Jesus walked most of the time. We imagine the pregnant Virgin riding a donkey to Bethlehem. Paul got a free ride to Rome on a prison ship, and Belloc, after walking hundreds of miles and traversing the Alps, finished his journey to The Eternal City with a train ride. I took an airplane. Six and a half feet tall in economy class, half asleep with my forehead leaning against the seat in front of me, I replayed my vision of what Rome would be. As uncomfortable as I was in that little seat, I happily endured it because I knew my near future would be worth the journey.
Hope pines for a future destination which one knows to exist but has not yet seen. The hopeful’s vision of the destination is some mixture of knowledge, artistic images, and a healthy dose of imagination.
The sights on the southern slopes of Vatican Hill are spectacular, but the reason for visiting is not the architecture, the museums, or the art. As I walked under Michelangelo’s Dome and approached Bernini’s Canopy, I suddenly knew I arrived at the site. It was a relational destination, one of proximity to the first apostle. The Scavi tour, which takes you under the altar, shows visitors the tomb with the words petros eni, Peter is here, carved into it. In this place, I remembered Nero’s circus, Peter’s martyrdom, the early Church pilgrims who so often visited this site, the centuries of other pilgrims, and the whole universal Church for 2,000 years. As I looked upon the rock upon whom the Church was built, I included myself in the structure of living stones: pebble-sized but still essential, dependent on the many below me but supporting those yet to come. Never before have the marks of the Church been so strikingly real for me: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
It was here at my destination that I remembered anew that I was not at my destination. A pilgrimage is a microcosm of our existence. Our whole life is a journey with Jesus to the Father. We hope for eternal life with Him forever. St. Paul says, “in hope we were saved,” and “hope does not disappoint.”
In the calendar year of 2025, the Catholic Church will be celebrating a Jubilee. Pope Francis named the Jubilee “Pilgrims of Hope,” encouraging each Catholic to renew their faith with a pilgrimage of some kind. The Diocese of Paterson will offer several local pilgrimage options, and a pilgrimage to Rome with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney will also be available.
Bishop Kevin’s pilgrimage to Rome will take place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4, 2025. The itinerary also includes the cities of Assisi and Orvieto. Experience Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, a Papal Audience, and several tours, including the Scavi tour (pending confirmation). Pilgrims can fully participate in the festivities of the Jubilee year, which involves walking through the Holy Doors at the Vatican. To view more details and to register, see the Jubilee webpage on the diocesan website.
