Today Leslie and I said adios to all the other pilgrims as they headed home, while we were going south to Andalusia for another week. We all rode the bus together to the airport, but then parted ways as we all went to our separate gates. We were headed to Seville, Granada, Tarifa and Ronda. I hope you have enjoyed this account of our travels and experiences.
To sum up, the last 12 days was an extremely special and unique time for us and I'm sure to all of our fellow pilgrims - one that none of us will ever forget. I still have a hard time believing we were able to see and experience so much in such a short time.This pilgrimage has had a profound effect on my spiritual journey. And finally, I want to express my appreciation to Bill and Ann Christman (ABC Travel) for their efforts in planning this wonderful trip, and for the spiritual direction of Father Paul Wicker.
Holy Apostles Marian Pilgrimage 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
May 3 St. Ignatius Cave and Montserrat
Entrance to St. Ignatius Cave. |
St. Ignatius Cave |
St. Ignatius, borne around the year 1491, was originally a soldier, but was seriously injured in a battle in 1521. During his recuperation, he began to read books about the life of Christ and the lives of the saints. He eventually decided to change the path of his life and devote his life to Christ, and to imitate the lives of the saints.
Beautiful Alabaster Altarpiece Depicting St. Ignatius as a Penitent Looking Up Towards Montserrat. |
The large hall leading to the cave is lavishly decorated with wonderful mosaics.
Church of St. Ignatius |
We all admired the beautiful baroque Church of St. Ignatius built just next to the cave.
Detail of St. Ignatius |
Altar of St. Ignatius Church |
After seeing this church, even though our schedule called for us to celebrate Mass in Montserrat, Bill Christman and several others wondered if we instead could celebrate Mass here (especially since we had been delayed due to the bus issues). So Bill, working with our tour guide, was able to make this happen. What a perfect location and church to celebrate the last Mass of our pilgrimage.
Mary Kellerhals Doing the Reading |
After Mass, we took a few minutes to admire the wonderful views of the mountains and the impressive 14th century Romanesque/Gothic Collegiate Basilica of Santa Maria on a nearby hill. We also took the opportunity to have a group shot of all 45 of us pilgrims in this wonderful setting.
All 45 of us Outside the St. Ignatius Sanctuary. |
Montserrat Shrine. |
Black Madonna of Montserrat. |
Basilica at Montserrat |
The Monastery at Montserrat is still active and not open to the public. The Basilica next to the Monastery houses the Black Madonna, one of the most revered and celebrated images in Spain. Tradition tells us that it was carved by St. Luke around 50 AD but was hidden in a cave in the year 718 to hide it from the advancing Moors. It was then rediscovered by some shepherd boys in the cave (Santa Cove, or Holy Grotto) in the year 890.
Santa Cova (Holy Grotto) where the Black Madonna was found in 890 a.d. |
Montserrat Shrine Nestled in the Mountains |
Main Altar of the Basilica. |
Pilgrims Are Able to Approach and Touch the Black Madonna |
Close-Up of Black Madonna. |
Friday, May 15, 2015
May 2 Avignon and Visit to Palace of the Popes
Pont Saint-Benezet. |
Avignon Cathedral |
Gilded Statue of Mary on top of Avignon Cathedral. |
Palace of the Popes |
Our Group Waiting to Enter the Palace of the Popes. |
Detail Over One of the Gates. |
There is no question that the Palace is extremely impressive both from an historical and architectural perspective. It was also quite meaningful to know we were moving in the same rooms that the popes lived, prayed, ate and had their conclaves.
Courtyard |
On the other hand, it was somewhat of a disappointment to many of our group because the building is quite sterile and stark inside. It is so unfortunate that the Palace was sacked and damaged during the French revolution, and was subsequently used as a prison and then a military garrison.
The Grand Chapel Where Popes Worshipped |
Banquet Hall |
Frescoes in St. Martial Chapel Undergoing Restoration (Picture from Palace of the Popes Website) |
Inside the St. John Chapel. |
Gayle Rappold, Jim and Jan Brady, and Leslie and Dan Paulonis. |
Marilyn and Phil Andreski, and Marilyn and Marty Bunker. |
Lovely Carousel in the Large and Busy Pedestrian Area in front of the Palace. |
Lovely View of the Avignon Countryside. |
14th Century Fort Andre |
It was now time to head back to the bus to get back to the ship in time. Shortly after boarding the ship, it was time for Mass at 5:30. What an amazing surprise we had in store for us there. Word had apparently gotten out about our 5:30 mass and today we had over 70 guests join us - the house was packed! How wonderful.
