Diocese organizes pilgrimage to Italy

Anne-Marie Welsh
09/09/2024

NORTHWEST PA — If you’ve been dreaming of taking a trip to Europe, the Diocese of Erie has a great option: the 2025 Holy Year of Jubilee Pilgrimage to Italy.

           Participants will follow in the footsteps of the tens of millions who have traveled to Italy during a Holy Year since 1300. (The idea for a jubilee was first introduced by Pope Boniface VIII that year.) Since then, jubilees have been celebrated in the Catholic Church every 25 or 50 years, with the occasional “extraordinary” year taking place within a shorter timeframe. Some may remember that Pope Francis called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015.

           In announcing the 2025 event, Pope Francis said, “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.” He also expressed his belief that the jubilee would “contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire..." Happening on the heels of the Eucharistic Revival in the United States, it's yet another opportunity for people looking for a unique opportunity to bolster and celebrate their faith.

           The Holy Year of Jubilee will begin when Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, 2024, and end on Jan. 6, 2026, the feast of Epiphany. The basic concept of the holy door is to create a physical expression of walking into the mercy and love and compassion of Christ. Reconciliation is also emphasized during jubilee years.

           Smaller initiatives to make the year meaningful to everyone in the diocese, whether or not they travel abroad, are in the works. But plans for the pilgrimage are being released first, since pilgrims will need time to prepare for travel.

           Although a smaller group traveled to Rome for the 2019 ad limina visit attended by Bishop Lawrence Persico, the last major excursion to Italy sponsored by the diocese occurred in 2013 and included stops in Florence and Assisi, in addition to Rome. This time, the pilgrimage will build to several days in Rome at the end of the trip, with opportunities to go through the Holy Doors at all four papal basilicas: St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls. Stops in San Giovanni Rotondo (home of St. Padre Pio), Lanciano, Subiaco and

a day on the Isle of Capri as well as Mass at Our Lady of Pompeii also are included in the itinerary. Lanciano is home to one of the official Eucharistic miracles approved by the Catholic Church, and Subiaco was a location of great importance in the life of St. Benedict.

           “Time in Rome is at the heart of the pilgrimage,” says Anne-Marie Welsh, director of communications, who is overseeing logistics and coordinating the event with the Office for Divine Worship. “We’ve included four days there. I love that the experience wraps up in the Eternal City,” she says. “It will be the highlight. We also coordinated it so that pilgrims can attend the weekly general audience with the Holy Father.”

           Father Michael DeMartinis, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Erie and a member of the faculty at Cathedral Prep, will serve as the spiritual director for the pilgrimage. He has traveled to Italy and has taken groups on mission trips to numerous locations including India. He also has led annual, week-long mission trips to rural Kentucky for several decades.

           “Seeing the world-famous sites is inspiring, but a trip like this really gives us the opportunity to stretch,” Father DeMartinis says. “You can’t help but connect as a group in these situations. In addition to all the graces and the opportunities for prayer, a pilgrimage gives us the chance to grow within a caring community of people who have come together for the same purpose.”

           An informational meeting for those considering the trip will be held on Sunday, Jan. 26, immediately following the 10:30 am Mass at St. Patrick Church, 130 E 4th St., Erie. People serious about joining the pilgrimage are encouraged to attend, but plans also are being made to livestream the gathering. A link to the livestream will be made available on the pilgrimage webpage.    

           Details about the pilgrimage and a link for bookings can be found at www.erieRCD.org/pilgrimage.html.

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