Posts Tagged ‘pilgrimage’

On ya bike for vocations…seminarians’ pilgrimage

Tuesday, August 11th, 2015

In November and December eight seminarians and a priest from Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland will be cycling the length of New Zealand to promote and pray for vocations to the priesthood. The pilgrimage will begin at Cape Reinga, which is the northern most point on the mainland of New Zealand. It will take about Read more

Truck ploughs into Catholic pilgrimage, kills 16

Tuesday, August 4th, 2015

A truck has ploughed into a crowd of Catholic pilgrims in Mexico, killing at least 16 people and injuring 30 others. Some 200 people were taking part in a procession on the main street of Mazapil in Zacatecas state when the truck ran into them. The dump truck “was apparently left without brakes and struck Read more

Good Friday in Okarito

Friday, April 17th, 2015

On Good Friday a group of people made a pilgrimage walk from the Okarito Domain next to the beach, to the trig. It is a distance of about 1.8km each way and a height gain of 250 metres. Okarito is a small settlement the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It is famous for its scenic Read more

Soul searching and commerce on the Camino de Santiago

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

Not long ago, only a few people would make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Now, over 200,000 people a year spend several gruelling weeks along the route. Traditionalists turn up their noses at the crowds, but the rewards are still vast. In the Middle Ages, pilgrimages were neither a quest for meaning, Read more

Pilgrimage to a land of arguments

Tuesday, May 20th, 2014

Israel is where you can encounter the physical reality of religion. In one short trip, I prayed at the spot where Jesus was born, stood at the foot of the mountain where he fed the 5,000 and touched the rock into which his cross was planted. To all those atheists who say “Jesus wasn’t even Read more

Islam’s pilgrimage to Mecca – the Hajj

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

What is Hajj? The annual Hajj pilgrimage is one of the world’s largest gatherings, as hundreds of thousands of people flock to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to participate in one of Islam’s five pillars of faith. Muslims from all over the world will gather together for five days to pray as one community, celebrating their history Read more

New Zealanders show the flag at World Youth Day

Friday, July 26th, 2013

This photograph, taken by a Mexican Marist priest, shows that New Zealand is literally showing the flag at the World Youth Day. There are close to 50 kiwi pilgrims, representing all the dioceses in New Zealand, making the 19 day World Youth Day pilgrimage. It began with 5 days in Santiago, Chile, where the pilgrims were Read more

You want ME to pray for you? 5 weeks and counting….

Friday, June 7th, 2013

The trouble with the godstuff is that you can spend an awful lot of time wrestling with things that make no apparent sense. Like this prayer exploration I’ve been tangling with after my friend Marcia asked me to pray for her before merrily tripping off on pilgrimage. Prayer has always been a mystery to me, which you Read more

Students from PNG ask to attend Pope’s morning Mass

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Fifteen students from Divine Word University (DWU) in Madang travelling on a pilgrimage to Rome on 14-21 June for the Year of Faith have asked to pray with Pope Francis at his usual morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta while in Rome. The group of students from Arts, Health and Business faculties will visit Vatican Read more

You want ME to pray for you? Day 19

Friday, May 17th, 2013

Not one prayer Marcia. Even though you asked me to pray for your pilgrimage to Santiago, not one dialogue with God has unfolded. No petitions have been sent heavenward asking for your safekeeping. Not even any candles lit on your behalf. My lack of proper praying hasn’t given rise to any guilt at all; just an engaged interest Read more