To mark the Year of Mercy, one of the suggestions put forward by the Rector was that we make College pilgrimages throughout the year to the Four Papal Basilicas and enter through the Holy Doors.
So, on our first Saturday together in 2016, Saturday 9th January, the staff, seminarians, postgraduate priests and sisters made the first of our pilgrimages to St. Paul’s outside the Walls.
The Rector, Fr. Dan Fitzpatrick, led us in prayer and a few moments of reflection in front of the Holy Door before we passed through the Door and into the Basilica.
Once inside the magnificent church, Fr Gerald Sharkey, the Vice-rector, celebrated Mass for us in the chapel of St. Benedict where we were joined by one of the Monks of the Benedictine Community at St Paul’s.
Following the Mass, Fr Samuel provided us with some of the interesting history of the current building and those that have preceded it on the Via Ostiense site.
After a tour of the Basilica and museum, we returned to the College and entered a period of silence for our start of year Recollection. The talks, delivered by a member of the Benedictine community at St Paul’s, were focussed on ‘Mercy as the Face of God’. The Recollection concluded with Mass on Sunday morning.
The Scots College Pilgrims, pictured at the statue of St. Paul, in the quadrangle of the Papal basilica that bears his name.