By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
The Catholic Messenger is hosting an eight-day pilgrimage to Rome for the expected canonization of Blessed Teresa in September and we want you to join us!Select International Tours, a Catholic pilgrimage company, is custom-designing our pilgrimage, scheduled for Aug. 30-Sept. 6.
We’ll pass through the four Holy Doors in Rome during this Year of Mercy and visit St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square and pray at the tomb of St. John Paul II.
We’ll take a trip to Assisi to see the tomb of St. Francis, the crypt of St. Clare and the chapel where St. Francis consecrated St. Clare.
We’ll visit the Catacombs to see where the early Christians prayed in secret and buried their dead.
We’ll tour the ancient ruins of the Coliseum, see the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon, and enjoy a day to see Rome at our leisure.
While the canonization date for Blessed Teresa has not been announced, we anticipate being present for this special event during our pilgrimage. Her feast day is Sept. 5.
Our spiritual director will be Father Marty Goetz, pastor of Ss. John & Paul Parish in Burlington.
“I’m so blessed to be asked to be the spiritual director for our pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi this coming fall,” he said. “To be able to lead others in prayer and hopefully to come closer to the love of God our Father as we walk through the Holy Doors of Mercy and celebrate Mass together and pray together will be an experience I know I won’t forget.
“Mother Teresa was such a faithful and powerful figure in our faith and to be able to be there for her canonization will be powerful. Hopefully, through her intercession we all will become instruments of God’s mercy in the world. I look forward to the opportunity to be with other people in our diocese as we make this journey and come closer to God.”
For more information about the pilgrimage, please contact Susan Prendergast at (800) 842-4842 or by email at susan@select-intl.com. You can also visit Select International Tours’ website: www.selectinternationaltours.com.