Pilgrims Journey

A pilgrim walks, sweats, struggles, surrenders, laughs, cries, and prays a lot. We are pilgrims on a journey. We have seen so many things, experienced so many things. Things, honestly, not many can say they have ever done or experienced. We walked seven miles with our packs loaded down with food, blankets, pillows, and whatever else we needed to survive. Exhausted already we made it to the giant filed filled with people as far as the eye could see. We sat in this dessert when drinking water had run out on a day that was 104. Firetrucks weaves through the people spraying the enormous crowds cooling them. At that point we prayed for water and water came... in the form of a thunderstorm with whirling winds and drenching rain just as Pope Benedict arrived on stage. As the storm rolled in Holy Father stayed and so did we! The storm was close to passing and Jesus came and 1.5 million young adults from around the world knelt in adoration. Those who had been thirsting so desperately were now thirsting for the King of Kings! After adoration Holy Father departed. As rain began to fall again we tried to settle in for sleep amidst the soft gentle rain on our faces, the soft wet dirt now mud, ants, crickets, smells that range from trash and port-a-potties to a million people who haven't showered. Pilgrimage is a great word to describe this experience. Through the many trials and tribulations we remained joyful. Each one in our group surrendered all to God living the paradox. It is possible to say we survived and persevered this World Youth Day!
All of this being done we are ready to go home- we are currently boarding the plane!
We all are on a pilgrims journey. This journey has begun and for us I am convinced we will joy complete it until we reach heaven. Be Not Afraid, Keep the Faith!
See you soon!


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Spiritual Maturity

Last night we sat together and talked about the trip so far. "What has God been saying to you on this pilgrimage?" I was so happy to hear the depth of each of their stories. The depth of their prayers were bearing fruit. I am very proud of our students. They each have received so much from this pilgrimage and it shows.
We are known here as "the Alabama group." this is in no way a bad thing in fact. They all love us. We are unique. They certainly have fun and are capable of being goofy or really of just being teens. On the other hand they are very mature in their spiritual lives and knowledge of the faith. Several times I have had people comment to me "your teens are amazing" or "your teens have a very strong faith." I am not surprised by this. I am very proud of them.
Mobile has been represented well to all the world on this pilgrimage!


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Hola from room 306! Elizabeth and Shannon here for the update from yesterday! We started off the day with a delicious Spanish breakfast of chocolate cake and various other breakfast foods then headed out to our catechesis session where we were all inspired to live a chaste life by the words of Jason and Crystallina Everett and had a mass with close to two hundred priests and fifteen- twenty bishops. Next was lunch at an Irish pub. Who wants spanish food in spain? Not us, that's for sure! Then we went to try and find a good spot for the papal arrival. After climbing over people, trash, and stuff and pushing through smelly people from all over the world ( this includes us), we found a decent spot. And we were only three and a half hours early! We made new Facebook friends, some of us took naps, and took lots of pictures. When the wait was finally over, we surged forward and got a glimpse of the pope in the pope mobile!!! While he didnt drive directly on front of us, our view of the stage was enough. Seeing the successor of Peter, the most powerful man in the free world, and the leader of the church here on earth made it all worth it! Adios for now! Love y'all!
Elizabeth y Shannon


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Travel and Assisi Teaser

On the Shoulders of Giants

Beginning our pilgrimage in Rome and Assisi we were able to see so many saints. Visiting tombs and seeing many of the incorrupt saints. All these incredible saints always, though, looking from a distance and being pushed ahead by other pilgrims.
It was still amazing experience a true blessing to be in those holy places. To be with these holy people who surrendered their lives to serve God. We stand on their shoulders and try follow their example.
Then we arrive in Madrid. The opening mass for English speaking pilgrims is ready to begin. I heard just a moment before that they are waiting for St. Terese to arrive. I walked out and saw her pull up. A woman steps out, and noticing the size of the reliquary, I thought the only gentlemanly thing to do is ask... "Excuse me are you going to need help?" What I was really saying is, please please let me help you! I calmed myself and awaited the answer...."si,si" she responded! Quickly I called some others from the group over. Connor and I as well as six others in the larger Franciscan group processed St. Terese into the church as everyone knelt and honored this great saint. After seeing so many saints in Rome ad Assisi we came to Madrid and carried St. Terese to the pilgrims of World Youth Day! What an incredible honor! We were all moved by the experience.
Afterwords one of the young men who helped process commented, " for so long the saints have carried me, today I carried a saint." - I cannot think of a better way to begin World Youth Day!

