“Church isn’t just a particular building or congregation but the spiritual fellowship of all who belong to Jesus Christ. If we belong to Christ, we also belong to each other.”—Billy Graham
Jay Ledesma
The last stop of our 15-day Marian pilgrimage is Rome. This is not our first time in Italy’s capital city, but unlike in our previous visits, we skipped the usual tourists spots, and mainly focused on the many beautiful and historical churches of Rome. Rome has so many churches that no one seems to have an accurate count of them now. In this pilgrimage, we were blessed to have visited some of those which stand out from the rest.
There are 4 major Basilicas of Rome. Except for St Paul Outside the Walls, we were able to visit all of them. Of course, first in the list and a must in any tour of Rome is a visit to St Peter’s Basilica, located in the smallest country in the world, the Vatican City. Vatican is the center of Christianity and the permanent seat of the Popes. No matter how many times I have visited this place, its iconic and grand art and architecture never fails to amaze me. As usual, there’s a long queue going inside the Basilica, but then again, the long wait was all worth it! Inside the Basilica are some of the most important relics such as Pieta, a masterpiece of Michelangelo, Pope John XXIII’s body preserved in wax, the tomb where St Peter was buried, and the altar where Pope John Paul II was buried. However, since we visited on a Sunday, the museums, including the Sistine chapel, were closed, so I did not get the chance to revisit this beauty.
At the Vatican grounds with husband Jun and healing priest Fr Joey Faller
Inside the St Peter’s Basilica is the iconic Pieta by Michelangelo
The wax-preserved body of populist John Paul XXIII
Underneath the Altar was where St Peter was buried
The Altar of the Holy Sacrament contains the wood from table used by Jesus and His Apostles For the Last Supper
The facade of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, oldest basilica in the world
Next in our last list of the Major Basilicas, was the Archbasilica of St John Lateran. This was the first time for most of us pilgrims to visit what is considered the oldest and most important of the 4 basilicas since it’s called the mother church of the Roman Catholic faithful. Inside the basilica are colossal statues and mosaics from floors, walls to ceilings. We also saw the Altar of the Holy Sacrament which contains the table said to be used by Jesus and his Apostles for the last supper.
The replica staircase of The Santa Scala, where people can go up and down to Sancta Sanctorium
The original Holy Stairs where people can only climb on their knees
The Sancta Sanctorium, the personal chapel of early Popes
The facade of Church of Saint Alphonsus Ligouri
On the Altar is the original Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Near the St John Lateran, we visited for the first time (at least for most of us) The Santa Scala. The Holy Stairs were the original steps leading to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, on which Jesus Christ stepped on his way to trial by Pilate. The original staircase may only be climbed on one’s knees. However, since we didn’t have enough to do that, we used the replica stairs flanking the original one, to go up and down the Sancta Sanctorium (Holy of Holies), said to be the personal chapel of the early Popes.
Just walking distance from The Santa Scala, is the Church of Saint Alphonsus Ligouri. The church is popular, especially among devotees of Mama Mary as it holds the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The original Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help hangs above the main altar. It is not that big, but it’s full of great significance to many devotees who have sought the intercession of Our Mother. There was an on-going mass during our visit, so were not able to come close to the altar. But still, we feel blessed to have seen it from afar.
The stunning exterior of Santa Maria Maggiore from floor to ceiling
In front of Maggiore is the highest bell Tower in Rome
Our last stop, but never the least, was at the 3rd of the major basilicas…the Santa Maria Maggiore, considered the largest of all Catholic Marian churches. It’s dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the protectress of the Roman people. It’s the only major basilicas which has preserved its original core and features the tallest bell tower in Rome. It’s main portico and doors are magnificent and the interior is so stunning, adorned with ancient mosaics and art masterpieces. No wonder it’s considered by many as the second most beautiful basilica in Rome (St Peter’s the most grandiose). It is the most fitting and perfect place to end our 15-day Pilgrimage.
I wish to thank our tour provider, The Pilgrim Center, for our well-organized, activity-filled, and all-inclusive pilgrimage. There may have been one or two glitches along the way, but we were quick to remind ourselves that in this trip…we are pilgrims, not tourists.
For those who are interested to join a pilgrimage, I highly recommend The Pilgrim Center. I may be biased, but you will surely enjoy the one with Fr Joey Faller and Bro Adrian Panganiban as the leads. They made our pilgrimage fun, interactive and engaging but most of all, meaningful and significant.
Let’s be mindful that we are all just pilgrims in this world. (Jay Ledesma)