[Gocamino] Festival Aims to Popularize Pilgrimages - Rome

[Rosina]

Interesting..... and nice. Thanks Sil,
However, National Geographic reports that the pilgrims to the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City are closer to 20 million per year.? Among the?pilgrims thereto last month were three Canonics (including Don Genaro, the head of the Pilgrims Office) ) and about fifteen other?people?from the?Santiago Archdiocese and Pilgrims' office.
In fact, leading to the Basilica in Mexico City there is a wide "Pilgrims' Way" about 20 feet wide and forty blocks long in the middle of the broad avenue that goes?to the Basilica.? The? Pilgrims Way is bordered by trees and dotted with water stands and other forms of assistance. Next to the Basilica (the new one, that is, since there are actually four of them on the site) there is a huge flower market since?part of the Guadalupe pilgrimage consists in taking flowers to the venerated image..... preferably roses.? Underneath the revered image there are five moving belts whereon people are carried?under the image; no one can just stand there?because of the immense throngs.?
I wonder why the pilgrimages cited do not include those to "Nossa Senhora Aparecida" in Brasil.?She is the patron saint of that huge country; the church where the image is venerated is enormous, as are the multitudes that go there(mind you, the church is in the mountains, away from the cities, and to go there is a genuine pilgrimage in every sense of the word). There are also moving belts underneath the small image there to carry people before it.
On occasion of "Our Lady of Guadalupe Day" last Friday, TV stations in Spain, Italy and Austria aired a program disclosing some awesome facts about the mantle where the Virgin appeared to the Aztec Indian Juan Diego (beatified by Pope John Paul II who had a special devotion for the Virgin of Guadalupe and, in fact, designed his own tomb at?Saint Peter's next to the gorgeous Guadalupe chapel?which the Pope had built there). A friend from Seville sent me write ups about the facts disclosed in the program. I?can forward them to those of you interested, and may even translate them.
Right here in New York City the Virgin of Guadalupe holds? pride of?place to the right of the main altar in Saint Patrick's. A facsimile of the Mexico City image there is always, always, surrounded by flowers and the pews in front of the image are always occupied.
Curiously,?unlike Guadalupe, Fatima, Lourdes, Medjourge, or even the?Pilar Virgin in Spain,? "Nossa Senhora Aparecida" in Brasil, despite the name,?is not related to an apparition, or vision, of the Virgin Mary on earth.? It?is, however, surrounded by a very lovely, and very human story which I can relate to you if you wish.
Hugs!
Rosina??


-----Original Message-----
From: Sil <sillydoll at gmail.com>
To: saintjames at yahoogroups.com; Gocamino <gocamino at oakapple.net>
Sent: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:23 pm
Subject: [Gocamino] Festival Aims to Popularize Pilgrimages - Rome



ROME, DEC. 17, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Pilgrimages are neither a thing of the
past, nor something just for tour groups of elderly, and the first Journeys
of the Spirit Festival is aiming to change people's perception of religious
pilgrimages.
The "Josp Fest," with the theme "Sing and Walk" is set for Jan. 15-18 in
Rome. It is being organized by the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the Vatican
institution whose mission it is to evangelize through pastoral tourism and
the ministry of pilgrimage. Festival organizers are expecting some 40,000
participants and 150 presenters.
Festival-goers will hear about historical pilgrimage itineraries to Rome,
Santiago de Compostela and Jerusalem.
They will also learn about the most popular pilgrimage sites today:
Guadalupe (10 million pilgrims a year); Lourdes (9 million); St. Peter's (7
million); Santiago de Compostela (6 million) and Jerusalem (3 million).
The festival was presented Tuesday in a press conference by Monsignor Libero
Andreatta, vice president of the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi. The attitude of
the pilgrim, he said, should be "spiritual reflection and confrontation with
the spirit. It becomes a great adventure."
In the festival, he said, "products won't be sold; it's experiences that are
being offered."

Journeys of the Spirit Festival: http://www.jospfest.com/index.php?lang=en

-- 
Sil
http://amawalker.blogspot.com/
www.vfpilgrims.blogspot.com
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