Madrid

We arrived in the evening jumped on a bus and headed to the hotel. For the most part it was a travel day. Not a whole lot of excitement. Actually, after the last "excitement" we went through in airports I am perfectly ok with calm, quiet, boring travel. That's not completely true, there isn't much with this group that is calm and quiet. We did play a little soccer in the airport- that is until Connor kicked a German! Don't worry he was very apologetic and she only had a broken ankle (not really.) When we arrived in Madrid we got to the hotel We were a couple of hours late so we missed the earlier mass. This turned out to a be a blessing. We went to dinner and then had a small private mass in a lobby of the hotel.
After mass we walked outside a bit. There were thousands and thousands of pilgrims starting chants and proudly waving flags. There was a lot of excitement among all the youth... the youth of the world! We are very happy to be here and are looking forward to the first sessions tomorrow!
Dan


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Cecilia Pray for Us!

Ciao from Roma! Hope all is well back in the States! As our days in Rome have come to an end, one thing is for sure: I am now physically fit. The daily walk to the Metro, the walk to 15 unique churches, the walk around the Vatican. All of the miles added up to approximately 45 miles! It's for sure though, the irreplaceable experiences are worth the achy feet! Speaking of long walks, I have a story! One church in particular grabbed my attention. I found out our second day in Rome that my Confirmation saint, St. Cecilia, has her own church in Rome. I was going to get there somehow and nothing seemed to stand in the way of that. Saturday, our third day, we found out that The Basilica of St. Cecilia is at least an hour and fifteen minutes away. To my excitement, Fr. Dan volunteered to take Claire and I anyway. It was like BAM! YES! I was so excited. I couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't go- so I was relieved. We went that afternoon while the rest of the group toured St. Peters. Still, another potential problem arose. Every Church takes a reposo or "break" in the afternoon. There was a good chance that St. Cecilia's would be closed. Step after step after step, I got even more excited. When we arrived an hour and forty-five minutes later, I couldn't believe what I saw. It was closed. I walked over to the gate and broke down. I was disappointed and somewhat angry at first. I had walked so far just to see St. Cecilia's tomb, and it was closed. The tears started flowing. A bit later, my anger subsided when Fr. Dan spoke some very powerful words. He said, "She is so proud of you. She can't wait to meet you in Heaven." I hadn't thought of it that way, and it really startled me. It was true. I was crying because I loved her and wanted to pray by her. She means that much to me. Now tears of joy, a waterfall streamed down my face. I was so overjoyed. St. Cecilia is proud of me. WOAH. You can definitely say the Holy Spirit was working. We said a group prayer and then left soon after. Little did I know, I would end up right back in St. Cecilia's presence two days later (today). Fr. Dan worked his priestly powers and we were allowed to go down to the crypt where Cecilia is buried. I prayed by her tomb and took a lot of pictures. I felt ecstatic that my patron saint was right there before me. I am so thankful that Fr. Dan realized how important she was to me and did whatever he could to get me in her presence. My visits to her Basilica will always stick with me. Her inspiring story makes her such a wonderful role model. This has been my most moving experience so far and I hope there is more to come. OH! By the way, my feet feel better!

Maegan

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Pictures

Fr. Farmer treats us to dinner! and plays ZOO with us!

Group hug in front of St. Peter's for the Birthday Girl

Cupala- at the top of the dome!

North American College- w/ Msgr. Farmer

Walking the Streets at night

Surprise Birthday Party!

