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Carmelites in Rome for Year of Mercy Pilgrimage Jubilee


British Province with their Year of Mercy certificates

British Province with their Year of Mercy certificates

Carmelites from Britain, the Philippines and Poland took part in a great gathering held in Rome in mid-January 2016 of those involved in the work of pilgrimage and shrine ministry.

As part of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis has invited people to come to Rome as pilgrims to reflect on some of the Church's particular ministries of mercy. Over the course of the Jubilee Year there will be gatherings of: people who are sick or disabled; those involved in the spirituality of Divine Mercy; priests; deacons; catechists; volunteers of Mercy; and others.

The Holy Father wanted the first gathering to be of those who are involved in the work of pilgrimages and shrines, since going on pilgrimage is often an experience that gives people a special encounter with the love and mercy of God.

Pilgrimage and shrine ministry are important apostolates of the Carmelite Family worldwide, and Carmelites were among the approximately 1,000 participants at the Jubilee which took place between 19th and 21st January.

The British Province of Carmelites was represented by: Fr Francis Kemsley, O.Carm. from Aylesford Priory, Mr Matthew Betts, Development Manager at the National Shrine of Saint Jude (which the Carmelites established 60 years ago); and Mr Johan Bergström-Allen, TOC, the Province's Communications & Outreach Manager who coordinates an annual Carmelite pilgrimage to Lourdes, organises special pilgrimage events (such as to Avila for the 'Teresa 500' celebrations last year), and is a Guardian of the Shrine of Our Lady of Doncaster.


The Jubilee programme consisted of talks, times for prayer, and the opportunity for those involved in pilgrimage ministry to meet one another and share ideas.

A highlight of the pilgrimage was an audience with the Holy Father in the Pope Paul VI Hall, which was preceded by a concert performed by an orchestra from Aquila, an Italian town devastated by an earthquake in 2009.

When Pope Francis arrived to great applause from the Jubilee pilgrims, Archbishop Rino Fisichella told him about the gathering and the diversity of places from where participants had come.

Pope Francis then spoke for a few minutes on the ministry of pilgrimage and shrine work. In his address the Holy Father spoke of how coming on pilgrimage allows people to express their Christian faith in simple but profound ways. He described religious sanctuaries as privileged spaces to meet the Lord and touch his mercy with your hands. The Pope said that the key word he wanted to underline is "welcome"; that pilgrimage and shrine personnel need to welcome the sick, the sinner, the marginalised just as Christ did, for in receiving them we receive Christ himself. Jesus not only spoke of welcome but practiced it, which transformed the lives of those he met. Welcoming is truly the determining factor for evangelisation, the Holy Father said. Speaking of the sacrament of reconciliation, the Pope said that "A very special form of welcome is that given by the ministers of God's forgiveness ... Priests who carry out a ministry in sanctuaries must have hearts impregnated by mercy; their attitude must be that of a father."

To read Johan Bergstrom-Allen's full report, with many photographs and links to some Youtube films, see: http://carmelite.org/index.php?nuc=news&func=view&item=1243

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