Departing on the Solemnity of the Annunciation, 90 people from the Diocese of Allentown embraced their call to be “Pilgrims of Hope” this Jubilee Year as they prayed their way through the holy sites of Italy.
The pilgrimage allowed attendees to experience dozens of Italy’s most sacred and famous locations, with a particular focus on spiritual enrichment.
“My favorite part of the Diocesan Pilgrimage was the opportunity to celebrate Mass each day in amazingly beautiful basilicas and chapels, surrounded by relics of the saints,” said Maggie Riggins, Diocesan Executive Director of Evangelization and Formation.
Pilgrims began their trip by exploring the region of Tuscany in Florence. Highlights included seeing Michaelangelo’s masterpiece, the David, and visiting the Basilica della Santa Croce, where Michaelangelo and fifteen other famous artists and thinkers are buried. The group also made a stop in Sienna.
After Florence and Sienna, attendees visited the great saints of Assisi, stopping by the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare. Pilgrims also saw the body of soon-to-be-canonized Blessed Carlo Acutis.
“The public veneration of the future saint, Carlo Acutis, was a highlight!” shared Gina Gonzales, a parishioner of St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Reading, who participated in the pilgrimage with her husband, Jake.
The days spent in Rome and the Vatican were full of gorgeous architecture, ancient history, and prayer. The Diocesan group beheld the Colosseum, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, and the Catacombs, in addition to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica, among other iconic locations.
“We loved seeing the Swiss Guards salute our priests and our Bishop,” Gonzales noted from the visit to the Vatican.
“My favorite part of this pilgrimage was learning about the early origins of the Catholic Church in Italy and the related art and artifacts. The paintings certainly brought the faith alive,” shared Kathy Quaranta, a parishioner of the Church of St. Ann, Emmaus.
The pilgrimage concluded with a visit to the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and Piazza Navona.
In addition to sightseeing and daily Mass, the Diocesan Pilgrimage also included the special opportunity to receive plenary indulgences for the Jubilee Year of Hope by passing through the four “Holy Doors” of the Papal Basilicas: St. Peter's Basilica (in Vatican City), Archbasilica of St. John Lateran (Cathedral of Rome), Basilica of St. Mary Major, and Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.
Pope Francis explained the significance of the Holy Doors in his papal bull, Spes Non Confundit, when he officially proclaimed the 2025 Jubilee Year. He said: “In Catholic tradition, the Holy Door represents the passage to salvation — the path to a new and eternal life, which was opened to humanity by Jesus.” By passing through these doors, the Pilgrims embraced God’s gift of mercy and hope through Christ, symbolically following Jesus on the path to Heaven.
“We thoroughly enjoyed our Pilgrimage to Italy,” shared pilgrims Terese and Mike Cudwadie from St. Thomas More parish in Allentown. “There were so many special moments throughout our time in Rome, but probably receiving the plenary indulgences while walking through the four Holy Doors were the most spiritual, memorable, and rewarding experiences of our trip.” Several other pilgrims echoed the sentiment.
While en route back to the United States on April 3, Bishop Schlert shared a message on Facebook expressing his gratitude: “As we return from this Jubilee Year of Hope Pilgrimage, I wish to express my profound gratitude to the faithful of the Diocese of Allentown who spiritually journeyed with us in prayer. Please be assured that the intentions that you submitted were prayed for daily at each Mass by the 90 pilgrims. It is my prayer that, as we return home this evening, all of us will be filled with renewed hope in the promise of the Resurrection.”
Photos by Father Allen J. Hoffa, Director of Diocesan Pilgrimages and Pastor of Holy Guardian Angels, Reading, and by Father Philip Maas, Assistant Pastor of St. Thomas More, Allentown and Chaplain at Allentown Central Catholic High School.
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