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JPII to Rome - April 2013
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April 22, 2013
Our school's first ever pilgrimage to Rome got underway this week. The group is staying at a seminary near the Vatican, and has been able to do some preliminary site seeing, as well as attend Pope Francis' Sunday Regina Caeli "talk from the window." The group has along with them a priest from the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, and as such, the group has been able to have nearly daily Mass (and another expert tour guide). Twelve parents and two faculty members are also traveling with the group. The pilgrimage will last eight full days in Rome! Please pray for their safety and for their reception of the many graces that will be waiting for them in and around the Vatican.
The leader and planner for the pilgrimage is Mrs. Peggy Harkins, one of our faculty members. She first traveled to Rome as a University of Dallas
undergraduate, and has returned many times, including for a three year stint as a administrator in charge of the UD Rome semester.
Here are some photos so far.
• The first photo is in the courtyard of the seminary that is hosting our pilgrims.
• The second photo is of our Guardians, standing in front of the St. Michael the Archangel Castel. This round building was originally a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian, but later became a fortress used to protect the Pope. It derives its name from an event during the time of Pope Gregory the Great, when there was a plague in the city of Rome. St. Gregory organized a penitential procession through the city, and led with an image of our Blessed Mother. When they approached the castle, St. Gregory saw a vision of St. Michael sheathing his sword, signifying the end of the plague, which passed immediately. Since then it has been called the "Castel Sant'Angelo". As the students proudly held our school sign, they prayed the St. Michael's prayer in unison, to the surprise and admiration of many tourists passing by. It was a very touching moment for our pilgrim group.
• The third and fourth are in St. Peter's Square, (the third as they waited for Pope Francis!)
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The fifth is in St. Peter's Basilica. The group celebrated Mass at the tomb of St. Gregory the Great, then toured the Vatican Museum, a scavi tour, and then touring the Basilica.
IN ASSISI: There was an important event in the pontificate of Blessed John Paul II, when he gathered the leaders of all world religions in Assisi to pray for peace at this church. This plaque commemorates the occasion showing the pope next to the Dali Lama, Buddhist and Muslim leaders, all who gathered to pray for peace. The group celebrated a wonderful Mass in Chapel of St. Catherine in St. Francis Basilica.
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Copied below is Pope Francis' message to the faithful on Sunday, 21 April 2013, before praying the Regina Caeli. The group was in St. Peter's Square, to listen. Note his direct address to them, our youth!
[Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=685094 of the Vatican Radio website] [Photo from the Vatican Radio website]
"Dear brothers and sisters,
Fourth Sunday of Easter is characterized by the Gospel of the Good Shepherd - in the tenth chapter of St. John – which we read every year. Today’s passage contains these words of Jesus: " My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one"(10.27 to 30).These four verses contain Jesus’ entire message, the core of His Gospel: He calls us to participate in His relationship with the Father, and this is eternal life.
Jesus wants to establish a relationship with his friends that is a reflection of His relationship with the Father, a relationship of mutual belonging in full trust, in intimate communion. To express this deep understanding, this relationship of friendship Jesus uses the image of the shepherd with his sheep: he calls them, and they know his voice, they respond to his call and follow him. How beautiful this parable is! The mystery of the voice is suggestive: from our mother's womb we learn to recognize her voice and that of our father, from the tone of a voice we perceive love or disdain, affection or coldness. The voice of Jesus is unique! If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond the abyss of death.
But at a certain point Jesus, referring to his sheep, says: "My Father, who has given them to me..." (Jn 10,29). This is very important, it is a profound mystery, that is not easy to understand: if I feel attracted to Jesus, if his voice warms my heart, it is thanks to God the Father, who has put in me the desire of love, of truth, life, beauty ... and Jesus is all this to the full! This helps us to understand the mystery of vocation, particularly the call to a special consecration. Sometimes Jesus calls us, invites us to follow him, but maybe we don’t realize that it is Him, just like young Samuel. There are many young people today, here in the square. There are many of you! So many of you young people present today in the square!
I would like to ask you: have you sometimes heard the voice of the Lord which through a desire, a certain restlessness, invites you to follow Him more closely? Have you heard it? I can’t hear you…there you are! Have you had any desire to be apostles of Jesus? Youth must spend itself for high ideals. Do you think so? Do you agree? Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave! Be brave, ask Him!!! Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life, is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community ... That's why Jesus said, "Pray the Lord of the harvest - that is, God the Father - to send out laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38). The vocations are born in prayer and from prayer, and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit. I like to underline this today, the "World Day of Prayer for Vocations." We pray especially for the new priests of the Diocese of Rome, whom I had the joy of ordaining this morning. And we invoke the intercession of Mary. Today there were 10 young men who have said "yes" to Jesus and were ordained priests this morning ... This is beautiful! Let us invoke the intercession of Mary who is the woman who said "yes." Mary said "yes," all her life! She has learned to recognize the voice of Jesus since she bore him in her womb. Mary, Our Mother, help us to know better the voice of Jesus and follow it, to walk the path of life!
Thank you so much for your greeting, but let us also proclaim Jesus loudly... Let us all pray together to the Virgin Mary."