As the Atlantic gales began to rattle the windows of our homes in Connemara this mid-November, a small but spirited group from our parish found ourselves standing in the warm, golden light of St. Peter’s Square. We travelled to Rome for the Jubilee Year of Hope, and I return to the West of Ireland with a heart full of gratitude for the blessings discovered along the way.
The theme of this Jubilee, Spes non confundit (Hope does not disappoint), did not immediately resonate. “Isn’t it easy to give a name to something” some may say. Is it all PR, others may gripe! Yet there was true substance to this jubilee year. Every quarter of a century the invitation goes out to the whole world to “Make all things new (Rev 21:5) by offering spiritual gifts far, far beyond the scope of mere money to purchase. To benefit from these promises, one needs to put belief into practice. Perseverance! In the rugged beauty of Connemara, we are used to endurance; yet, walking through the Holy Doors, we were reminded that our endurance is anchored in a promise. The One who made this promise in perpetuum, is true.
One of the greatest blessings was seeing our younger parishioners walking alongside our elders. In the shadow of the Colosseum and within the quiet beauty of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the “generation gap” simply evaporated. We discovered that hope is a shared language, passed down through prayer and the simple act of walking together in faith through the mystery of human life.
While the Papal Audience was a profound highlight, many found their ‘greatest blessing’ in different places. One particular highlight was processing down the via Conciliazione carrying the Jubilee cross, praying the sorrowful mysteries together (it was a Friday) and entering through St. Peters Holy Door carrying so many people in our hearts needing prayer and comfort. It was a homecoming of sorts.
We went to Rome as a parish group, but my fervent hope is that we would return as a renewed community. I said, in my final “official WhatsApp message”, that if we go back to life and carry on as before we went on pilgrimage, then we were not really on pilgrimage. You see, life is a pilgrimage, and jubilee years are “sub-pilgrimages” to remind us of the greater whole, our life’s journey under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit. The “Year of Hope” is not just a date on a calendar; it is a disposition of the soul. We have brought back more than just rosaries and medals; we have brought back a spark of that Roman light to brighten the dark winter evenings in our own hills and valleys. The winter can be long and dreary ‘out West’, as you may know!
To my fellow priests and parishioners across the diocese: do not underestimate the power of a pilgrimage. It strips away the noise of the everyday and allows us to hear the “still, small voice” that tells us we are never alone on the journey. We see the universal church, not just our own very small patch. There is abundant hope out there, let us not get discouraged.
Fr Michael Connolly
