Catholics are Invited To Participate In Coast-To-Coast 2024 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage
The executive team for the National Eucharistic Congress is excited to announce an unprecedented multi-route nationwide pilgrimage across the country as part of the historic movement to set hearts ablaze.
Rooted in daily celebration of the Mass and modeled after the Gospel account of Jesus’ journey to Emmaus two millennia ago, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will involve four different routes starting from four different cities. Depending upon the route, they will begin onMay 17, 18 or 19, 2024 during the Feast of Pentecost.
Each route will be a walk with our Eucharistic Lord across the country for approximately two months. Four dozen young adults will make the entire journey, traveling full-time from May 2024 until July of 2024. They will be led by clergy and followed by a support van and travel 10-15 miles each day while taking part in a minor Eucharistic procession. Along the routes, parishes will host Mass, Adoration, 40 Hours devotions, praise and worship services, lectures on the Eucharist, pilgrim testimonies, meals, and fellowship.
The Perpetual Pilgrims will rely on the biblical hospitality of local hosts, including lay families, parishes, religious orders, schools, and shrines along the way.
Jesus will be the focus of the entire pilgrimage! Join them for segments of this massive expedition across the nation, physically walking side-by-side with our Risen Lord. You can find additional information on their website here.
Four routes for the 2024 National Eucharistic pilgrimage:
The routes, named for saintly significance corresponding to the geographical starting point, will pass through many major U.S cities. The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will cover four different routes:
The Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage occurs every year on the Feast of Pentecost in early summer, and is a multi-generational, multi-national gathering of Catholics who draw closer to God through the centuries-old act of pilgrimage.
The walk is roughly 62 miles over 3 days—beginning at daybreak on the Saturday before Pentecost, and ending with an afternoon mass on the Monday after Pentecost.
Chartres Cathedral
The trek takes 8,000-10,000 pilgrims from the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, through the French countryside to the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Chartres. Participants brave the weather, blisters, and humble food and accommodations as an act of faith and an act of reparation in these modern times.
The theme for the 2019 Pilgrimage is “THE PEACE OF CHRIST THROUGH THE REIGN OF CHRIST”.
Pilgrims will meet in front of Notre-Dame de Paris at 6:00 am on June 22, 2023 where the journey of faith on foot begins.
Click here for the official Chartres Pilgrimage website.
Ruining Your Trip: Passport & Visa Issues, Taking Children out of the Country & Other Possible Mishaps
How often do we say, “what could possibly go wrong?”
Few things are simpler to remember than your passport when you are preparing for your trip
Well that is pretty obvious, right? Wrong!
It happens more than you would think, and can absolutely ruin your travel plans. One of the worst trip-killers is when someone forgets or mis-places their passport and their vacation becomes a stay-cation because they are denied boarding at an airport or cruise terminal. Or, they fail to get permission to take their minor children or grandchildren with them and the trip ends before it begins. And there are some other pitfalls to avoid as well.
Of course, the first thing is to apply for a passport in time to receive it….we suggest you get one now even if you don’t have any travel plans in the near future. Depending upon the country, they are good for quite a few years, and if you have a sudden opportunity to travel out of your home country, then that is one less thing you have to worry about.
Here are just a few examples of passport problems submitted to us:
Example #1 Grabbed the wrong passport.
In my hurry to leave the house I reached in the desk drawer, grabbed my passport and headed to the airport. Unfortunately I grabbed my old (expired) passport and not my new one. Got to the airport and was not allowed to take my flight. Had to run home, get the new passport and by now I had missed my flight. Since I was traveling with a group I had to buy a new ticket and catch up to them at the hotel in Lourdes. This meant getting from the airport to the hotel in Lourdes on my own as well, so it added a lot to the cost of my trip…..not to mention the stress!
