Just when you think you know it all...

Just when I think I know it all, something happens that makes me realize that, in fact, I know very little.  

It happened to me last night.  Over a delicious rib-eye dinner with a priest-friend, he began to tell me about the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupré.  The more he described its beauty and the peacefulness of the place, the more I realized, "Yeah, I've never even heard of that shrine."  

Interesting huh?  Especially since it happens to be one of the oldest pilgrimage sites of North America, going back to 1658.  Many miracles, officially recognized, have occurred there. Though not a big pilgrimage place to start, more than 1.5 million pilgrims make their way north of Quebec City to pray for themselves and their loved ones.  

Not only that, but from the pictures, the place is just downright beautiful.  Located on the historic St. Lawrence River, the Basilica is surrounded by some of the most beautiful country around.  The shrine can even be reached by boat from the river.  

The most popular pilgrimage season is during the summer around the feast day of St. Anne but from all the photos, I think I'd want to go in the Fall.  The many trees and rolling hills, the big skies and cliffs along the river make for something amazin' to see.  If going across the ocean isn't your thing this year, our new 7 day pilgrimage to the Catholic Shrines of Canada might be in the works for you.

Assisi-bound!

Pope Francis is headed to his namesake’s hometown. When? Why, the patron’s feast day of course- October 4, 2013.  

Announcing earlier this month that he would like to make a pilgrimage to Sicily in September, now the Holy Father would like to make a pilgrimage to Assisi.  (My guess is he’ll do both on the same pilgrimage as a way to save a couple bucks.)  One doesn’t have to reach very far to conclude that he’ll probably offer himself and his papacy to the poor saint from Assisi’s intercession.  

On a related note, since being elected I’ve wanted to know the story behind the Pope’s choice of the name Francis.  It comes to us in his own words in an article published by Zenit.  The articles concerning his pilgrimage and his name happen to be the same.  

Daily News/Photo

After his election, Pope Francis explained in his first audience with journalists in Rome, why he chose the name of the “Poor One of Assisi.” Upon confirmation that he had received the majority of votes to the papacy, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, Archbishop Emeritus of Sao Paolo and friend of the Holy Father, told the newly elected Pope: “Don’t forget the poor.”

“And those words came to me: the poor, the poor,” Pope Francis told journalists on March 16th. “Then, right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi.  Then I thought of all the wars, as the votes were still being counted, till the end.  Francis is also the man of peace.  That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi.”

"Oh no pro nobis" - Kid singing Ave Maria

While viewing Google+ posts, I came across this video posted by Michael Sestak.  He titles it, "Little Child Sings 'Ave Maria' for a Pilgrimage".  He was quick to joke about the pronunciation of "Ora pro nobis" as "Oh No pro nobis". Cute video.  I like that he's got it down for whenever he makes his first pilgrimage.

Cross landing: 63 days remaining until WYD '13

Cross landing: 63 days remaining until WYD '13.

In this photo from CNS/Reuters found on catholicnews.com, sailors from the Brazilian Navy deliver the World Youth Day cross to a representative group of young Catholics who will continue the global procession that has carried this crossIt has taken part in WYD in Paris (1997), Rome (2000), Toronto (2002), Cologne (2005) and Sydney (2008). It also travelled around Africa(2006), Oceania(2007), Australia (2009) and Spain (2011) according to centrosanlorenzo.com which houses the cross.

Now in 2013, as young pilgrims make final preparations for Rio 2013, the cross has landed upon the shores of the new Pope's home continent.  I'm sure this duty was not one that these sailors had in mind when they signed up to defend their country on the seas.  Yet what a significant and symbolic role they played as they brought the cross from sea to land, government cooperating with religion, a way of truly defending their country againt evil.

September pilgrimage for Pope?

The Pope is planning a pilgrimage.  Are you?

The Vatican Today (news.va) reported, "At the end of today's general audience, the Pope, addressing a group of pilgrims from the Italian island of Sardinia, announced that he would like to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria that is located in the Sardinian city of Cagliari." Oh, he would?

