The pilgrimage to Rome was filled with wonderful moments to experience the Spirit and Grace of Almighty God. The beautiful and historic Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul Outside the Walls gave us the opportunity to touch base with the mission and ministry of the great Apostles who shared their faith and gave their lives in fulfillment of the gifts they received from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The trips to Assisi, Subiaco and Montecassino presented us with opportunities to experience the beauty of those places and to develop a fuller appreciation of the vision and contributions to the Catholic tradition made by such heroes of the faith as Francis, Clare, Benedict and Scholastica.

Finally, the opportunity to be in the presence of Pope Francis at the Mass on the Feast of the Epiphany, at the General Audience on Wednesday and during the Angelus at noon on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square was uplifting and a thrill to all. One of the truly amazing things I witnessed was the Holy Father, Pope Francis, continuing to greet people in the Square an hour after the formal General Audience concluded on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Most of the dignitaries as well as most people had vacated the Square. However the Pope remained – visible in the “Pope-mobile” – reaching-out to the people who longed to see him. It was an image of the shepherd in the midst of his beloved flock.

BEAUTIFUL!!!

Msgr. Thomas Mullelly, diocesan vicar for clergy personnel and consecrated life

The pilgrimage to Rome was a great experience. Being with our Bishop and brother priests added to the significance of this trip. Concelebrating Mass with our Holy Father on Epiphany in St. Peter’s Basilica was really spiritually rewarding. And then the General Audience on Wednesday.

With our eyes we could see and admire the humility and simplicity of our Holy Father. A lot to learn from. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be able to spend those couple of days in the Eternal City!

Father Jacek Labinski, pastor of St. Hedwig Parish, Trenton

The true highlights of my first-time travel to the Eternal City were the celebration of Mass with my brother priests and the Bishop, especially at the Tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul as well as the liturgies celebrated when we visited the monastery tombs of St. Francis and St. Benedict/Scholastica. It was in those sacred places where the presence of those holy people could be felt within our hearts and the opportunity to call upon them as heavenly intercessors was a moment to begin our own transformation into becoming better shepherds to God’s people and more passionate proclaimers of His Gospel message of love, peace, hope and justice.

Witnessing our own Pope Francis modeling how to reach out and touch the poor, needy and suffering helped to nurture and sustain an attitude of charity that extends to all of God’s children. He touched, embraced and blessed those who yearn to feel the love of Christ in their hearts and with Papa Francesco as a glowing example, we too can now more fully appreciate our sacred responsibility to be present to all of our flock and bring the love of our Lord into their lives.

I am so very grateful to Bishop O’Connell for offering us this amazing and awesome as well as humble and holy moment in time for us to deepen our love for others and enliven our faith in the One Who loves us always!

Father Jack Bogacz, spiritual moderator of the diocesan St. Vincent de Paul Society and parochial vicar of St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River

Offering the Eucharist together at holy sites.

While it would be a challenge to try to single out any one moment of our pilgrimage as a pinnacle experience, the few times that we priests offered the sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist on ancient and sacred altars stands out to me as a series of tremendously moving experiences.

At the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and at the Abbey Basilica of Monte Cassino, we were just yards away from the hallowed resting places of Sts. Francis, Benedict and Scholastica. Twice we concelebrated Mass as a group at St.

Peter’s, once with our Bishop near the tomb of St. Peter and once with Pope Francis for the Solemnity of Epiphany.

To reflect on how many holy men and women have worshipped in those sacred places for more than a millennium, fills me with wonder and awe for the Communion of the Saints, and the great cloud of witnesses to which the pilgrim church belongs. That the visible Church basks in the radiance and points towards the great invisible Church triumphant became a concrete and tangible reality for me, by offering the Mass with my brothers.

Father Joel Wilson, attending The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., to pursue full-time graduate studies in Systematic Theology,