Mom meets the Pope
Mai Le, one of our Pallium Pilgrims caught this encounter between Archbishop Gustavo’s Mom, Maria Cristina Siller De Garcia, wanted to hold on to her moment with the Holy Father as long as she could.
Arrivederci Roma
Final telecast from Rome on CTSA, Friday, July 1, 2011.
Something learned: There is a wonderful difference between a vacation and pilgrimage.
Deaco Pat Rodgers
Assisi+Rain+Gellato=Heaven
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Assisi+rain+gellato=HEAVEN.
Our Pallium Pilgrimage taveled the 2 hour busride to Assisi, the home of beloved St. Francis and St Clare. It seemed odd that we had to travel all the way to this ancient city to rediscover what it feels like to walk in the rain and feel the freshness of the cool night air. I’m writing words I haven’t been able to speak for the longest time, “It rained all day.” Nobody in our group complained, we just shared umbrellas or simply enjoyed the rain.
Yesterday, as Archbishop Gustavo concelebrated Mass with Bishop Cantu and Father Jonathan Felux, it was like something from one of those religious ephic movies when just as the archbishop elevated the host at the consecration the thunder roared, echoing off the walls of this ancient holy place. We had just completed a tour of the Basilica of St. Francis. It is still difficult to comprehend that we stood only a few feet from his tomb, surrounded by the resting places of his friend and benefactor, Jacopa dei Settesoli, a woman of Roman nobility, who was at his side at the hour of his death. In 1934, St. Francis’ most faithful brothers were entombed in the corners of the wall around the altar: brother Rufino, brother Angelo, brother Masseo and brother Leone.
Saturday morning saw us bussing through the rain to the Church of San Damiano. It didn’t take very long, nothing is far away in Assisi. There we learned of the total commitment St. Clare held for Jesus and actually looked through the window where a remarkable act of faith in the power of the Eucharist showed the Miracle of the Eucharist. As described by Thomas of Celano in the Legend of St. Claire, Virgin, contained in Franciscan Sources: “In 1240,Saracen troops employed by Frederick II of Swabia, known for their savagery and cruelty, were assembled at the monastery of San Damiano, where St. Clare and her fellow sisters resided. St. Clare, filled with trust in the Eucharistic Jesus, with great courage took the Blessed Sacrament and went out with it to face the Saracen troops, begging God to spare the life of her sisters and to protect the city of Assisi.The Lord heard the fervent prayers of St. Clare and immediately the Saracens, as if repelled by a mysterious force, moved away from the monastery of San Damiano and departed from the city of Assisi,which did not suffer any damage.”
At the church we also stood at the places where St. Clare lived her contemplative life of prayer, fasting, and where she died at age 59. St. Clare was an influential woman in St. Francis spiritual formation and he guided her as well. The Basilica is a lasting tribute to her life of sacrifice and grace. At the Basilica of St. Clare we also saw the cross of St. Damiano church. This is the cross from which Francis heard Jesus call to “Rebuild the Church”
These two days in Assisi have been a blessing and a source of peace to all of us. Walking the narrow streets, praying in the most sacred of places, and sharing our deepest thoughts with one another created a moment of Grace for all of us. We return to Rome on Sunday and prepare to place behind us this remarkable pilgrimage and look ahead to letting what happened to us here make a difference in the lives of those we serve in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Peace,
Deacon Pat Rodgers
We celebrate for deep and profound reasons.
I found it interesting that the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a holiday in Rome. Last night the streets were filled to a standstill with revelers in their automobiles and scooters. It was hard even for a pedestrian to make good time. By 10 p.m. you could hear the booming sounds of fireworks throughout the city. It was a holiday by any measure.
I don’t know why it wouldn’t be. This is the city that is home to more than 270 Churches, the global center of Roman Catholicism and the destination for literally millions of the faithful each year. I guess if I were Rome, I’d celebrate the 2 men most instrumental in establishing the Faith we celebrate every day.
