Our Crusade Prayer Group Pilgrimage: Reflections

26th July, 2015

It is over a week since I have returned from our trip, but I am still jet-lagged. The trip was fast-paced and exhausting. I think (spiritual) adrenalin kept us going during these 24 days., but we enjoyed every bit of it.The blessings we received were worth every bit of it. At our Prayer Meeting last Thursday, we handed out little gifts and reminders of where we had been and where all our petitions had been presented, and where we had had Masses offered for individual prayer group members as well as for our Prayer Group as a whole.

We prayed as a group whenever we were able, the Crusade prayers, attended Mass most days – the only exception being Salzburg, where this was not possible. However, we attended Mass  at the beautiful St Sebastien’s Church on the Sunday. It was quite a distance – 25min. walk from where we were staying. It was a traditional Latin (Tridentine) Mass.

Places where we prayed for our Prayer Group and  petitions:

Salzburg, Austria :

• St Sebastien’s Church;
• Capuchin Church;
• St Michael’s Basilica at Mondsee.

Italy:

• Assisi (2 churches)
• Loreto;
• San Giovanni Rotundo (new church, and 2 old churches) as well as at Padre Pio’s coffin;
• Lanciano (Church of the Eucharistic Miracle) before the Miraculous Host and Precious blood;
• Mont Sant Angelo
• In Vatican – various side chapels including before exposed bl. Sacrament; and before grave of St. JPII
• Lateran Basilica – and at apse which contained the heads of Sts. Peter and Paul;
• St Mary Major– especially at the relic of the Nativity Crib;
• St Paul outside the Walls
• Sistine chapel
• The Colosseum. where we prayed for and to the martyrs who died there
• The Catacombs of San Sebastien and the Church there

Medjugorje:

• St James Church

  

• Apparition Hill and at the Mysteries of the Rosary on the way up.
• The Blue Cross
• The Cross on the way up Apparition Hill
• Cross Mountain at the Cross and the Stations of the Cross
• Cenacolo
• Chapel at the Mother’s village
• Fr. Slavko’s grave
• The miraculous statue of the Risen Christ
• At Adoration of the Cross
• At Adoration of the Eucharist

There was a lot to do and perhaps I have missed some places we visited, particularly as I usually wrote it all down at the end of the day, late at night after  very busy days. Every single day was 39 or 38 degrees Celsius, and we walked everywhere – seemingly mostly uphill, and carting our luggage around with us.

I have gone back and edited all my previous posts of our journey, and added pictures and a few things which I had forgotten to mention.

It was a pilgrimage, not a holiday. We are thankful for the opportunity, and to our friends and relatives who took up jobs that we had left behind ( childminding, doing the hymns at Mass, continuing the prayer group, etc.)

Medjugorje was definitely the highlight, followed by San Giovanni Rotundo. These places had a spiritual peace and quietness that we did not find elsewhere – a heavenly intervention.

Thank you God for the opportunity and the motivation,

Thank you Jesus for walking with us and keeping us safe,

Thank you dearest Mother for being our Mother and for all the graces you obtain for us!!!