Example #2 Forgot to get parent’s permission
Ok, so you brought your current passport and also that of your kids or grand-kids. You’re not off the hook yet. If you are the grandparents taking your grand-kids, then you must have a letter from the parents authorizing you to take them out of the country. And if you are a parent traveling alone with the kids (eg, married but without your spouse, widowed, divorced, etc.) and taking your kids then you will need a letter from the other parent. Obviously if you are widowed this is not possible, so you may even want to bring a copy of your spouse’s death certificate. All this sounds like a lot of work and not very pleasant but it really is best to be prepared. This is taken very seriously by airlines and cruise lines so don’t even think about trying to avoid it. It won’t work.
One person reported:Our cruise almost ended before it began because I forgot to get my ex-husband’s permission for my new husband and I to take the kids on the cruise. Fortunately my ex was available (and cooperative) so we were able to contact him and he faxed a letter of permission—fifteen minutes before they closed off the boarding process!
Example #3 Packed my passport in my suitcase
We try to stress the importance of keeping your passport in your possession (see #5 below as well). Here is why:
After checking in our luggage and getting our boarding passes for the cruise, I thought everything was fine. Then, when we got ready to board they asked for my passport. I realized that when checking our luggage I had mistakenly stuck my passport in my bags. The cruise line had to manually search through maybe 5,000 bags to find my suitcase and retrieve my passport. They found it just in the nick of time—cruise ships don’t wait for you! Needless to say, it was an anxious way to start our cruise.
Example #4 Passenger could not get back to the U.S…no green card
A passenger from the U.S. was a Mexican national but was a legal resident of the U.S. As a legal resident of the U.S. she had a “green card” that showed that she was, indeed, a legal resident So she did not need a U.S. passport and brought her Mexican passport, which was fine, but not her green card.
The tour operator had told her to be sure to bring her green card with her, some well-meaning friends convinced her not to, fearing she might lose it. All went well entering France (all she needed was her Mexican passport) but when it came time to return to the U.S. the airline would not allow her to board. Without that green card she would have been denied entrance to the U.S. and the airline would be fined for allowing her to board.
She had to stay behind in Paris at her own expense while her son went to her house, got the green card, sent it Federal Express to her in Paris and then she had to re-book her flight (and pay a hefty change fee to boot).
Moral…..take an expert’s advice over your well-meaning friends’ advice.
Example #5 Let her spouse keep her passport
We always recommend you to keep your passport on your person and not let others carry it for you. I am sure if you are going with an organized group they will tell you the same thing. But, in the hustle and bustle of traveling, these instructions don’t seem very important. After all, if you are traveling together, what could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, that is OK probably 98% of the time, but you don’t want to be in that 2%. Here is what one agent shared with us:
A lady was traveling from the U.S. to Split, Croatia on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. The group was flying on Air France from the U.S. and would change planes in Paris for the Croatia Airlines flight to Split. On the overnight flight the woman got confused as to time and accidentally took too much of her medication. Not fatally, then goodness, but enough to knock her out. When she landed at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, they could not wake her up, so the paramedics came and took her to the infirmary at the airport. She finally recovered after a few hours (by now the rest of the group had gone on, and since her husband only had a transit visa he had to go on ahead as well). So now that she had recovered the real problem arose……….she had no passport!
She would not be allowed to travel without it, so she had to spend the night until it could be arranged for her husband to send the passport back to her from Medjugorje (not an easy task, either). Then she had to make her own flight arrangements to Split and take a taxi to her final destination. Not only did she have the extra expense but she lost part of her time in Medjugorje. Not a good way to start her pilgrimage.
Boker tov again … the same day…….. I am trying to catch up to our trip!
We got up and were out of our apartment and “on the street” at 5:50 A.M.! We were hoping to find a cab and to reach the Holy Sepulchre for the 6:30 A.M. Mass we had learned of online. No eggs, no peanut butter, Nada … my culinary expertise did not have time to create a “masterpiece” … LOL.
