“We are pilgrim people; we are the Church of God. A family of believers, disciples of the Lord. United in One Spirit, ignited by the fire. Still burning through the ages, still present in our lives. Come Holy Ghost …”
BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY
The official title of the song is “One Spirit, One Church.” The song’s more popular or well-known name is “Come Holy Ghost,” and often, the first stanza (quoted above) is omitted. Personally, I like it when the song begins with “We are a pilgrim people …” because it can remind us that we do, indeed, believe that, as Christians, we are a “pilgrim people;” traveling together on a journey that we believe will lead us to our “true home,” God’s Kingdom in Heaven.
Christians have a long history of going “on pilgrimage” to Holy Places. While “Wikipedia” is not always the best place to get the most accurate information, after a brief search of some online resources, I found the Wikipedia introduction to “History” of Christian Pilgrimage to be succinct, and the quote from Pope Benedict is beautiful:
Christian pilgrimages were first made to sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Aside from the early example of Origen in the third century, surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the Holy Land date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers including Saint Jerome, and established by Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great.
The purpose of Christian pilgrimage was summarized by Pope Benedict XVI this way:
To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history. To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe. Above all, Christians go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to the places associated with the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. They go to Rome, the city of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, and also to Compostela, which, associated with the memory of Saint James, has welcomed pilgrims from throughout the world who desire to strengthen their spirit with the Apostle’s witness of faith and love.
I hope that many readers have had the opportunity to experience a pilgrimage. I wanted to make sure that everyone is aware that we will have the opportunity to go “on pilgrimage” together as a diocese this coming fall (on Oct. 14), when we will “re-start” our practice of a bi-annual Marian Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington, D.C. I hope that many parishioners have already heard about the diocesan pilgrimage and received registration information in your parishes.
I am aware that April, May, and June can be the busiest “three-month stretch” in the life of a parish each year. I can recall the experience, as a pastor, of reaching the “finish line” at the end of June and very much looking forward to some “R & R” and/or vacation in the summer. So, if you have not yet heard about the diocesan pilgrimage in your parish, I trust you will hear about it over the course of the summer. We will post information about the pilgrimage on our diocesan website, and in the coming weeks, we hope to also be “spreading the word” by means of social media.
During my years as a seminarian and priest in the Diocese of Brooklyn, we had the custom of a diocesan pilgrimage to the National Shrine every other year. Reflecting on those experiences and on other pilgrimages that I have been able to take, I would like to offer three “reasons” to consider participating in our upcoming diocesan pilgrimage:
1. Spiritual graces and blessings: A pilgrimage is different from a vacation or a “day trip.” A pilgrimage is a “journey with a purpose inspired by God’s grace” and an “act of faith.” Pilgrimage was important to the people of Israel and reminded them of their special covenant relationship with God. The prophet Jeremiah encouraged Israel making their pilgrim way, “They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come so that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten” (Jeremiah 50:5). If you have a “special intention,” something or someone whom you are praying for, a pilgrimage is a wonderful way to “carry” that intention or person in your heart. You can be praying and offering sacrifices from the moment you leave to the moment you return, throughout the journey, and especially at Mass. Books have been written on the spiritual values of a pilgrimage — I will try to offer some specific titles and recommendations in the coming weeks.
2. A great experience for young people and families: I attended my first diocesan pilgrimages when I was in high school and college, and I can still remember how amazed and inspired I was to see the magnificent Basilica in Washington, D.C. Even more so, it was so powerful to see the majestic Basilica filled with people from the diocese for Mass. As a parish priest, I encouraged families to attend the pilgrimage together or as an opportunity for a parent and child (especially a teenager) to spend a day and some very “quality time” together. As the Holy Family “used to go up to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover” (Luke 21:41) so journeying with your family for the Eucharist is a special moment of grace.
3. We are a pilgrim people; we are the Church of God: those are beautiful words in a wonderful song, but it is even more wonderful when we realize and experience the truth of those words. A pilgrimage is something we can do together as a parish when leaders and different groups can “bond” and share a prayerful experience that will “produce fruits” for parish life, ministry, and evangelization upon returning from the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage also gives us all an opportunity to see and know that we are part of a “Diocesan Church.”
You may not be surprised to hear me say, “I could go on and on…” For those who have participated in a pilgrimage anywhere and, I would guess, for those who have participated in our diocesan pilgrimage in the past, they understand why I would recommend it so strongly. For those who have not yet participated in our diocesan pilgrimage, I hope that you will consider it and that you and I will share this coming pilgrimage as our “first,” as this will be my “first time” leading the pilgrimage as bishop.
Our diocese is blessed by the leadership of Father Michael Rodak, the pastor of St. Jude’s parish in Hamburg and Diocesan Director of Pilgrimages. I encourage you to review the event information at the end of this column.
Finally, as a “pilgrim people,” we “pray as we go,” and we are aware that Jesus gives us Mary, His Mother, as our Blessed Mother, and she accompanies us on the journey of faith. I ask that you keep the pilgrimage in your prayers during these summer months so that our Blessed Mother, the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, will lead each of us and all in our diocese closer to Jesus and to one another as she prepares us for a wonderful Diocesan Marian Pilgrimage on this coming Oct. 14. On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, offered gratitude to Mary for her closeness to all on a journey, “We want to thank you for the constant care with which you accompany us on our journey, the journey of families, parishes, religious communities; the journey of those who daily, and sometimes in difficulty . . . feel your maternal presence, tender and strong.” It will be a special gift to journey together to offer our gratitude for the Blessed Mother’s closeness to us and to give gratitude to God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who never fails us.
Diocese of Paterson Marian Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
One-day pilgrimage: Oct. 14
Two-day pilgrimage: Oct. 13–14
Sign up at your parish for the one-day trip; For the two-day trip, contact Father Michael Rodak at 973-827-8030 or [email protected]