Pope Francis, who has gathered very little dust under his feet around Roma, will be making a pilgrimage outside of Rome "almost surely in the month of September," the Pope said.  I wonder if the head of security knew that.  With the Pope's "off-the-cuff" style my guess is he did not.  The question for Domenico Giani would be, "How 'surely' is 'almost surely' when coming from this Pontiff's mouth?"

While speaking to the pilgrims the Pope explained the reason while he felt like making the pilgrimage.  Quite interesting, actually.

At the moment of the founding of the city of Buenos Aires ifs founder wanted to name it 'City of the Most Holy Trinity', but the sailors who had brought him there were Sardinian and they wanted it to be called 'City of the Madonna of Bonaria'. There was an argument and, in the end, they arrived at a compromise. Thus the city's name turned out rather long: 'City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Our Lady of Bonaria'. Since it was so long only the last [word] remained: Bonaria, Buenos Aires, in memory of your image of the Madonna of Bonaria.”

120,000 pilgrims in one morning?!? Neanche per sogno! (Not happening!)

Writing for CNA, Estefania Aguirre reports that Pentecost at the Vatican is going to be packed.  According to CNA, over 50k people will be in attendance, in addition to the 70k that was already planned for.  Outlining the events for the weekend when Church movements will be represented by the faithful from "150 different ecclesial realities", Aguirre notes that the whole shebang will start Saturday with a pilgrimage to St. Peter's tomb.  

"Aha!" I thought.  "Begin a weekend of evangelization, worship and communion with a pilgrimage; of course!"  And so 50 - by - 50 the groups will embark upon their short but profound pilgrimage.

  
Something tells me, however, that in groups of 50, not all 120k pilgrims to Rome are going to make it.  That would be 2,400 groups at 15-30 minutes each.  Not gonna happen because that doesn't even figure in the typical Italian reposo (siesta).  But who knows, maybe this particular Pentecost the Holy Spirit will give the Scavi guides the energy they need to make it through without a reposo.  Alla como viene, viene.

Now, whether the pilgrims will simply be viewing the tomb from the traditional place or air-locking it through the Scavi is not clear.  My guess is that the fastidious, very fastidious, custodians of the Scavi Tour would have nervous breakdowns of apocolyptic proportions if the former held true.  No, seriously.  

...they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! alas! thou great city, thou mighty city, Babylon!  In one hour has thy judgment come." (Revelation 18:10)

Our good Italian friends at times have a flare for the dramatic.  

Little story about the Scavi: My second pilgrimage to Rome saw the opening of the "new room" of the Scavi Tour.  The new room allowed pilgrims to see the bonafide bones of St. Peter from a closer locale.  It was quite moving actually.

For those who have not been on the Scavi Tour, "it's a trip!"  You move from one air-locked chamber to the next, passing through laser sensors that prevent the thick, clear, sliding doors from closing unless everyone has exited the chamber. You feel like you're in a spaceship.  

I was a little skeptical, being a realist, that the experience was going to be worth the intimidation and scowls of the Scavi officials throughout the tour.  But one look at St. Peter's bones, protected in the NASA-constructed plexiglass box was enough to bring me to my knees.  Literally.  I found my soul saying within me, "Peter.  Peter.  Peter."  And I heard my soul hearing from without, "Jesus.  Jesus.  Jesus."  St. Peter re-focusing my attention on who was most important- I'd chalk that one up to a legitimate spiritual experience of authentic and orthdox faith.  But, hey, you don't have to.  No one needs to believe in private revelations of/to the saints, right?  And I'm no saint.  

The long and short of it is... when you take a pilgrimage to Rome (hopefully with Tekton), make sure you get in on the Scavi Tour.  It's worth every "Silenzio!" that's screamed in full falsetto from our nervous custodian friends in the "excavations".

Best wishes and safe travels to our Pentocost pilgrims in Rome!  Ora pro nobis peccatoribus.

Come Holy Spirit!

This has got to be one of the best pictures of our Holy Father yet.  

Come, Holy Spirit!

Pilgrimage to Rome, tektonministries.org