It took a while to hail a cab and it took even longer to get the cab driver to the Lion’s Gate. He kept wanting to drop us off at each gate he came to (I just got here and I think I knew more than him …or maybe he just wanted to get rid of us!).
We had planned to begin our day Walking and Praying the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) to the Holy Sepulchre where the last of the Five Stations of the Cross are. Running short of time, and because most of the Shrines of the Stations were not open yet, we did walk the “Way of the Cross” inour own silent Prayers as we tried to figure it out.
Entering the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, we had no idea at all of what to expect, even after researching. We immediately found ourselves just inside the Holy Doors, kneeling and venerating the Stone of Unction where they prepared the Body of Jesus Christ, after his death, for theBurial in the Tomb. This was an incredible beginning to our day and nothing we had ever expected.
editor’s note: Often, when on pilgrimage, the unexpected turns out to better than what you had planned, thanks be to God.
Because it was early, there were no crowds and each of us had time to spend and Pray and venerate at this most Sacred Stone …it was overwhelming to say the least. We then went left, as if we knew what we were doing. I guess that we did, because it took us to the entrance to the Holy Sepulchre and the Tomb of Our Lord … it was not open yet. We could hear that Mass was just finishing inside as people waited outside the closed doors. We followed the signs to continue to the Chapel of Mary Magdalene , which is directly next to the Sacristy for the Holy Sepulchre. There was a Priest approaching the Sacristy so I stopped to ask him for advice. He looked very Irish (and it turned out thathe was). I asked about the Mass Schedule and he told us to go to the Latin Calvary Shrine and explained to us how to get there (as he was Vesting). He told me that the Mass was going to be in Italian and I told him that it didn’t matter. He also told me that the Mass scheduled at the Holy Sepulchre was reserved for that morning and that we would have to stand outside the Shrine. Once again, he told me and said “You must go to the Mass at Calvary” … walk up the stairs”.
We did so, and we never would have found this area of the Holy Sepulchre on our own, as we climbed the steep stairs to what we found to be “GOLGATHA” … “CALVARY” … the spot where Our Lord, Jesus Christ, died on the Cross for each and every one of us … we never expected this (why would anyone?).
As we reached the top of the steep staircase, we realized that we were standing at THE FOOT OF CALVARY! Mass was still ongoing there, so we quietly waited on the Greek side and, after the Final Blessing, we went up to the Foot of the Cross and Venerated the Stone at the actual Foot of the Crosswhere our Lord, Jesus Christ, died!
It was a unique and emotional moment for each of us, individually, as we took our turn in this most Sacred of Sacred Places. I was last, and, when I stood up, a new Priest (the one I had met) was already prepared to begin Mass on the Latin Side. In the beginning, there were very few in theCongregation and we were able to sit on the bench near the spot where Jesus was Nailed to the Cross … directly beside the Altar. I tried to concentrate on Mass as my mind raced and I tried to comprehend where we were at the moment and what, exactly, was going on. At Communion, it all hit me, and I broke down crying as I never have in my life … fully aware of my surroundings and the Sacrifice that Our Lord, Our God, made to give each and every one of us Eternal Life! The experience and the emotions I felt ….. I don’t know that I can ever explain as I am certain that Susan, Johna & Sam feel the same.
Celebrating Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Gathering our wits together, we exited down the long and steep staircase, knowing that we still had a little time before the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre would open so that we would be able to enter and venerate the actual Tomb of our Lord. So we began (with our Holy Sepulchre Map) to explore the remainder of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre.
We decided to grab a quick capuccino first and Sam bought a loaf of fresh bread and we all enjoyed our breakfast!!
We then went to the Church of Saint Helena and the Chapel of the Finding of the Cross. Both were deep down below the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. The story of Saint Helena finding the Holy Cross of Jesus is a good one and you are able to find it all on the internet.
