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Final thoughts
30th June, 2009 - Posted by Ursula Stephens -
It’s midday, Mass is over and we make our way out of St Peters to do some touristy things - some are sightseeing, others shopping, some have wandered off to find a trattoria for lunch. Its very warm and we are all aglow from the outpouring of grace we have received.
(Under the cut, read final farewells and greetings from our pilgrims.)
We meet again just after 7pm for our final meal before we all scatter to the winds. There are lots of stories to tell :Archbishop Francis spied our Ambassador, Tim Fischer during Mass and has scored himself a lunch invitation tomorrow; Archbishop Mark had a long lunch at English House, Helen and Ian took a wrong turn and wandered for an hour before realising they had to backtrack to find our hotel; Paul and Kathy were close enough to the Holy Father to touch him and have fabulous photos, Stephen, Bob and I toured the Museum sant d’angelo - a must see if you make it to Rome. John, Max, Ted and Mary, Paul and Peter had enjoyed cool drinks in the afternoon heat;Norma and Elizabeth had done some last minute shopping; Donna and Eileen had their first chance to read all the contributions on the blog site. Mary, Kay, Fr Francis, John and Maureen had long leisurely lunches, soaking up the atmsphere. Richard and Vin had explored the backstreets and monuments, Neil and Mary had blogged, walked, shopped,had lunch and packed.
We were all taking mental steps for the next stage of our journey. (I can report that it was another 35000+ steps day)
Dinner was in a classic little restaurant in the piazza close to our hotel. Archbishop Mark shared some of his final impressions of the pilgrimage and how important it was for the renewal of the church. We all had the chance to say a few words if we wished, and I took the opportunity to read the PMs blog - his message of support was really appreciated. Archbishop Francis blessed us all and thanked us for our company. Mary managed to get a photo of everyone wearing Fr Francis’s hat!
We are all so appreciative of your prayers and messages. God bless you all and
Arrivaderci Roma!
Ted: This has been a five star pilgrimage, we haven’t really done it tough- good food, good beds, good company. We only had one tough day -and that was everyone’s experience. I only wish my wife was here to experience this, but she’s here with us in spirit. Love to you all.
Kathy: This has been a wonderful experience. Travelling with our group created that sense of community that St Paul talked about. I will cherish many special memories from this pilgrimage and look forward to reading St Paul with new eyes.
Bob: Blessings to you all.
Richard : Its been a wonderful experience culminating in a triumphalist mass said by Pope Benedict in St Peters.
Peiter: As a wine maker what else would you expect but me to distill all the thoughts and images (icons) and finish up with a concrete answer - that’s still to come! St Paul said to the Galatians “its not me in Christ, it’s Christ in me”
Sheila: Greetings to Yarralumla Thursday group! A great experience with30 people with different personalities but the same goal - the grand finale was Mass this morning.
Vin: This has been a great spiritual experience for me, the tour guides were excellent, the tour was so well organised. Thanks to everyone who has supported us.
Donna: The Mass this morning was inspiring and a fitting end to the Pilgrimage. I think this has been the best thing I’ve done as an adult and I have so much to ponder.
John: I think we achieved the steps of St Paul in a very real and fulsome manner, enabling us to better understand one of the most powerful people in the church’s history. To finish the pilgrimage at the Vatican with the Pope’s blessing was a bonus indeed!
Stephen: This pilgrimage has been a truly blessed experience and the pilgrims have made that experience. I hope our messages and perceptions have helped you all - blessings all!
Eileen: My journey on the pilgrimage has proven to be everything I had hoped it to be and more. The spiritual experience will stay with me for many years to come and I hope to share the blessings I have received with my family and friends. There were many highlights which I will treasure. My understanding of St Paul has been enhanced which can be attributed to the guidance given by Bishop Mark. Thank you to everyone on the pilgrimage for your friendship.
Max: Our pilgrimage has been spiritually fulfilled and St Paul is very much alive in our lives.
Elizabeth: We’re in Rome - all roads lead to Rome. I wish I was forty years younger and though I’m not doing the hard stony work that St Paul was doing I hope to be able to put his teachings into practice in a fulfilling way.
Mary: Archbishop Mark brought St Paul alive for us - what a great pilgrimage and to finish with Vespers at St Paul’s Outside the Walls on Saturday and Pope Benedict’s Mass on Sunday was just too much.
More to come!
Tags: Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, footsteps of saint paul, pilgrimage, pilgrims, st paul
Posted on: June 30, 2009
Filed under: Archbishop Mark's teachings
1 Comment
Louise Parsons
July 1st, 2009 at 6:35 am
Thank you for taking us on your journey. It brought memories back of pushing Caroline past Sant d’Angelo as we headed to the Vatican. The awe and serenity of being near the Pope is indescribable.
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