After our time for reflection on the day, it was time for dinner and then free time to attend a show or just relax on the ship.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
May 1- Excursion to Palma de Mallorca
As the sun rose,we arrived in Mallorca around 7:00 am. About half of us signed up for a walking tour of Palma de Mallorca, with the remainder of the group either staying on the boat or exploring on their own. Even though we left the boat as soon as we could (around 8:30), there was a small mix-up so we didn't meet our local tour guide Emma and start our tour until almost 10:00. As you can see from the photo, we were fortunate to have a beautiful sunny day.
Palma is the largest city on Mallorca and it has a rich history, going back to pre-Roman times. The city was established by the Romans around 123 B.C., and was under Byzantine and then Muslim control until the Christian Reconquest in the year 1229. After a very short bus ride to the Old City, we immediately saw Palma's landmark, the beautiful and immense Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca which is dedicated to San Sebastian, Palma's patron saint. It is also known as La Seu. We naturally took this opportunity for another group shot.
Construction of this Cathedral began in the early 1300's but it took hundreds of years to complete. In the early 1900's Antoni Gaudi was engaged in a restoration project.
One of its notable features is its rose window, one of the largest in the world. Although we unfortunately were not able to visit the inside of the cathedral, there is an YouTube video which shows an amazing display of sunlight through the rose window twice a year: http://mallorcaobserved.com/2013/02/02/the-cathedral-of-light/
This was actually a Jewish Heritage Tour, so Emma told us quite a bit about the history of Jews in Palma. Some tombstones from the 5th century provide evidence of Jewish inhabitance back to that time period. We walked through the Jewish Quarter "el call" and passed by the Church of Monte Sion, built on the remains of an early synagogue. We talked about the time during the inquisition when Jews were forced to convert to Christianity. Some of them continued to practice their Jewish religion in secret (known as Crypto-jews), and some of their descendents are still in Palma to this day, and are identifiable by their Chueto names.
Palma is the largest city on Mallorca and it has a rich history, going back to pre-Roman times. The city was established by the Romans around 123 B.C., and was under Byzantine and then Muslim control until the Christian Reconquest in the year 1229. After a very short bus ride to the Old City, we immediately saw Palma's landmark, the beautiful and immense Cathedral of Palma de Mallorca which is dedicated to San Sebastian, Palma's patron saint. It is also known as La Seu. We naturally took this opportunity for another group shot.
Construction of this Cathedral began in the early 1300's but it took hundreds of years to complete. In the early 1900's Antoni Gaudi was engaged in a restoration project.
One of its notable features is its rose window, one of the largest in the world. Although we unfortunately were not able to visit the inside of the cathedral, there is an YouTube video which shows an amazing display of sunlight through the rose window twice a year: http://mallorcaobserved.com/2013/02/02/the-cathedral-of-light/
Church of Monte Sion. |
Silk Exchange Building |
Another place we visited was the silk exchange, a Gothic building from the 15th century
We also passed by the Basilica of St. Francis. In front of the Basilica is a statue of Father Junipero Serra, who founded nine of twenty-one missions in California in the 18th century.
We got back to the ship relatively early and had some time to explore the ship before meeting for Mass at around 5:00. We departed early for Marseilles, and had some wonderful views of Mallorca as we left.
As we arrived at the Fat Cats Lounge, we were pleasantly surprised that our guests at Mass had grown to about 12. The Good Word must have gotten out!
After Mass and our daily meeting, it was time for dinner and free time on the ship. Some of us attended one of the shows on board and it was excellent. I managed to catch Sylvia and Jose enjoying a quiet dinner together.
Basilica of St. Francis |
We also passed by the Basilica of St. Francis. In front of the Basilica is a statue of Father Junipero Serra, who founded nine of twenty-one missions in California in the 18th century.
Front View of La Seu |
Here are a few of the other photos I took during our walking tour.
Beautiful View of Waterfront in Palma |
Leslie and Dan Paulonis |
We got back to the ship relatively early and had some time to explore the ship before meeting for Mass at around 5:00. We departed early for Marseilles, and had some wonderful views of Mallorca as we left.
Bill Christman and Father Paul Preparing for Mass. |
Our Congregation |
Sylvia and Jose Perez Enjoying Dinner |
Marilyn and Phil Andreski, Jan and Jim Brady, and Marilyn and Marty Bunker |
Father Paul Wicker, Eileen and Randy Scholl, Leslie and Dan Paulonis, and Betty and Ron Orr |
After Mass and our daily meeting, it was time for dinner and free time on the ship. Some of us attended one of the shows on board and it was excellent. I managed to catch Sylvia and Jose enjoying a quiet dinner together.
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