Next, we went to the Prison of Christ, where they kept him before His Crucifixion. It was closed, so we made our way back to the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre. We got in line behind about only 12 pilgrims and waited for the Chapel and Sacred Site to open as Mass had just finished. We let three Religious Sisters from another Order in front of us. Of course, they would or could not talk to us “as different”, but we respected them. Again, waiting for the unknown, our inner excitement grew as they opened the door to the Sacred Site and the Orthodox allowed no more than 6 people to enter.
The first Chapel is the Chapel of the Angel. This is where the Rock that the Angel moved away from the Tomb of Our Lord at the time of his Resurrection. This is where Mass is celebrated and it is very, very small. We could see from outside, through a small opening window and into the actual Tomb where three or four small people could get in and kneel before Our Lord to Venerate the Place where they Laid Our Savior to rest. It worked out well, so that Susan and I were able to enter the Tomb together, along with one other Religious Sister. We were able to venerate the Tomb of Our Lord … words cannot explain … nor were Susan and I talking about it together at the moment. Susan and I later talked that, while sad, it was not as sad as the site at Calvary … because this was also the place of Our Lord’s resurrection. Johna and Sam also were able to experience this after Susan and me. They each have expressed (and have kept private thoughts) of the experience but both were affected by the experience.
I can’t imagine the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem and Bethlehem during the High Season, with the multitude of crowds who push, shove, yell and jockey for position at these Sacred Places. We all feel Blessed to have been here “off season” and early so that we missed having to stand in long lines and to have had the time we did in these Sacred Places this day.
We decided to go to the Wailing (Western) Wall in the Jewish quarter. It was hot and there was a long line at the wall, so we skipped it, and headed for the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin near the exit, the Church of Saint Anne.
Placing prayer petitions in the Wailing Wall
Great Shopping area here near the Wailing Wall
We walked by a bakery that had fresh bread and a takeout fafalel store. I said let’s get it now, but I was vetoed by the others, who said that we could get it later.
The Chapel was very near the exit and the Bakery was the other way so Sam said he would go back and get the bread and fafalel. It was hot and I was hurting, so Sam went alone and we waited… and waited…..and waited. I figured he was talking to everyone he passed, so we all went back for him. We met him just at the next gate out, so off we went and found ourselves in the Muslim quarter. They looked at us a little funny so we quickly got a cab and were back to the apartment in 20 minutes. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and organising our next day and went to bed after we got back from dinner.
Another early day tomorrow.
Layla tov
God Bless all of you
Love Susan, Tom and the Kids
Prayer to Our Lady of Sorrows
O Most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming
grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and
the death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion and
awaken in my heart a tender compassion for those suffering, as well as a
sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being disengaged from all undue
affections for the passing joys of this earth, I may long for the eternal
Jerusalem, and that henceforth all my thoughts and all my actions may be
directed toward this one most desirable object.
Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and
immaculate Mother of God.
Amen.
Five Valuable Resources to Make Traveling with a Special Needs Child Less Stressful
Traveling is stressful regardless of circumstances, but traveling with children can be even more so. When your child has special needs, you may feel that traveling is overwhelming. Fortunately, programs and resources are available to make traveling with your child easier and more enjoyable for the whole family.
1. Kids Fly Safe: Reassure Yourself of Your Child’s Safety
Worrying about whether or not air travel is safe for your child is a concern many parents share, particularly with very young children. CARES is a company that produces a special aviation harness, not unlike the buckles found on a child’s car seat.
With children between 22 and 44 pounds, typical airplane seatbelts do not offer the range of protection they offer adults. This can be nerve wracking and may add to your stress. With CARES’s line of products, flight can feel much more secure for both you and your child.
2. SpecialGlobe: A Travel Site with Your Needs in Mind
SpecialGlobe is a site that allows you to book custom tickets and hotel rooms with special needs children in mind. Their custom itineraries include such things as nearby hospitals, suitable activities, where to find trained aides, or even what destinations provide special equipment you may need. Furthermore, the site allows parents to share experiences and tips so you can get a firsthand account of a destination from a parent like yourself.
