My
introduction to the other 19 Pilgrims began during our five-hour wait at
Singapore Airport between 10.00
pm and 3.00 am. 'Bodies' asleep on bunches of chairs, or under the
chairs on the floor of one of the airport lounges, must have been a
sight to behold! I learned later that St. Paul of the Cross also slept
in some uncomfortable places. My next experience was to be bodily
searched by an armed female security officer at the airport in Dubai.
After a few times of being singled out to be the person from our group
to be searched at airports, I almost got used to the process.
Istanbul
(formerly Constantinople) is a crowded (approx. 19 million) ancient
magnificent city where one is constantly harassed by would be sellers of
carpet, tissues, scarves, etc. etc. in the street. Some of these sellers
looked about 7 or 8 years old. Turkey is really mind-blowing
archeologically. The speciality being the Archaeological Museum.
Imagine
being lost and separated from the group in this crowded city! During our
tour of the Museums, Mosques etc., I stopped to take a photo of an
ancient throne of a Sultan and lost the group. (Thousands of tourists
around the famous Blue Mosque etc.) PANIC! RUN THIS WAY! THAT WAY! AT
LAST SIGHT THE GROUP! RUN
FAST TO THE SECURITY OF THE GROUP!
Turkey
is 97 % Moslem. Our group visited several Mosques. The men are called to
prayer five times during the day. After multiple ablutions they pray at
the front of the Mosque, the women sometimes at the rear. Each time we
entered a mosque, we carried our shoes in a plastic bag!
The
first principle of
Faith in Islam is: There is no other Deity worth worshipping
except God.
When
Fr. Chris Monaghan's wealth of Scripture knowledge began to pour out of
him in Ephesus, St. Paul and his companions came alive for me as we
walked the very roads Paul walked and set up his business of tent
making, (leather work, sandal making) and talking to his customers, of
Christ Crucified, and as we also read Paul's prayer Eph. 3:14-21.
Chris
always had an appropriate reading e.g. John 19: 25-27 at the Tomb
of St. John theEvangelist and The House of Mary where Mary probably
spent her remaining years withSt John. This house had a special
'presence’.
Each
of our Eucharistic celebrations was a wonderfully emotional experience,
one of which was celebrated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Gallipoli. The
next day in Phillipi, having crossed the border into Greece, we
celebrated on the banks of the very river where Paul baptised the first
convert for that area. Acts 16:11 - 15. This was Lydia. By now, our
one-ness in Christ's Passion was even more emotionally meaningful as we
had begun to suffer the debilitating effects of the gastric illness,
which moved through the group. We viewed the remains of two early
Christian Basilicas, etc before continuing to Thessaloniki where St.
Paul did succeed in converting many to Christianity.
The
bus climbed the mountains for us to visit the Ancient Byzantine
Monasteries built on 600 metre perpendicular rocks after the split
between the Eastern and Western Churches.
St.
Paul lived in Ancient Corinth for almost 2 years teaching Christ
Crucified.
Using
a large stone in the ruins of probably the Temple of Apollo for an altar
we again shared our one-ness in purpose in our Eucharist using 1 Cor.
1:18-25 with more helpful explanations of the early church from our
gifted leader.
Modern
Athens viewed from the Ancient Acropolis and many ancient Greek Orthodox
churches, especially the Church of St. Andrew that houses the body of
St. Andrew, were highlights before flying to Milan.
In
Italy we travelled via Castellazo where St. Paul of the Cross wrote the
Passionist rule during a 40 day Retreat. In the very room where that
took place, I signed the book in the name of Glen Osmond Parish. (Fr?)
Max. C P made us feel so welcome. He wanted to show us all of the 42
churches before bringing out the welcoming wine, soft drinks, biscuits
and cake.
Communication
in Italy was greatly enhanced by the presence of our fluent linguist Fr.
Chris C P. (or as I heard the Italians say :Padre Monag (Monaghan).
In
Ovada we found St. Paul of the Cross' birthplace in a small street (they
are all small) named St. Paul of the Cross Way, where we shared yet
another very personal Eucharist in the room of his birth. We actually
spent the next night on top of the mountain (St. Paul of the Cross
sought a life of prayerful part hermit) in the Retreat House of the very
first foundation in Monte Argentario, our visit being enlivened by two
unexpected bus loads from the next town, with whom we shared their home
made wine and conversation none of us understood. We also actually met 8
Passionist novices here. Our Eucharist was celebrated in the crypt under
the chapel, which houses the remains of some of the first Passionists.
Moving
south through the long tunnels in the mountains, we spent a night
visiting Assisi (where our Eucharist was starkly formal in an area of
the Basilica) and St Gabriel's(CP) Shrine in the Gran Sasso Mountains.
St Gabriel's remains are also preserved here.
In
the great city of Rome we visited the many Basilicas of our own
heritage. To name a few, St. Peter's, St Paul Outside the Walls, St.
Peter in Chains, St Mary Major (where St. Paul of the Cross made his 4th
vow to preach Christ Crucified) The Holy Stairs and St.John
Lateran.
For
our Eucharist, ( because of some confusion with our booking) we
eventually found a niche in the crypt of the Basilica in the Vatican,
where the remains of some former Popes are housed, after which followed
tours through the magnificent Museums and Sistine Chapel and the
Basilica itself (There is a statue of St. Paul of the Cross in a place
of honour in St. Peter's Basilica).
In
stark contrast to the other treasures of Rome were the underground
burial tunnels for Christians and Hebrews----The Catacombs----hundreds
of feet below ground level.
The
final day being the Feast of St. Paul of the Cross our Eucharist was
celebrated in the Basilica of St. John and Paul to which is attached the
Generalate House of the Passionists.
This
is where St. Paul of the Cross died and his remains are housed in the
basilica.
We
celebrated a memorable oneness centred in Christ's Passion, in the
Chapel where St. Paul's remains are preserved (after Chris asked for an
altar he could stand behind, not in front of) (having stood at the side
of the altar in Ovada,) so that we could face each other. Before the
final blessing we knelt closely linked together around Paul of the
Cross' body and prayed for all friends and associates of the Passionists
- truly memorable moments.
Our
Pilgrimage included the Ancient Colosseum, which is quite close to the
Generalate House.
We
walked through three Religious Cultures, Islam, Greek Orthodox and Roman
Catholic. I have mentioned just a few of the many experiences. Though
very tired at the conclusion, I am grateful to the Passionist Formation
Team for the privilege of being part of this the first Passionist
Pilgrimage, and more especially grateful that we had the privilege of a
leader (Fr. Chris Monaghan) who is a gifted, yet very humble, Scripture
expert, a linguist and a person with an inspiring love of Christ
Crucified as well as having a lively love of life.
Dorothy
Lee