[ Ps 119:19 ]
During the last two months of 2021, the students of the Casa Balthasar had the opportunity to make three pilgrimages to important sites in and around Rome.
To celebrate All Saints' Day on Nov. 1st, we made the famous Seven Churches pilgrimage, taking them on a 26km loop to some of Rome's most beautiful churches. The weather was cool and rainy, but that didn't dampen any spirits.
For the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8th, a pilgrimage was made to the shrine Our Lady of Divine Love, located several kilometres south of the city and containing a beautiful icon of the Madonna. The weather was again cool and rainy, which made the warm church (and hot chocolate) at the end that much more welcoming. Finally, on New Year's Eve, some of us made a pilgrimage from the Casa to St. Peter's Basilica to participate in the traditional Te Deum prayer service and listen to a homily by Pope Francis himself. To our surprise, no rain was had that time.
We give thanks to God for the grace of having been able to enter more deeply into the heart of the Church by visiting some of Her most treasured sites.