Padre’s Points to Ponder – 6/4/26
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This week, a group from our parish, together with friends from St. Peter Chanel and their priest Fr. Evan, sets out on a pilgrimage to Italy. We go not as tourists, but as pilgrims: men and women seeking an encounter with the Lord, walking in the footsteps of the saints, and allowing God to speak to us in a new way.
A pilgrimage is something deeply biblical and profoundly Catholic. From Abraham setting out for a land he did not know, to the people of Israel journeying toward the Promised Land, to Our Lord Himself traveling to Jerusalem…our faith is marked by movement toward God. Even now, we understand our whole life as a pilgrimage: a journey from this world to the Father’s house.
Italy offers a remarkable “map” of holiness, and we will be visiting some of its brightest points.
In Assisi, we will walk the same streets as St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi, whose radical trust in God and joyful poverty continue to inspire the Church. We will also pray at the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis, a young man of our own times who reminds us that holiness is not reserved for the distant past, but is possible here and now, even in the digital age, and whose image hangs prominently in our narthex.
In Orvieto, we will visit the cathedral housing the Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena, where the Lord strengthened the faith of His people in the Real Presence, which was the impetus for the Corpus Christi feast we celebrate today. It is a powerful reminder that what we celebrate at every Mass is no mere symbol, but Christ truly present.
And in Rome, the heart of the Church, we will pray at the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul, alongside countless other saints who gave their lives in witness to the Gospel. We will also have the grace of participating in a Wednesday Audience with Pope Leo XIV, joining pilgrims from around the world in a visible expression of the Church’s unity.
While not all of us are able to travel physically on pilgrimage, every one of us shares in the deeper reality it represents. Each day, through prayer, the sacraments, acts of charity, and fidelity to our vocation, we take steps toward the Lord. The saints we will encounter in Italy are not distant figures but companions, intercessors, and examples for us all here and now.
Be assured of our prayers for you at the holy places we visit, especially at the tombs of the saints and in the celebration of the Mass.
And give a hearty All Saints Welcome to our seminarians, Dcn. Chrystian and Seminarian Thau!
Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor