Category: Announcement

Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St Paul – Rome**
03 May 2026.

This morning we gather at San Silvestro, pilgrims drawn together from different places yet united in one purpose: to walk, to pray, and to allow the witness of St Paul to shape our hearts. As we greet one another, we remember that Paul himself arrived in Rome not as a tourist but as a missionary—led by the Spirit, strengthened by faith, and ready to give everything for Christ.

Our day begun as we set towards the Spanish Steps, we begin our day as Paul began his mission: step by step, trusting that God works through the ordinary rhythm of our movement.

The beauty of Rome surrounds us with a deep beauty of companionship. Paul never travelled alone; he formed communities, encouraged believers, and built up the Body of Christ. Our shared walk echoes that same spirit.

At Ss Ambrose and Charles Borromeo, we pause to reflect on the courage of the saints who came before us. Paul reminds us that holiness is not perfection but perseverance—choosing Christ again and again, even when the path is steep.

In Piazza del Popolo, we enter a space that has welcomed travellers for centuries.

At the Pantheon, we stand before a building older than Christianity itself—once a temple to many gods, now a church dedicated to the One who transforms all things. Paul preached this very message: that Christ enters every culture, every heart, every story, and makes it new.

In the Church of St Louis of the French, Caravaggio’s painting draw us into the drama of conversion – The calling of St Matthew, that reminds us of God’s invitation often comes unexpectedly, in the midst of ordinary life. Paul too was surprised by grace on the road to Damascus. We ask for the openness to be surprised today.

A well‑earned gelato stop becomes its own moment of grace—joy shared, laughter exchanged, the simple delight of being human together. Even small pleasures can become reminders of God’s generosity.

The Heart for Mission: At the Jesuit Chiesa del Gesù that housed the tomb of Ignatius Loyola,  we reflect on the missionary fire that burned in Paul’s heart.

Like Paul,  Ignatius centuries lived with a restless desire to bring Christ to the world. Here we ask: What is God inviting me to carry forward from this pilgrimage? Where is my mission field?

Finally, we return to San Silvestro for Mass, gathering once more as a community transformed by the day’s journey. The Eucharist becomes the summit of our pilgrimage—Christ feeding us, strengthening us, sending us forth just as He sent Paul.

Our day concludes with dinner at Le Grotte, where conversation, gratitude, and fellowship continue to deepen the bonds formed along the way. Paul often ended his letters with warm greetings, reminders of friendship, and encouragement.

Tonight, we echo that spirit as we share a meal and give thanks for the grace of this day.

Contributed by Josette Charles, Adelaide, South Australia.

4 May 2026: After two amazing, enlightening weeks tracing the footsteps of St. Paul through Greece and Turkey, we arrived in beautiful Rome! As the saying goes “All roads lead to Rome” For us as Catholics, Rome and the Vatican is our spiritual home.

As pilgrims on this journey, we continue to follow St Paul’s journey into Rome, where he was executed and buried.We began the day with Mass in the Chapel of St Benedict at the beautiful Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wall, where St Paul’s tomb is located, as well as the chain that bound his hands.

For the love of God he humbled himself, as Christ did and gave his life for the sake of spreading the good news to all peple. There are two enormous statues of St Peter with the keys and St. Paul with the sword and the bible. Lining along the walls of the Basilica are portraits of popes up to our current Pope Leo XIV.

We then had a tour of Beda Pontifical College where half the group are staying and which was Fr Alex’s home for 4 years while studying for the priesthood. Fr Andrew Unsworth, one of the seminary formators, explained its rich history. Beda college is under the jurisdiction of the Bishops of England and Wales. It is named after St Bede, with the idea for the college planted by St John Henry Newman, an Anglican minister who converted to Catholicism. The college was established for men who are called to priestly vocation later in life.

We visited the trappist Monastery at Tre Fontane where St. Paul’s head bounced three times when he was executed by beheading.

Later on, we visited The Basilica of Mary Major, the first church to be named for Mary and is one of the four papal basilicas in Rome. It houses Luke’s portrait of Mary (as tradition holds it) as well as the tomb of Pope Francis. From there we went to the Church of St Alphonsus de Liguori (founder of the Redemptorist order) which holds the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.

We visited briefly the Scala Santa (Holy stairs) – these stairs which Jesus climbed to receive his verdict from Pontius Pilate and the crowd. It was brought here from Jerusalem by Helena, mother of Constantine first Christian Roman emperor.

We then cross the road and visited the Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran, where the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) sits. In practice, he likely delegates a cardinal to act on his behalf. It was built by Constantine in the 4th century.

Finally we visited the Basilica Santa Croce in Gerusalemme that housed the tools of the passion Christ.

It was a day filled with enlightenment and meaning, reflecting on the significant events in Christ’s and St. Paul’s lives and the many holy men and women that have led us on our spiritual and physical journey to where we are now.

Contributed by Sharon La Fontaine, St Timothy Forest Hill.

01 May. We started the day with drizzling rain, but our spirit was high. We drove south along the water of Golden Horn. We got on board the cruise boat Basari on the west side of the water and started sailing south crossing underneath the Galata Bridge.

The boat turned north along the Bosphorus (Strait of Istanbul) which provides the connecting waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. We passed through a number of iconic structures and famous hotels such as the Ottoman Palaces, Albanian neighbourhood, Egyptian Consulate, Suleymaniye Cami (mosque), and the Leander’s Tower before we disembarked. We finished the 2-hours relaxing cruise, knowing that Fr. Chris could have spotted our boat while flying back to Manchester. We were pleased to know that Fr. Chris’s flight touched down safely in Manchester at around 2:30 pm.

The early lunch enabled us to look for authentic Turkish food which, honestly, is more appealing than the Greek one.

After lunch, we visited the famous Topkapi Palace. We started from the south gate of the Palace and walked through the Carriage Gate of Harem which served as the residential quarters of the concubines of the Sultan.

Other places of interest included the meeting place between the Sultan and his ministers, the Church of Hagia Eirene where the second ecumenical council was held in 381 AD (under renovation).

We finished the day by having a mass celebration at the hotel, thanking God for protecting us with His grace, love, and care throughout the journey. Seven of us will say goodbye to the rest of the group who will continue their pilgrimage in Rome tomorrow.

Bill Wong, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Wattle Park, Victoria.