For we pilgrims it was a day of celebration for deep and profound reasons. Certainly we celebrate these 2 disciples who helped to give meaning to our travels and our lives. Certainly we celebrate the fact that we are their legacy. We also celebrate their great courage and love as they spent the complete accounting of their lives so that we would come to know the living Christ.
Everything about this moment takes on proportions bigger than life. The lines circling the circumference of expansive St. Peter’s Square was formed by people from all parts of the world, all here for this moment as a people with a single faith and in the short term a single purpose: squeeze themselves into the rapidly filling St. Peter’s Cathedral, hoping to be part of history and the great continuity of the Church.
From my vantage point, I could see the sun’s rays highlighting sections of humanity, giving this scene a nearly heavenly aura, but with a uniquely human undercurrent of growing excitiment. I think I was only a bit surprised to hear the growing sound of ripples of applause when I realized the procession had begun and the Pope was passing-by, seemingly releasing spontaneous outbursts of affection and joy as people realized how close they were to the Vicar of Christ.
As the procession of archbishops who would receive their pallium this day made their way to their places, the scene had almost the spirit of a great graduation…a graduation to shepherd, with a sheepskin that reflects their specialty “to lead and serve with love the People of God”. Even the growing applause at the announcement of each archbishop’s name and home added to this spirit. But that only lasted a while. It only took the emotional moment of an archbishop kneeling before the Holy Father, bending with humble loyalty to God as Pope Benedict XVI placed the symbol of the yoke of Christ on their shoulders and with the crosses the addorned each pallium you could almost hear the echo of Jesus’ invitation to pick up your cross and follow him.
Then came the moment when Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller was clearly visibile making his way to the place where the pope was seated. I was close enough to see his face and thought he looked uncharacteristically somber. However, later he told me that he was filled with the Peace of Christ as he waited his turn. As he held the hands of the Holy Father, Archbishop Gustavo and the pope exchanged words that spoke of San Antonio’s unity with him and the whole Body of Christ on earth.
10,000 people I am told filled St. Peter’s Cathedral on this day of celebration. A day that was defined by such words as “unity” ,”faith”, “love”, “Church” and ”family”. Being there helped to enrich the meaning of each of those words in our lives. God bless Archbishop Gustavo as he returns to serve the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, he has already blessed us with the charisma and faith of a man who has taught his flock that humility and exhuberance are a powerful mixture for evangelization.
Today we visited the Catacomb of St. Callixtus. A catacomb is an underground, cavernous Christian tomb that may be considered the “Cradle of Christianity and the archives of the primitive Church.” We pilgrims were amazed at the enormity of this catacomb. More than 500,000 Christians were entombed in this maze that for me was a shrine to the legacy of faith which the world has inherited throughout the centuries. It also was the largest catechism I had ever seen. In the dimly lit caverns we encountered primitive artwork that showed us that these early Christians worshiped and believed very much as we do today. The sacraments were clearly understood as the doors to God’s Grace and the outward sign of His mercy and love. It was obvious that the etchings on these petrified volcanic ash walls were left with intention to witness and affirm their faith. As these early Christians believed their immortal souls would live on, they also believed that their faith would survive them as well.
I think everyone was caught completely by surprise when we encountered a replica of a 4th century statue of the Good Shepherd. It was an image of Jesus Christ that held great importance to the early Christian. The memory that will stay with me is the exuberant youthfulness of the statue. Jesus is portrayed as a young and athletic curly headed young man, smiling as he carried a sheep around his shoulders.
T
hat image took on special importance as we approached the Pallium Celebration. The wool vestment is also a symbol of the Good Shepherd among us. Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller is our shepherd. In his homily at the ancient Basilica of St. Mary Major, Bishop Cantu reminded us that the archbishop is to represent the presence of Christ among us. As we have walked this journey of faith and approach its momentous climax with our Good Shepherd, it is clear that the Lord has sent us an archbishop who will lovingly and willingly carry our wounded love on his shoulders, restoring us to the flock with firm but gentle love. He does it with a smile and a youthful exuberance that the statue of the Good Shepherd exhibited as he stood a faithful watch at the doorway of eternity that the catacombs represent even today.
