anyone who wanted to the Acropolis to see it lit up at night - part of the fruit of my afternoon wandering was finding the quickest way to the Acropolis from our hotel - and the entire group took me up on the offer! The Acropolis is about a 20 minute walk from our hotel, and it is surrounded by some great little neighborhoods with restaurants, shops, and cafes. It seems these restaurants only have outdoor seating! It is a beautiful night - much cooler than the 90s of this afternoon, with a cool breeze and clear skies. We had a great walk and got to see the Acropolis and its temples bathed in bright light.
Tonight, I am posting this update from an internet cafe down the street from the hotel - the computers at the hotel have been very slow this evening, and this is much faster. But the downside is that there isn't a way to upload pictures from my camera here at the internet cafe. So hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures soon. For now, know that we are having a wonderful, spirit-filled pilgrimage - everyone in the group sends love and good wishes to their family and friends. In the morning, we board our cruise ship for a three-day cruise through the Greek Isles and to the coast of Turkey. I will update things when I get a chance, and hopefully with some pictures!
Day One - Travel to Athens
We have arrived! After several flights, our entire group has arrived in Athens and checked into our first hotel after a half day of sightseeing. Seventeen of us left Louisville and had two uneventful, on-time flights to Chicago and New York Laguaria. We then hired two vans to take us to JFK Airport for our international flight, and the adventure began! Those who had not been to New York before experienced the excitement (and sometimes terror!) of New York driving. One of our two vans got to experience a battle between our van and an off-duty ambulance that both wanted to merge into the same lane at the same time, and neither was willing to yield - in the end, our driver won, after a light but noticable bump between the two vehicles. At JFK, we met up with our final two pilgrims who had flown from Indianapolis, and we all checked in for a 4-hour layover before taking off for Athens. One thing to remember for the future - the international terminal at JFK has very few food choices and not much to do during an extended layover. The flight to Athens was about an hour late in taking off, but after an 8 1/2 hour flight, we arrived in Athens on time. Most of the pilgrims report not sleeping much on the plane - due either to the uncomfortableness of plane seats, the excitement of the trip, the large number of crying babies on board, or some combination of the above! The food was pretty good, though, and we had our first taste of a European breakfast - a croissant, deli turkey, cheese, and a small bowl of fruit.
After arriving in Athens, we cleared customs with no problem and met up with our transfer guide and bus driver to take us to the center of Athens for an introductory tour. I'll write more about our first day in Athens later today, hopefully with some pictures as well. For now, know that we all made it and are resting in our hotel before our first Greek dinner!
After arriving in Athens, we cleared customs with no problem and met up with our transfer guide and bus driver to take us to the center of Athens for an introductory tour. I'll write more about our first day in Athens later today, hopefully with some pictures as well. For now, know that we all made it and are resting in our hotel before our first Greek dinner!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Early Morning Departure
If you see the time stamp for this post, yes, that's right - it's 3:50 AM! We have a very early morning departure for our pilgrimage this morning, flying from Louisville to Chicago to New York, where we have a more lengthly layover before our late afternoon flight to Athens. We are scheduled to arrive in Athens at 9:00 Thursday morning local time - Athens is 7 hours ahead of US Eastern Time. I probably won't have a chance to update this blog until sometime later in the day on Thursday, after we get settled in Athens. Until then, pray for safe and relatively on-time travel!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Pilgrimage Blessing
It's now less than 24 hours until our departure for the pilgrimage In the Footsteps of St. Paul. If you're in New Albany, join us this evening, Tuesday, June 16, at the regular 5:30 pm Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help for a blessing of the pilgrims going on the trip. And be sure to check this blog often over the next 13 days for updates and information as we follow St. Paul from his journeys in Greece and Turkey to his tomb in Rome.
Pope Benedict XVI at the Tomb of St. Paul
Basilica of St. Paul-outside-the-Walls, Rome
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Four Days - Masses and Prayer Intentions
Now only four days out from our departure, most of the pilgrims are busily making final preparations and at least gathering items to take, if packing itself has not already begun. The final packet of information from Pentecost Tours arrived on Thursday, including the final listing of Mass locations for the pilgrimage. Each day, our group will be celebrating a private Mass, and we will keep specific group prayer intentions at each Mass. Here is the list of Mass locations and Prayer Intentions for the Footsteps of St. Paul Pilgrimage:
Wednesday, June 17 - Travel Day
Thursday, June 18 - Athens, Parish Church of St. Joseph - For our family members, living and deceased
Friday, June 19 - Cruise Ship - For the Sick, the Aged, and the Infirm
Saturday, June 20 - Cruise Ship - For all mothers
Sunday, June 21 - Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary (if available, otherwise on the Cruise Ship) - For all fathers
Monday, June 22 - Athens, Catholic Cathedral of St. Dionysius - For Married Couples
Tuesday, June 23 - Rome, St. Peter's Basilica (Chapel of the Patron Saints of Europe in the Vatican Grottoes) - For Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life
Wednesday, June 24 - Rome, Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia - For Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Daniel Buechlein
Thursday, June 25 - Rome, Basilica of St. Paul-outside-the-Walls - For all who preach the gospel
Friday, June 26 - Rome, Basilica of St. Mary Major - For children, youth, and young adults
Saturday, June 27 - Rome, Church of St. Alphonsus (home of the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help) - For the people of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church
Sunday, June 28 - Corinth, Akrocorinth - For teachers, catechists, and religious educators
Monday, June 29 - Travel Day
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
One Week Countdown
The final countdown to our pilgrimage has begun ... we depart one week from today! Throughout the pilgrimage, Athens, Greece, will serve as our homebase. We will depart from their on our cruise through the Greek Islands, for our flight to Rome, and for our ride to Corinth. Athens is the cradle of Western civilization, and we will have the opportunity to visit both religious and historical sites, including the Parthenon and other ancient buildings on the Acropolis; the Areopagus, where St. Paul preached a famous sermon to the Athenians; the Catholic Cathedral of St. Dionysius; the Roman Agora; and the National Archeological Museum, one of the most important museums in the world and home to more ancient Greek art than any other museum.
The Parthenon, Athens
Friday, June 5, 2009
Which footsteps?
A true pilgrimage In the Footsteps of St. Paul would take you through almost a dozen countries and countless cities, ancient and modern. For this pilgrimage, we are limiting ourselves primarily to Greece and Italy, with a one-day excursion into Turkey. Highlights of the Pauline portion of this pilgrimage are:
· Visits to two other locations where St. Paul preached the gospel, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: Athens and Rhodes
· Visits to three of the cities to which St. Paul wrote letters that are part of the New Testament: Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome
· Visits to two other locations where St. Paul preached the gospel, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: Athens and Rhodes
· A pilgrimage to St. Paul’s tomb at the Basilica of St. Paul-outside-the-Walls in Rome, including walking through the Year of St. Paul Holy Door and viewing the Pauline flame
· Also in Rome, visits to the house where St. Paul lived while in the city (Santa Giovanni e Paolo), the place where he was imprisoned (Mamertine Prison), and the location of his beheading (Abbey of Tre Fontane)
Mamertine Prison, Rome
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