As we approach the beginning of our silent retreat, I am filled with great gratitude for all the experiences and people we have encountered along this journey. We have travelled through Turkey, a non-Christian land, following St. Paul in his various journeys and visits to the churches in the region.
In a city full of sacred buildings, some churches stand out with their beauty, and one of them is the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which was the first on our schedule today because we wanted to celebrate the holy Mass there.
Throughout our pilgrimage, many of us have pondered what the end goal of such a journey would be for us. Most pilgrimages have a single destination; Lourdes, Fatima, Santiago de Compostela, etc. But our road has led us across three countries and a dozen different holy sites.
I have always been drawn to the suffering Christ. Perhaps it is because in our suffering, He always draws nearer to us, never allowing a moment of it to pass without His presence. In our moments of pain and sorrow, Christ holds us more closely.
Finally, we arrived at the eternal city, Rome! As I settle into my new room for the next four days I recall our previous day of travel from Athens International Airport to the Fiumicino airport in Italy. Oddly enough, life’s transitions are often like a journey through an airport—filled with bustling crowds, moments of waiting, moments of uncertainty, and glimpses of something greater on the horizon.
As we were celebrating the Eucharist underneath a tree in the former town square of the ancient city of Corinth, a bell suddenly rang from an unseen building on a hill nearby. It sounded, well, alarming to say the least, since it went on for so long. Then a pause of silence.
Today we traveled through the city of Athens and visited the Parthenon and the Areopagus. The Parthenon is a visible representation of the glory of Athens, the cornerstone of philosophy with great figures like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all gazing upon this temple of Athena I gazed upon today. Athens is also known as the seedbed of western civilization.
Today we visited two of the Meteora monasteries that are situated on the top of rock formations in Kalavaka, Greece. These rock formations were a popular spot for hermits as early as the 14th century. The desire to go off to a quiet place to pray has been constant throughout the history of the Church. Jesus himself went off to deserted places in order to pray. These cliffs surely meet the requirement of solitude.
Human nature is a mysterious and enigmatic reality, confounding the most brilliant minds generation after generation. Every era seems to propose a new theory to explain the interconnectedness of the body, soul, and mind.
Today our pilgrim group spent its first full day in Greece! The weather was dreary as we loaded the bus to visit the sites of Lydia’s baptism, described in the Acts of the Apostles, and ancient Philippi. Our new guides have given us a very warm welcome, despite the wintery weather of Europe. We drove through lush mountains and valleys filled with farms dotted with Greek flags and rain puddles.
The beginning of the new liturgical year corresponds with the beginning of a new chapter of our pilgrimage. Today is our last day in Türkiye, and the day of our flight to Thessaloniki, Greece.
While a full schedule has characterized most of our days in Türkiye, our first full Sabbath on pilgrimage was appropriately free, with nothing on the schedule save boarding the bus to head to the airport in the evening.
In Istanbul In conjunction with the rising of the sun, many fishermen arise and over bridges fish into the Bosporus. Recalling back, many of us were amazed at the mass of fishermen who were fishing the first day we arrived in Istanbul.
We began our day in Bursa with Mass and breakfast followed by a visit to the famous “Green Mosque” and the “Covered Bazaar” where they sell gold and sIlk products.
After spending a day contemplating and praying at Mary’s house in Ephesus, visiting St. John’s tomb, and witnessing an incredible sunset in Assos, we now wake up in Canakkale, a city in northwest Türkiye surrounded by mountains with a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea.
Sometimes on pilgrimage, it is easy to overlook what is most important: Holy Mass. This is not intentional- it just happens. Mass is usually early in the morning, followed by a full day of traveling and site seeing. More than once, I’ve heard someone say, “That was this morning!?” when Mass is mentioned on the bus. Suffice to say, our days are jam packed with amazing experiences.