When in Rome

Greetings from room 116. Great golly what a day! Full of laughter, tears, and the occasional sweat stain. Naturally, we kicked off the day with another faith deepening mass in St. Peter's Basilica. Despite our inability to fully comprehend the Italian dialect, we trusted that the priests words in his homily held great spiritual value. Immediately following, we made our way out to Vatican Square where we were able to pray the Angelus with The Holy Father...who was streaming live from his summer home eighteen miles up the rode. Nevertheless, it was an inspiring experience, and we are looking forward to seeing him in person.
After testing the cultured waters of Italy for so long, we decided to dine at a highly recommended Americana cafe, also known as the Hard Rock Cafe. We then skipped on back to our humble abode but not too quick, for we were able to steal some deals at a highly posh boutique in the area. Back at the hotel, cat naps were greatly appreciated and to everyone's dismay, pasta was not served for dinner. Later we made our way to the monastery down the rode for a peaceful adoration and ended the night with nothing more than sleep.~ Collaborative effort of Lindsey, Gaillard, and Callie















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Paradox

Saturday the 13th started early in the morning with some light breakfast and than a metro trip to the Holy Fathers home church, Saint John Lateran. Inside of this bascillica, statues of all the apostles with their means of death stand erected thirty feet in the air. We then celebrated mass and walked over to the Holy Stairs. This holy site is the exact stair way that our savior climbed before he was judged by Pilot. Tours of Saint Peter's and dinner with our very own Father Farmer were the highlights of the evening. Throughout the long day, we were constantly reminded that our journey is indeed a pilgrimage and that we MUST make sacrifices and DIE TO OURSELVES. The paradox of dying to ourselves in order to live is a constant theme and is embraced by our pilgrimage.
Connor Plessala

In the footsteps of the saints

We woke up early (5:45) and made our way downstairs for a filling breakfast of bread and small pieces of oatmeal. Being satisfied pilgrims, we left
for Saint Peter's and experienced many natural wonders on the way including the metro station, which was built in the 8th century A.D. by Roman slaves who used only their bare hands. We arrived at Saint Peter's and after a brief stay in line we entered the church. Our hopes were high, but the basilica somehow exceeded all expectations. Father Dave gave a moving homily about following Christ that added to the divine atmosphere of the building. We then began our walking tour where we saw the Trevi Fountain, the incorrupt body of John XXIII-he looks like he is sleeping-and the church of saint ignatius, where Connor saw Robert bell amine, his patron saint. To finish the tour we stopped at a church made from the bones of over 4000 Fransiscan clergy men and other small children. It was in no way creepy or slightly disturbing at all. Finally the night finished with adoration at a small church across the street from our hotel. Although it lasted for over an hour, it flew by and we left touched by God. ~ Michael Duffey inspired by lack of sleep!






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Gelato at the zoo!

Yes- I sat and listened as I heard donkeys, dauphins, lions, cats, monkeys, and some more wild noises on the side of a busy street in Rome while I had a nice big bowl of gelato. These wild animals are your children! Fun times as we all ate gelato and played a serious game of zoo!
Imagine with me a nice gelatoria, quiet with a few locals. Suddenly out of nowhere like a tornado of teenage fun we bounce in. Thankfully we are entertaining enough that others are not mad but somewhere between impressed and confused- either way they were having fun too! This was certainly a nice way to slow down before we prayed together and headed for bed.

It was a good day, busy! We woke in Assisi on the feast of St. Clare and the fifteen went early to visit her. We were really the only ones in there- that was amazing. Afterwords we headed to Rome to the Catacombs for mass and a tour. We saw the tomb of St. Cecelia and walked through these narrow passages going four stories down where over 600,000 early Christians were buried. We visited St. Paul's outside the walls and finally to the hotel for dinner.

We had fun! This not a surprise considering what incredible kids we have on this pilgrimage. I am still impressed to see them pray and grow and mature. Earliest morning of the journey tomorrow 5:45 to head for mass St. Peter's!

(if you do not know how to play zoo, please ask them to show you when they return. It is not something to be missed!)

