Pilgrims will retrace Saints' footsteps

A group of pilgrims will follow in the footsteps of martyrs and saints during a 10 day trip to Rome and Assisi.

The Bishop of Meath, Michael Smith, will lead 80 parishioners to the ancient basilicas of St Peter’s, St John Lateran, St Mary Major and St Paul’s today.

They will stay at the Pontifical Irish College in the centre of Rome, where St Oliver Plunkett and generations of Meath clergy have prepared for the priesthood.

The group will touch the earliest life of Christian Rome, making their way to the Basilica of San Clemente and the Catacombs, the earliest burial ground of the Christian community in Rome, the resting place of popes and martyrs.

The Meath pilgrims will also see the remains of the pre-Christian Roman Empire at the Coliseum and the ancient Forum and attend the general audience with Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

“Every pilgrimage to Rome gives the visitor a unique insight into the living history of the Christian tradition,” said Bishop Smith. “As we retrace the footsteps of martyrs, saints and fellow pilgrims, we have the opportunity to learn from the past and to be inspired by the story of our faith.

“We make this pilgrimage in a spirit of prayer, taking with us the intentions of relatives and parishioners at home, as well as the needs of the world, not least of all our continued prayer for peace in the Holy Land.”