This Jubilee Year of Hope is truly a gift of grace for the church, but especially for the 34 catechists from the diocese who participated in this once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage, which has renewed their faith and revitalized their ministry.
Walking through the ancient city ruins and sacred places of Assisi, Rome, and Orvieto, one can hear the whispers of those who traveled these roads before them: from the saints who joyfully persevered to witness to Christ and his presence in the most Blessed Sacrament, to those who traveled long after them, including the newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis. The life of Christ and the saints reignite the embers of faith and zeal for the living God among the pilgrims walking in their footsteps. The following vignettes are the whispers of some who journeyed with us.
“Visiting Santa Maria Prassede to venerate the Pillar of the Scourging brought me great sorrow. Kneeling before the post that Christ clung to as he took upon himself the corporal punishments for my sins of the flesh, reminded me that I am not worthy, but he loves.” — Marianne Brokaw, St. Patrick Church in Fredericksburg
“Crawling up the Holy Stairs, upon which Our Lord climbed after being scourged toward injustice at the hands of Pontius Pilate, was overwhelming and inspiring, as Christians and catechists, we are called to be witnesses of Christ. That mission calls us to walk with Christ through his Passion and death by doing the Lord’s will, even if it comes at great discomfort and death to ourselves and our earthly desires. By climbing those stairs, Jesus showed us that we must purify ourselves and allow ourselves to be judged unjustly by the world in favor of humbly leading others to Christ by following his example. I pray that the Lord gives us this grace, because we cannot do it alone!” — Thomas Dinneny, Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls
“As a convert, I came into the church through faith, but being in the heart of the place that was pivotal to the propagation of the faith was humbling. The Mass in the Piazza at St. Peter’s with the pope and people from all over the world really drove home the universality and catholicity of the church. Being surrounded by the relics of so many saints was almost unreal, but it made them even more real to me than they already were. As a candidate for the diaconate, I was deeply moved by my time in prayer at the chapel of St. Stephen, deacon and martyr, inside the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. There, I prayed for myself and my classmates in formation, as well as our spouses and formators, and I felt a great peace.” — Michael Evans, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Fredericksburg
“It was a great blessing to attend holy Mass with Pope Leo and to see where the saints lived, traveled, and died for the faith.” — Alina Kuzel, St. Patrick, Fredericksburg
“Now, with a more concrete awareness of the kingdom of God to which the Eternal City points, we can better inform the imaginations of our charges so that they are more likely to accept God’s invitation into his reality.” — Cromwell Enage, St. Agnes Church in Arlington
“I had the opportunity to see so many magnificent basilicas and churches throughout Assisi, Orvieto, and Rome, so beautifully decorated with all manner of religious artwork, statues, paintings, mosaics, and marble work. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring, seeing every inch of the church covered in art. It shows how art reflects the beauty of God: it all points back to Him; the only meaning and purpose of all this beautiful art is to point back and up to Him. And seeing Jesus in the tabernacle in every church is a reminder that, in the midst of all this beautiful art, Jesus himself in the Eucharist is the most beautiful of all.” — Laurie Ruhlmann, St. Veronica Church in Chantilly
“The true beauty and significance of Rome is that our church is alive and well, and has been a profoundly moving experience to be in the presence of so many saints and early Christians, following in their footsteps of faith.” — Chuck Zelnis, Holy Spirit Church in Annandale
“The pilgrimage was a great blessing for all of us. For myself, attending the Holy Father’s special audience for catechists on Saturday and then concelebrating holy Mass with him on Sunday were both thrilling and inspiring. To join hundreds of priests and thousands of catechists from around the world with our Pope Leo was like a Pentecost event — to be empowered by tremendous graces from the Holy Spirit and then to return to our parishes and dioceses reenergized to continue the mission of handing on the faith. Although the present times can seem dark and discouraging, the pilgrimage affirmed us in our mission. We are called to be witnesses of hope.” — Msgr. William P. Saunders, diocesan episcopal vicar for faith formation and pastor of St. Agnes
Piñon is diocesan director of faith formation and evangelization programs.