Each day, throughout the Pilgrimage we pray in the spirit of the Good Shepherd and in union with Archbishop Gustavo: “I surrender myself to You, and I ask You for the grace to be faithful to Your inspirations.” Amen
Monday the Pilgrims celebrated Mass at the magnificent Sacred Heart Church in Rome.
Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Rome
The church was built for the Association of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the Bishop of Marsiglia. The association was founded by a French priest from Marseilles named Victor Jouet , who had been impressed by an alleged miracle occurring on the site of the present church. A small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary was burned down in 1894, and the only item to survive was a fragment of a mural, or a scorch mark (sources differ) showing the face of a soul in Purgatory. Construction of a new church started in 1894, to Giuseppe Gualandi‘s design, before the new association was officially recognized by Pope St Pius X in 1913. The church was consecrated on 1 November 1917, in the pontificate of Benedict XV. The purpose of the church and the association is to give aid to the souls in Purgatory. Père Jouet also collected documentary evidence, witness testimony and artifacts demonstrating supernatuaral events pointing to the truth of the doctrine of Purgatory, and some of these are displayed in the so-called Museum of Purgatory which is in a corridor leading to the sacristy. This comprises a row of glass-fronted wall cabinets, which can be inspected by visitors to the church free of charge.
We are the Body of Christ
The Pallium Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi has begun and already has provided surprises and deeply spiritual moments. We all eagerly anticipate visiting and celebrating Mass in the great Basilicas and Churches of the world. However, Sunday morning turned a plain, dry-walled airport chapel into our visit to a holy place on our journey.
Archbishop Gustavo led our band of Pilgrims in a special prayer service. It was ironic that we were celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi with no eucharist. Yet as the Scripture readings were proclaimed and the Archbishop delivered a heartfelt homily, we all affirmed the presence of Jesus among us as our prayers and petitions were raised up to God, we were united as “The Body of Christ” in the world; His heart, His hands, His voice.
I am writing to you as we are flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The plane, quiet
ing into a night of anticipation and prayer. Paris is our next stop, just 6 1/2 hours to go. Archbishop Gustavo is standing in the Aisle behind me, hugging a pilgrim or two as you would expect. At the Houston Airport no one was surprised to see the archbishop enjoying a cup of coffee, sitting with two airport employees. He visited with them as though they were old friends and they talked with him like they’ve been expecting him to stop by.Later, in a sacred moment, that turned an airport concourse into a confessional, we caught only a brief glimpse of Archbishop Gustavo giving a blessing, we think absolution to a Pilgrim on a different journey from ours. What a remarkable moment reflecting the mercy of God among us. We pilgrims await the eternal city, but on the Feast of Corpus Christi, Houston was a Holy Place.
“Feed My Sheep!”
The Pallium Pilgrimage to Rome is a journey of faith and faithful support of the mission of the Church and the ministry of Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller. We pilgrims are not merely observers, we bring our prayerful dedication to St. Peter’s Basilica on the feast of Saints. Peter and Paul and join spiritually join with the archbishop in accepting this symbol of the “Yoke of Christ.” This is a sign of the archbishop’s humble acceptance of God’s will.
In the homily delivered at his Mass of Installation as pope in 2005, the Holy Father said: “To know what God wants, to know where the path of life is found-was Israel’s joy, this was her great privilege. It is also our joy: God’s will does not alienate us, it purifies us-even if this can be painful-and so it leads us to ourselves. In this way we serve not only him, but the salvation of the whole world, of all history.” Along with Archbishop Gustavo, we are each called to seek God’s will in our lives and willingly accept our calling to serve God by serving one another.
In the gospel on the vigil of feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, we will hear Jesus ask Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter then replies, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” The sheep, the flock, the shepherd, these are all clear symbols of the archbishop’s faithful response to God’s calling. Our physical and/or spiritual presence at this moment of humble obedience is our affirmation that we join the archbishop, each in our appropriate roles, in feeding the”… lost, the sick or weak sheep the shepherd places on his shoulders and carries to the waters of life.”