3. Special Needs Travel Mom: Bloggers with Experience to Share
The most reassuring type of resource is one written by someone in your position. A vast number of parents write blogs about life with special needs children and, often, there will be a section on travel. One such blog is Special Needs Travel Mom, which offers tips, experiences, and links to further resources. Reading someone else’s successful experience can often be the best way to reduce the anxiety and stress of an upcoming trip.
4. Family Vacation Critic: Find the Best Vacation
Websites like Family Vacation Critic can provide lists of ideal travel destinations for children with special needs. With the research already done for you, the only stressful thing left is to pick a place. These lists often include places that host specific organizations. Splore, for example, is an organization in Moab, Utah that aims to provide outdoor fun for people of all ages and abilities. It is not the only one of its kind. Groups like this are cropping up everywhere with a goal to make the world a more fun and accessible place.
5. Basic Planning Sites: Don’t Forget the Basics
When caring for a special needs child, those needs are likely your top priority. While those are extremely important to consider when traveling, the basics shouldn’t be overlooked. Find the website of your airline; learn what useful features it has for you to ease your journey. Look at a seat map and be sure you are seated with your child, as some flights may not book seats together. Find a site withpacking tips so you can feel confident that you haven’t forgotten anything. And lastly, research your destination. Knowing all there is to know about where you are going will resolve much of your travel anxiety. Arriving in a location armed with a mental map of the nearest hospital or ASL travel guide is guaranteed to diminish your anxiety.
Traveling is both stressful and exciting. With the rapidly advancing world of special needs accommodations, travel with your child can be fun and rewarding rather than nerve-wracking. With the right resources and preparation, you can focus more on the excitement.
About the author:
Rebecca Moore fractured her ankle in a bike accident in March 2015. Temporarily disabled, she soon felt isolated from her peers and was crushed to realize this is a common problem for people with disabilities. She went on to create AbleRise.net with a friend in an effort to provide more disability resources and make the world a more caring place.
Like many independent Catholic travelers, we like to experience the local culture of the places we visit. For some reason, we don’t always seem that keen on B&B’s. Perhaps it is because we feel less privacy when staying in someone else’s house rather than a hotel. Or maybe it’s because our main goal is to check out various shrines or churches so where we sleep is not that important. We are not there to relax, which is a shame, but then that’s our purpose in visiting so many places: to give you an idea of what they are like.
But in this case, when planning a trip to Normandy, we did want some free time to just relax and not constantly be on the go. So, we decided to try a chateau just to see what it was like. We landed in Paris and hopped a train (our favorite way to travel in Europe) to Rennes in Normandy, where we picked up our rental car. From there it was a short drive to the Chateau de Bouceel, our choice for this trip.
As you can see, the setting was like something out of Downton Abbey (minus the staff & the British accent). The chateau itself was beautifully maintained and definitely had atmosphere. We were told that for a few months during World War II (the summer of 1940), the chateau was briefly occupied by German army officers. But they later moved elsewhere as the chateau did not have electricity at that time.
Our host, Count Régis de Roquefeuil, pointed out the front steps where his father, as a member of the French Resistance in World War II, was arrested by the Gestapo. He was due to be shipped off to the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, where he would no doubt be executed. However, the rail lines had been bombed, and since by now the Allies had landed on the Normandy beaches, he eventually was freed by the Allies. With all this history, and the beautiful surroundings, staying here was a unique experience.
Our host had a book of cartoons (in French) detailing his father’s experiences during the war. His father had dedicated the book as follows:
“To the brave young heroes from the U.S., Canada, England, Australia….who gave their life and without whom my dad wouldn’t have come back, this book wouldn’t exist….I wouldn’t be here to sign it.”
Let’s never forget!
