Pilgrims accompany Bishop Solis on 'ad limina' visit

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After celebrating Mass at the Vatican Basilica Feb. 13, the pilgrimage group from the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathers on the steps of the Vatican Basilica.

By Fr. Christopher Gray

Special to the Intermountain Catholic

ROME — Every five years bishops throughout the world go to Rome to make a report about their dioceses to the Holy Father and the Roman Curia. The bishops attend many meetings with various Vatican offices, the dicasteries and administrations that oversee the Catholic Church worldwide, and respond to questions about their administrations and to be encouraged in their ministry. More importantly, it is an opportunity for the bishops of the world to make a pilgrimage to Rome, “to the threshold” (“ad limina”) of the apostles, specifically the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Along with other bishops from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Region XIII, Salt Lake City Bishop Oscar A. Solis traveled to Rome to make his quinquennial visit this February. Region XIII comprises the dioceses of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Accompanying Bishop Solis was a group of nearly 70 pilgrims from Utah or with connections to Utah, who offered him their support as they together visited monuments and holy sites in Rome, Assisi and Florence.

“This was an experience that is hard to express in words. Being in the presence of our pope twice, celebrating Mass in magnificent places and meeting others from around the state was incredible,” said Monica Villar, one of the pilgrims on the trip.

The pilgrimage group arrived in Rome Feb. 18, joining Bishop Solis a day after his audience with Pope Francis. The following day, the group was ushered into the Paul VI Audience Hall next to St. Peter’s Basilica for the Holy Father’s Wednesday audience. For many members of the group, it was the first time they had seen Pope Francis so closely. In his address, Pope Francis greeted the many pilgrims who had come to the audience with his blessing, extending it to their families at home.

“Upon all of you and your families, I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Pope Francis said.

The catechesis at the audience was on the third Beatitude, “blessed are the meek” (Mt 5:5).

“Who hasn’t been angry sometime?” Pope Francis asked. “Everyone has. A moment of anger can destroy so many things. ... Meekness gathers, anger scatters. ... There is no more beautiful place than the hearts of others, where peace can be found again with a brother. This is the land that is inherited through meekness!”

Helen Corkran McNulty remarked, “Listening to his simple message from the Beatitudes spoke to my heart.”

The pilgrimage group also attended the Holy Father’s Sunday Angelus Feb. 16, hearing him speak about how Jesus not only brings His followers to a just understanding of the law but also grants grace to all who seek to accomplish God’s will, drawing from Matthew 5, 17-37.

Throughout the pilgrimage, the group accompanying Bishop Solis had the opportunity to visit and pray at many significant churches in central Italy. In Rome, the group visited the four major basilicas, celebrating Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, Mary Major and the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter.

“It was great to remember the spiritual beauty of our faith by seeing the physical beauty of our basilicas and art within them. It was also great to spend time with our clergy and enjoy them as people,” said one of the pilgrims, Tom Beasley.

In the mountain town of Assisi, the pilgrims celebrated Mass in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, not far from the tomb of the great saint of peace. Among the pilgrims were Fr. Gustavo Vidal, the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orem, and several of his parishioners. While in Assisi, the pilgrims also visited the tomb of St. Clare and the Porziuncula, the little church that St. Francis rebuilt in the valley below the town.

John McNulty was particularly moved by the visit to Assisi, and especially by Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis. “The simple chapel setting reminded me to clear my own cluttered life of those things extraneous to that goal,” he said. “It was at that moment that the trip became a pilgrimage, and I am so grateful.”

Continuing to Florence, Bishop Solis accompanied the pilgrims to the Duomo and to the Galleria dell’Accademia, where they enjoyed many pieces of art, including Michelangelo’s David. Throughout the pilgrimage, there were many opportunities to visit important museums, such as the Vatican Museum, as well as many churches, places of beauty and great holiness. James Seaman said, “The age, astounding size, elegant grace and sheer beauty of the many ancient basilicas are a testament to the faith and perseverance of innumerable souls who lived the faith through millennia. Like a river flowing through time, these places of worship connect us to those who share our living faith, past, present and future. They touch our spiritual centers and, for me, are unforgettable.”

The youngest member of the pilgrimage group, Jairo Villegas, 21, fondly recalled the savor of the pilgrimage. “This trip was an utterly unforgettable experience. Filled with a lot of history and spirituality – and ,of course, good food. For being the youngest one in the group it was definitely a great experience to be at St. Peter’s Basilica and receive a papal blessing. But a major highlight was to bond with various members of the diocese.”

Fr. Christopher Gray, pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, was one of the spiritual advisors during the pilgrimage.