Preparing For a Pilgrimmage, A Jubilee Year of Hope

 

 

The Catholic church has declared 2025 to be a twenty-five year Jubilee. Specifically, a year of "Hope".

In short, a Jubilee Year is a time for renewal; a pivotal, transitional moment when something begins anew. It is also an opportunity for a "coming together", to bring our joy, our hearts, and our hope to the church. 

This year, Rome expects thirty-five million pilgrims to visit for the Jubilee year. Here in our little Fincastle church, we are preparing a pilgrimage of our own. When Father Xavier suggested  we have a pilgrimage for the Jubilee Year, my heart leapt at the chance. I have never participated in an intentional pilgrimage but I knew this was a special moment to further my faith and to participate in what my friend and collaborator calls a "soul altering" experience. 

Saint Andrew's Basilica in Roanoke was listed by the Richmond Diocese as a destination for a pilgrimage. Lucky for us it is located only thirty minutes away! Father Xavier, Kathy, and I visited the basilica this morning in order to plan our pilgrimage and Mass with their coordinator. It was the first time I stepped foot into St. Andrews. It took my breath away and my eyes filled with tears. The experience was multiplied by the sound of the organist practicing in the choir loft. As we entered the Narthex (entrance vestibule) I could smell the soft, wooden scent of incense. Further entering into the Nave, the cathedral ceiling soared upward and reminders of the heavenly realm and the history of the church were everywhere. The paintings and statues in a Catholic church are not idols, as many non-Catholics assume. They are created as reminders of where we have been and where we are going. 

I felt very lucky to have this chance to roam the church at will, to sit and reflect, and to plan for our pilgrimage. My heart is expectant and ready and my soul yearns to listen and see. My flesh only asks that I do not trip and stumble when I walk up to the Lectern to read. That would be my style. 

I just wanted to share this moment of peace.