We bought the book and brought it home as a memory of our stay here…..even though we don’t speak much French…you could get the meaning of the cartoons.
Since we had a car, we made day trips to nearby Mont St. Michel, the D-Day Beaches and Pontmain, among other sites. That was after breakfast at the Chateau, of course……can you get better croissants anywhere other than in France? Definitely not, in our opinion. These were the melt-in-your mouth, fresh-from-the oven croissants that just don’t seem to exist anywhere else.
People who prefer a chateau or B&B cite advantages to staying in them, such as individually decorated rooms, direct contact with the owners or the chance to mingle with other independent travelers.
Those who prefer hotels cite the advantages of more flexible hours (with a B&B, the doors are often locked after a certain hour in the evening), more anonymity, usually a restaurant on the premises. So I guess it is just a matter of taste.
Certainly, in our case, the chateau fulfilled all our expectations and then some.
You can read more about the history of Chateau de Bouceel here.
How about you? Do you have any experiences you would like to share with everyone?
Enroll with your Valentine on ANY Select International Tours Pilgrimage between February 14, 2023, and February 21, 2023, and Select International Tours will Share the Love by making an additional $50 donation in your name to Select to Give. There are no codes or coupons, just enroll and Share the Love!
Select to Give is a charitable organization sponsored by Select International Tours to aid Christians in the Holy Land and Ukraine. It is important to support our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and Ukraine, and we pray that this will help bring much-needed attention to their needs.
The Suicide of actor Robin Williams in 2014 made headlines around the world. Perhaps it is because, as a comedian, he always seemed to be “up” and ready to laugh. Plus, he seemed to have all that the modern world tells us we should want: Fame, Wealth, Acclaim.
So it is surprising to those who did not know about his inner conflict, that he suffered from depression and ended up taking his own life.
But Robin Williams was not alone: countless people suffer silently from depression. Although some might wish to call it a character flaw, it is actually a disease that afflicts many regardless of class or wealth.
Now that we are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic with its isolation and fear, suicide is becoming a concern among many and there are reports of people becoming so depressed that they take their own lives. This is compounded by a sense that things are not right in this world: assisted suicide, abortion on demand, the transgender movement, divisions within the Catholic Church itself and so much more. When you combine all these it is difficult to feel that God is in charge. Depression is a real illness, and yet few want to talk about it, especially those suffering from it.
As we know, good can often come out of the bad that happens. In this case, due to the enormous amount of publicity surrounding the suicide of Robin Williams; it will hopefully create more awareness of depression, its signs and treatment. Often times those with depression feel sadness, shame, and helplessness. No matter what a loved one or friend might to cheer up someone suffering from depression….even though they know you are speaking the truth…their illness prevents them from seeing the reality around them..As a result they are reluctant to move forward and ask for help. And those around them may not be looking for the signs of depression that could help avert tragedy.
Do you take Xanax? Here’s a warning from the American Addiction Centers: “While it is known that these drugs are safest when used for no longer than six weeks, many doctors continue to allow patients multiple refills for far longer periods of time. The Bend Bulletin notes 1.9 million prescriptions were filled for Oregon residents in 2013, and 45 percent of them refilled their medication at least three months in a row.”
Often, symptoms of anxiety can lead to depressive symptoms, too, and Xanax may be prescribed to treat the original symptoms. Depression and anxiety are cited as primary reasons for drug abuse among 63 percent of older adults, per the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. While many may begin using these medications in a prescribed fashion to treat their symptoms, those same symptoms may resolve over time but the individuals remain medicated. When they attempt to come off the drug and familiar symptoms return, they assume they still need them, but sometimes, it’s merely that the drug itself, and dependence on it, causes feelings of depression and anxiety to manifest during withdrawal.
Did you know that Saint Dymphna is a little-known saint who is invoked in cases of mental health issues? Her name is not familiar to many, yet countless miracles have been attributed to her intercession.
