Renaissance Pilgrimages Latest News

According to Rome Reports News Agency, the committee investigating the alleged apparitions in Medjugorje will be headed by Cardinal Ruini of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly the Vicar of Rome and a close friend of Pope Benedict XVI. It is not known how long the commission will take to make its decision on what has become the third most visited pilgrimage site in Europe. The investigation was taken out of the hands of the local Bishop who was openly hostile to the reported apparitions.

After all the victory celebrations over the New Orleans Saints' victory in the super bowl we would like to introduce you to a future Saint----not a football player but rather a Redemptorist Priest: Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.S.S.R. Born in Bavaria in 1819, he died in New Orleans in 1867. Father Seelos possessed many mystical gifts due to his intense prayer life.

He worked as an assistant to St. John Neumann, superior to the religious community in the Church of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh. He served in other parishes throughout the U.S. but it is his time in New Orleans at the parish of Saint Mary of the Assumption that has touched our hearts in a special way.

He made it known when he arrived in New Orleans that he would die there and his prediction came true. Father Seelos tended to the sick and dying during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1867 at time when 60 people died every day from the disease. He himself contracted the disease and died that same year. It was said that during his life many saw an aura of light around him as he walked down the street or visited the sick.

Through the years many cures have been credited to his intercession. He was pronounced venerable in January 2007 by Pope John Paul II and beatified in Rome on April 9, 2000.

Especially in this Year of the Priest we celebrate the life and sacrifice of Blessed Seelos. We have a limited number of prayer cards that were touched to his first class relic that we are offering to anyone who contacts us. There is no charge for this, we are blessed to be able to offer them. One per family please because we have a limited number.

There is a lot of anticipation about the Beatification of John Paul II but very little information yet. We are keeping in touch with our contacts in Rome and when that date is announced we plan to organize a pilgrimage to attend this special event.

One of the best ways, other than prayer, to help the victims of this terrible disaster is to donate to Catholic Relief Services. Haiti, as you may know, is about 80% Catholic and CRS is already actively involved in relief work there.

Here is the link to their site: http://www.crs.org/

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, a member of the Congretaion for the Doctrine of the Faith was recently in Medjugorje from December 28th through January 2nd on what was announced as a private visit. However, the visit turned out to be much more public than planned, with the Cardinal giving a talk with many positive comments concerning the reported appartions and being available for confessions throughout his visit. He was the main celebrant for the Midnight Vigil Mass on December 31st, celebrated in Latin. His homily was delivered in German while wearing his Mitre. Perhaps to make a statement?

As you may know the local Bishop (as well as his predecessor) have spoken out against the reported apparitions but the investigation has been taken out of their hands and placed in Rome.

Cardinal Shonborn reiterated The Church's position on Medjugore as follows:

1. Offically Church-sponsored pilgrimages are not allowed since the Church has not yet ruled on the apparition.

2. Pilgrimages of the faithful organized by private groups are allowed.

3. Priests are encouraged to accompany these private groups to provide spiritual guidance.

According to Zenit, this past week set a new attendance record for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. More than 6.1 million pilgrims visited the Shrine on Friday and Saturday. Although the crowds are large they somehow manage to fit it and the special atomosphere is something that is hard to describe. Native dances performed in costumes that pre-date the Spanish Colonial era and the sight of pilgrims approaching the Basilica on their knees are inspirational.

Pilgrims came from all over Mexico as well as many South American and Central American countries and, of course, the U.S. Our group of 16 was among them.

Our group is currently in Puebla, a beautiful colonial city about 80 miles from Mexico City. It is sunny, the temperature is 76 degrees and the pointsettias (which bloom naturally here) are everywhere. Each town square has its own special nativity scene (no ACLU here I guess) and there is a festive atmosphere.

This week the Papal Nuncio (Vatican's representative) to Austria took a large group of Pilgrims to Medjugorje. Archbishop Stephan Zurbriggen told the congregation at the English-speaking Mass that his benediction included a special Papal Indulgence (with the usual conditions attached) for all those who were able to attend the Mass in which he was Celebrant in Medjugorje.

As announced the Shroud of Turin will be on display in April and May of 2010. Every time the Shroud goes on display it triggers some sort of response trying to debunk the Shroud and prove that it is a forgery. The latest effort was by a scientist funded by an atheist group who claims that he was able to duplicate the Shroud using only techniques available in the Middle Ages. As it turns out, many of his conclusions are not considered valid and so the proof that it is a forgery from the middle ages still does not exist.

The Shroud underwent major cleaning and resoration in 2002. The Church has never officially ruled on The Shroud's authenticity, saying judgments about its age and origin belong to the scientific investigation. A recent study by French scientist Thierry Castex has revealed that on The Shroud are traces of words in Aramaic spelled with Hebrew letters. Others have stated their beliefs that the words were written over 1800 years ago. It would not have been unusal to have something written on a burial cloth to indicate the identity of the deceased.

We will offering a special pilgrimage to Rome and Medjugorje to celebrate the Year of the Priest from May 31-June 12, 2010. We will have five full days in Medjugorje, the source of much inspiration and quite a few vocations to the priesthood over the years.

We then have four full days in Rome that will culminate in the final Mass for the Year of the Priest to be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI on June 11, 2010. Please click here for details.