A young adult pilgrimage group from Saskatoon has travelled to Italy on a Jubilee Year pilgrimage, led by Sr. Marta Piano of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity and Evangelization and Mission Leader John Hickey — who co-cordinate young adult ministry in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon — accompanied by Fr. Bassim Shoni, pastor of Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church in Saskatoon. The pilgrimage from May 19-29 includes visiting sacred sites and holy doors in Vatican City, touring Rome, and also time in Cascia, Assisi, Florence, and Venice.
(Submitted photos)
By Sr. Marta Piano, Pilgrimage Leader
[Tuesday, May 27] – Today in Florence, we were recognizing the signs of hope through the beauty of art…
We prayed together in the Duomo of Florence. A few also visited a Verbum Dei Missionary sister, Ester, who lives in Florence.
May 27 was also Fr. Bassim Shoni’s 20th anniversary of ordination — the Jubilee pilgrimage group will celebrate his anniversary together on May 28.
Some reflections from pilgrims about this Jubilee journey so far:
Mariah Inkster: “I was in great awe when we walked into Saint Peter’s Basilica. The architecture was just so grand and stunning beyond my imagination. However, despite all that, it was in the art of the human body, with our human emotions that were the most amazing. It reminded me that no matter what we create, even with all the wonderful gifts from God, his creation can never be matched, and us humans with our God-given dignity are His most beloved and beautiful creation.”.Connor Patterson: “Today I was blessed with a very powerful experience before the body of Blessed Carlo Acutis. Kneeling beside him, I was overcome by a feeling I can’t quite describe or understand. I felt strongly drawn to the reliquary, and looking at his face brought an uncontrollable stream of tears to my eyes. After staying a while, I was struck with the thought while leaving the sanctuary that this inexplicable feeling might have been a small taste of what it would be like to gaze upon the body of the crucified Christ himself. I know very little about Carlo, so I was caught off guard by my reaction, but I learned afterwards that he had a very passionate devotion to the Eucharist. I want to carry this experience with me long after this pilgrimage to inspire and renew my own reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.”
Related:
Members of the pilgrim group visit with Sr. Ester of the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity in Florence, Italy. (Submitted photo)
-30-
Communications and Saskatoon Catholic News are supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca/baa.