As the Marketing Manager forSelect International Tours and Cruises, I can often be found behind a desk, in the digital world. I get to watch more than one-hundred pilgrimage trips a year, and occasionally, I get to travel. Our company President encourages all of our staff to experience pilgrimage, and this past October, I traveled for 15 days, to meet three of our pilgrimage groups in France, Austria, and Italy. Along the way, I learned that while every pilgrimage is unique, there is something familiar in all of them that binds all pilgrims of all times together.
Paris
I arrived in Paris early. I dropped my bags at the hotel and walked out into a brisk October morning. My first destination stood in the distance atop butte Montmartre, the tallest point in Paris’ city limits. With a baguette and espresso in hand, I wound my way through 7 kilometers of streets and alleyways toward the butte.
Sacre Coeur Basilica
Sacré-Cœur, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, is an astounding building. It’s a relatively new minor Basilica, having been consecrated in 1919. However, there has been perpetual Adoration of the Holy Eucharist above the Altar there since 1885. Sacré-Cœur is the second most visited location in Paris, which was apparent as I climbed the seemingly endless stairs to the Basilica with hundreds of other tourists. A funicular—a tram of sorts—takes many others to the top, and that was where I was meeting Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio and his group of pilgrims. Sacré-Cœur is a beautiful site, and a popular stop on many pilgrimages to France, but our destination lay behind the immense Basilica.
Saint pierre Church
The Saint-Pierre church began in 1133 and was consecrated in 1147, although rumors of Marian devotion at its location go as far back as 200s with the first chapel being erected in 475 to commemorate the location of the martyrdom of Saint-Denis from which the place now takes its name: Montmartre, the Mount of the Martyr. Our group celebrated Mass there before exploring Sacré-Cœur.
The juxtaposition of my ascent up the 270 steps, from the street to the Basilica—with hundreds of travelers snapping selfies—to the quiet and reverent group of pilgrims preparing to celebrate Mass at Saint-Pierre was dramatic. It immediately reminded me of how different a pilgrimage is from a vacation.
Toulouse
I spent the next few days with the group, first exploring Paris and then taking the bullet train to Toulouse where we celebrated Mass at the Jacobin Convent, where the relics of Saint Thomas Aquinas are housed.
The Jacobin Conent in Toulouse: Father John, Father Casey, and Deacon John began the Mass
The Jacobin Convent in Toulouse has a history that is far too long to recount in this post. But it is important to note that the local government now owns the church and it functions as a museum. However, they still allow groups to celebrate Mass there. If that sounds confusing, you should have seen the visitors’ faces when Father John, Father Casey, and Deacon John began the Mass.
The acoustics of the room made every word, every prayer, and every response swirl around you. It was difficult to tell where the sound originated, and it struck awe in everyone in the room. People who had come to a museum were observing a Mass that spoke vividly to the mysteries of the Faith, and many stood there, mouths agape, at the beauty of it all.
Been to any Catholic funerals in the last few years? I’ll bet you heard the Priest or Deacon say things like “in a better place now” or “he is with his beloved now” or some such soothing comments. Although these comments may bring some comfort to the mourners, they do not reflect true Catholic teaching.
It has been….and continues to be…. a belief in purgatory as a necessary process along the road to heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Purgatory, 1031, states:
“Purgatory” by Peter Paul Rubens (1634-1636)
The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire: As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.
Although not pleasant ( I certainly don’t look forward to it), purgatory is a place of purification or temporary punishment in which the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven. At least if I make it that far I know I am on the right track!
The leaders of the Church bemoan the lack of catechesis these days, and yet often when they have the chance, they fail to take advantage of the occasion. Is it any wonder that the laity is so ignorant of Church teaching?
Did you know there are Purgatory Museums and Shrines?
After coming up with the title, which I thought would be snappy and original, I discovered this article by Father Dwight Longenecker had the same title and was written much more eloquently than my poor effort.
