ELGIN—A group of 40 people left SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary at 5:30 a.m. March 30 to embark on a one-day Year of Mercy pilgrimage.
They were traveling from one end of the Rockford Diocese to the other, visiting all eight churches with Holy Doors.
Father Phillip Kaim, parochial vicar of the parish, led the trip. He had heard that parishioners, including John Cannon and Bob Buerer, were talking about getting a group together for a pilgrimage in the diocese.
Father Kaim, who said he has “an adventurous spirit,” planned a day filled with prayer, reflection and a few surprises.
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Diocesan Holy Doors
There are eight Holy Doors in the Rockford Diocese during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. They are: |
When the group arrived and stepped off their coach bus at St. Thomas More Parish in Elgin at 6 p.m. that day, each person looked at peace and refreshed from their full day’s journey.
Yet, their pilgrimage was not complete. There was still one stop ahead at St. John the Baptist Parish in Johnsburg before they would return to Cary at 9 p.m.
As the group left St. Thomas More, comments they made were feathered with accolades for each of the churches they visited. They described their personal experiences as “amazing” and “remarkable.”
Their pilgrimage began with Mass celebrated by Father Kaim at the Poor Clares Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford.
“I have never taken part in such beauty and holiness,” said John Cannon. “None of us wanted to sing during the Mass because we were so awestruck by the incredible voices of the cloistered sisters. We weren’t able to see them, but their voices were full of joy and truly sounded like angels.”
After Mass, the group visited the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford and then traveled to the other churches that Bishop David Malloy designated Holy Doors.
Traci Stevens, a parishioner at Church of Holy Apostles in McHenry, joined her mother, Gay Harman, a parishioner at SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Cary, for the pilgrimage.
“We have had a wonderful time today,” said Stevens. “ Every church has been different and just beautiful. We felt so special when people greeted us from each parish. They were so very cordial and proud to tell us about their church and parish.”
Father Kaim provided spiritual guidance and leadership throughout the day.
“While we were on the bus traveling to the next Holy Door, I told everyone about the significance of the Jubilee Year and the indulgences,” said Father Kaim. “We also said the Rosary and ... the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which was the beautiful song version provided by EWTN.”
On one of the longer rides between the churches, the group watched the movie “The Letters,” which is available on DVD. It is a biography about Blessed Mother Theresa of Kolkata (1910-1997) that explores her life through personal letters she wrote over a nearly 50-year period to her friend and spiritual advisor Father Celeste van Exem.
The story is told from the point of view of a Vatican priest charged with the task of investigating acts and events following her death. He recounts her life’s work, her political oppression, her religious zeal and her unbreakable spirit. (See “The Letters Chronicles Mother Teresa’s Life” in the Dec. 4, 2015, issue of The Observer.)
Suzanne Rosbach, a member of the Order of Secular Discalced Carmelites (OCDS), took part in the tour.
“It has been an amazing day,” she said. “From the moment we stepped into the monastery this morning with the Poor Clares to visiting all of the beautiful churches in the diocese, I have felt this is a once in a lifetime opportunity during the Year of Mercy.
“I would recommend that anyone who has thought about going to visit the Holy Doors in our diocese should not hesitate,” she added. “The experience will enrich you.”
Marcy Girolamo, who helped coordinate the tour with Father Kaim, held all of the pilgrims’ “passports” to document the visits.
She stamped them at each church on the tour.
The passport, which is available on the diocese website, provides a photo of the exterior of each church with information on obtaining the Jubilee Year of Mercy Indulgence.
Pilgrims may complete the passports through the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Nov. 20.