The Pallium is made of lamb’s wool, sheered from a 2 lambs on the feast of St. Agnese. The lambs are a sign of the innoncence and purity of this young, 4th century martyr. Click below to view Pope Benedict as he blessed the sheep on this year’s feast, January 21, 2011.
As we prepare for this spiritual journey let us refelect on the comforting and hoepful words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd; “I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.”
Peace,
Deacon Pat Rodgers
Lord, prepare the way!
It’s amazing how much there is to do to prepare for the Pallium Pilgrimage. I have a dining room table covered with miniature bottles of shaving cream and shampoo; video and audio equipment; and ”comfortable shirts” dangling on hangars from the back of dining room chairs. I just printed out a letter from the Vatican Press Office, confirming my press credentials. (Thank heaven that’s done. Now all I’ll have to do is find the place.)
It’s just like me, wanting to be sure that I’m in control and considered all the contingencies. However, lately I’ve come to realize that I can only do so much to prepare for the spiritual journey we are about to undertake. Yes, I can pray and benefit from your prayers, but do I truly know what God may have prepared for me?
For this journey, I have relied on the Pilgrim Center of Hope to layout the details of the trip and my wife to make sure we’ve taken care of everything from the passports to the Euros. I have relied on the CTSA staff to be sure that I have all my TV stuff so I can send you updates on Catholic Television; and the IT staff and our webmaster to make sure this the rest of our technology is ready for this blog and updating our website with pictures and reflections from the pilgrimage. I have relied on others to prepare the prayers we will say along the way.
However, now is the time to place this pilgrim and the most important preparation in the hands of God. It is the Holy Spirit who will open my heart and prepare the way for the steps ahead of me. It is the Holy Spirit who will allow me to see the opportunities for Grace before me, not just the tourist destinations. Now is the time to let God prepare the way for me to follow so that I will see what he wants me to see and learn what he wants me to learn.
I am already learning my first lesson on this journey of faith. I’m not in control. One of my favorite sayings is something I am sure you have heard often too: “If you want to make God laugh, just start making plans.” Now that He has had a good laugh, I am ready to let Him make the preparations I truly need.
Peace,
Deacon Pat
Eager Anticipation
It’s difficult to imagine that one week from today, I and my fellow pilgirms will have arrived in Rome for the Pallium Pilgrimage. For the past months countless people have asked me, “Aren’t you excited about making the pilgrimage to Rome with Archbishop Gustavo?” My answer generally has been, “I’m too busy paying attention to what’s on my plate today to allow myself to get exctited.” Well as we enter this las few days my anticipation is building and I am finally allowing myself to enjoy the gift of excitement. Today, my answer has finally changed to, “Yes, I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.”
I know this is a spiritual pilgrimage and not a tour of Rome, but I must admit it is all I can do to quiet the tourist impulse so I can reflect properly on the spiritual focus of this journey. While I’ve not given much time to the little chores, like packing, I have begun to consider the idea that I am going to the heart of the Universal Church. As I consider that fact, I more and more begin to reflect on the unity and universality of the Church.
With the celebration of the birthday of the Church on Pentecost, I began to contemplate the uneversality of the Church, it’s message and mission as given to us by Christ; “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” As I considered those words, I became more aware on Trinity Sunday that this simple but profound phrase lays before us a fundamental mystery of our faith, that God is a God of relationship; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is this divine unity we discover that we are united as the People of God.
Today, I am looking at only a picture of St. Peter’s Square, a place where pilgrims from all over the world come to celebrate the bond that is forged in our baptism and the faith that springs from it. In just a week I’ll be one of those pilgrims, standing where millions have stood before me, sometimes celebrating deafening joy or the silence of indescribable sadness. As I join those other anonymous pilgrims of history, leaving my invisible footprints on the pavement, I promise that you will be with me in spirit and hope that we pilgrims will be in your prayers as well. We are united in the name of Jesus.
Deacon Pat Rodgers