Peace

Peace is illusive. What does it feel like? Where is it? How can I get it?

We woke up this morning and walked up a mountain in silence. When we stepped outside we were surprised to find that it was cool, very cool, brisk even. Then we walked. It was a long walk and as I prayed, I prayed for these teens and all those at McGill. I thought about walking up this mountain. Michael, Connor, Shannon, Maegan, Callie, Elizabeth, Clare, Savannah, Gaillard, Lindsey and our adopted member Jenna were all so excited to do this. Even as they became more and more tired they were happy. Even as we climbed and the road twisted up and the sun was warming they hiked at a quick pace- excited! They were excited to experience something new. They anticipated the beauty, the joy, and the peace. All of this began the thought- We are headed to heaven.
The hike was difficult for sure. We walked to a hermitage where Francis and his brothers would go to get away from the hustle and bustle of Assisi.( hard to think of Assisi as busy I know...but for them it was!)Each one as they arrived at the hermitage were breathing heavy as Maegan said, "I can't believe I did that...and I kept up with the runners!" Then off to mass, partaking in the heavenly feast on a mountain where Francis would celebrate with his brothers! Cool!
Now, heaven is what is hoped for. The beauty, joy, and peace of Heaven! The journey, much like ours, will be difficult. But the promise is glorious, the hope for heaven, being united with the communion of saints praising God for eternity! The anticipation and the excitement combined with faith and the grace of God will get us there! Today in a small way was a journey to heaven. Through the challenges the hike presented we persevered in prayer in joyous anticipation of the experience of Holy Communion. Often times looking ahead they would see someone pushing fowrad and would be encouraged to do e same. Apply this to our lives and we have the beginning of the formula. Then what? Well today's Gospel (which I did not realize yesterday) and the subsequent homily was on the paradox. The journey is hard to be sure, and so to live we must die!
As we closed the day having hiked, seen the Portiuncula, prayed in front of incorrupt St. Clare and the tomb of St. Francis, and finished with adoration of the Blessed Sacrament we talked about about this recurring theme- the Paradox. We think perhaps the Holy Spirit is saying something! Perhaps peace is in our hearts waiting to be awakened by God's love. Ever present we must surrender ourselves, die to ourselves and open our hearts to him- there is freedom, there is his love, there is peace!
Oh and after we talked you would think bed, but there happened to be a concert in the main square playing some classic american music (go figure)- so having taken all this in a few of them danced!

Final Destination

We have made it to Assisi! In addition to that all our luggage made it here too! Praise God, for He is good! Everyone is tired, bur this Pilgrimage has been very blessed so far. We have definitely come together as a group. This is an added blessing before we meet up with the larger Franciscan group.
We are learning to count our blessings. Honestly most of our disappointments have become great blessings. Our teens have made a great new friend in Jenna, we were able now to grab luggage for several other people at the airport which otherwise would have been a great hassle to get to the group in Assisi. We will deliver one who was lost as well as luggage.
Thus the paradox! I have been wearing a shirt (same shirt 3 days) that says Paradox on it. One of the teens asked, "what does that mean?" The shirt is implying the great Christian paradox that we must die to live! We must sacrifice as pilgrims on a journey. The paradox, that God can bring great good out of suffering and hardship. This is the paradox that trough our minor difficulties, with eyes opened by Christ, we have seen His great love for us and all His children. Here we find the Good News!



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Today

Miami is a swell place.But I don't think the people sleep well here. Or they just really don't like us. But it's okay because we smile anyway! Because we are going to EUROPE!!! So it's gonna take a lot to upset us. Not to mention we get to eat free meals here in Miami complementary of the Fantabulous American Airlines. This morning, after a deliciously free breakfast at our free hotel, we took advantage of our free time ( haha, free.. ) and went to a local - very beautiful- church for mass, Little Flower Church. It was a good way to relieve the stress and anxiety from the day before. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and things have run pretty smoothly today. Praise God! So despite being a day behind schedule, I'd say it's not been so bad! ~ Gaillard Teague