Bishop, faithful eagerly await Holy Year of Mercy pilgrimage to Italy
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Clergy and laity from throughout the Diocese of Trenton and beyond are eagerly preparing for the Jubilee of Mercy pilgrimage to Italy hosted by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. The pilgrims will depart Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, April 4, for an 11-day experience designed to observe this Holy Year of Mercy.
The Bishop, however, will be traveling to Rome on Friday, April 1, with his priest secretary, Father Jason Parzynski. They will be staying at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the residence of Pope Francis, until welcoming the Diocesan Pilgrims on Tuesday, April 5, at the airport in Rome. Together, the Pilgrims will then travel north by motorcoach with the Bishop for some tours. In addition to leading the pilgrimage, the Bishop will conduct some matters of diocesan business with various Vatican offices during the visit. On April 7, he will attend the Rector's Dinner at the Pontifical North American College, the United States' seminary in Rome, honoring the Apostolic Nuncio to the US, Archbishop Vigano.
Daily Masses and opportunities for prayer are the centerpieces of the journey, along with visits to churches and other religious landmarks. Father Jeffrey E. Lee, director of Diocesan Pilgrimages, explained, “We will gain the graces of the Year of Mercy as we travel to the holy sites, and experience how our Catholic faith has grown throughout the centuries.”
Father Lee, who also serves as pastor in St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, continued, “Even if one has seen these sites before, something new is always encountered.”
The pilgrimage’s itinerary assures ample time to experience a wide variety of spiritual, cultural, even culinary delights in the Tuscan nation. Touching down after an overnight flight, the pilgrims will begin their spiritual journey in Rome, Tuscany and the spa town of Montecatini Terme. A trip to Florence and a stop to see Michelangelo’s “David” follows, as do stops in Lucca and the Pisa Cathedral.
The Italian countryside is next, with visits to Siena and the medieval town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The next day’s journey will include travel to Assisi, the home of St. Francis, before an evening excursion back to Rome.
The final leg of the pilgrimage will based in the city of Rome, with visits to historical sites as well as four sets of Holy Doors. Each day will include the celebration of Mass in various basilicas and worship spaces, including St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the largest churches in the Christian world, as well as the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Visits to the Catacombs and Vatican City, as well as travel to St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass and the General Audience with Pope Francis (if he will be in residence at the time) are also scheduled.
Msgr. Edward J. Arnister, one of five pilgrims leaving from St. Rose Parish, Belmar, noted the pilgrimage during the Year of Mercy holds special significance for him and his ministry.
“While at my former parish, [Divine Mercy, Trenton] I developed a great devotion to the Divine Mercy,” said Msgr. Arnister, pastor of the Belmar parish. “When I heard we would be able to go through the Holy Year door, I really wanted to be a part of this.
“It will be spiritually enriching as a priest, and it will be my first pilgrimage with the Bishop,” Msgr. Arnister continued. “The Bishop will be celebrating Mass on April 11 at St. Paul Outside the Walls, my favorite church in Rome, and he has asked me to preach. In thanksgiving, we will pray for the world and our parishes.”
Deacon Richard Weber, also from St. Rose Parish, will accompany his wife, Maureen, and his fellow pilgrims on the journey.
“I have high expectations about visiting Rome, and am looking forward to visiting Assisi and Siena as well,” Deacon Weber said. “We are leaving on the Feast of the Annunciation [April 4]; it’s God’s sign that the Blessed Mother is with us.”
Other pilgrims shared what they hoped to experience and share during the special pilgrimage to Italy in emails to The Monitor.
Jerri Stewart, a parishioner in St. Catherine Laboure, Middletown, wrote, “The towns of Siena and Assisi will have special meaning for me. My home parish as a child was St. Katharine of Siena, Baltimore, and I was blessed to be taught by the Sisters of St. Francis, Philadelphia for 12 years.
“To see the Pieta and Sistine Chapel have only been dreams, that will now be fulfilled,” Stewart revealed. “By doing a pilgrimage during this Holy Year of Mercy, I hope to enhance the virtue of mercy in my everyday life by receiving graces to be more compassionate and forgiving.”
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Clergy and laity from throughout the Diocese of Trenton and beyond are eagerly preparing for the Jubilee of Mercy pilgrimage to Italy hosted by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. The pilgrims will depart Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday, April 4, for an 11-day experience designed to observe this Holy Year of Mercy.
The Bishop, however, will be traveling to Rome on Friday, April 1, with his priest secretary, Father Jason Parzynski. They will be staying at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the residence of Pope Francis, until welcoming the Diocesan Pilgrims on Tuesday, April 5, at the airport in Rome. Together, the Pilgrims will then travel north by motorcoach with the Bishop for some tours. In addition to leading the pilgrimage, the Bishop will conduct some matters of diocesan business with various Vatican offices during the visit. On April 7, he will attend the Rector's Dinner at the Pontifical North American College, the United States' seminary in Rome, honoring the Apostolic Nuncio to the US, Archbishop Vigano.
Daily Masses and opportunities for prayer are the centerpieces of the journey, along with visits to churches and other religious landmarks. Father Jeffrey E. Lee, director of Diocesan Pilgrimages, explained, “We will gain the graces of the Year of Mercy as we travel to the holy sites, and experience how our Catholic faith has grown throughout the centuries.”
Father Lee, who also serves as pastor in St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck, continued, “Even if one has seen these sites before, something new is always encountered.”
The pilgrimage’s itinerary assures ample time to experience a wide variety of spiritual, cultural, even culinary delights in the Tuscan nation. Touching down after an overnight flight, the pilgrims will begin their spiritual journey in Rome, Tuscany and the spa town of Montecatini Terme. A trip to Florence and a stop to see Michelangelo’s “David” follows, as do stops in Lucca and the Pisa Cathedral.
The Italian countryside is next, with visits to Siena and the medieval town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The next day’s journey will include travel to Assisi, the home of St. Francis, before an evening excursion back to Rome.
The final leg of the pilgrimage will based in the city of Rome, with visits to historical sites as well as four sets of Holy Doors. Each day will include the celebration of Mass in various basilicas and worship spaces, including St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the largest churches in the Christian world, as well as the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Visits to the Catacombs and Vatican City, as well as travel to St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass and the General Audience with Pope Francis (if he will be in residence at the time) are also scheduled.
Msgr. Edward J. Arnister, one of five pilgrims leaving from St. Rose Parish, Belmar, noted the pilgrimage during the Year of Mercy holds special significance for him and his ministry.
“While at my former parish, [Divine Mercy, Trenton] I developed a great devotion to the Divine Mercy,” said Msgr. Arnister, pastor of the Belmar parish. “When I heard we would be able to go through the Holy Year door, I really wanted to be a part of this.
“It will be spiritually enriching as a priest, and it will be my first pilgrimage with the Bishop,” Msgr. Arnister continued. “The Bishop will be celebrating Mass on April 11 at St. Paul Outside the Walls, my favorite church in Rome, and he has asked me to preach. In thanksgiving, we will pray for the world and our parishes.”
Deacon Richard Weber, also from St. Rose Parish, will accompany his wife, Maureen, and his fellow pilgrims on the journey.
“I have high expectations about visiting Rome, and am looking forward to visiting Assisi and Siena as well,” Deacon Weber said. “We are leaving on the Feast of the Annunciation [April 4]; it’s God’s sign that the Blessed Mother is with us.”
Other pilgrims shared what they hoped to experience and share during the special pilgrimage to Italy in emails to The Monitor.
Jerri Stewart, a parishioner in St. Catherine Laboure, Middletown, wrote, “The towns of Siena and Assisi will have special meaning for me. My home parish as a child was St. Katharine of Siena, Baltimore, and I was blessed to be taught by the Sisters of St. Francis, Philadelphia for 12 years.
“To see the Pieta and Sistine Chapel have only been dreams, that will now be fulfilled,” Stewart revealed. “By doing a pilgrimage during this Holy Year of Mercy, I hope to enhance the virtue of mercy in my everyday life by receiving graces to be more compassionate and forgiving.”
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