By Fe O. Rodillas
Special to the Herald
Forty pilgrims — 36 from Hawaii and four from California — had the rare opportunity last month to venerate the original 13-inch tall statue of Our Lady of Peace in the chapel of the Sacred Hearts Congregation on Picpus Street in Paris, France. Our Lady of Peace is the patroness of the Diocese of Honolulu
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Original statue of Our Lady of Peace in Paris, France |
and the name of the cathedral. Copies of the original Paris statue can be seen in many places in Hawaii.
The group, from 18 parishes, arrived at Picpus Street on Oct. 8 wearing white T-shirts bearing the image of Our Lady and the words, “Our Lady of Peace — Pray For Us.” Retired Father Louis H. Yim, the group’s chaplain and spiritual director, celebrated Mass at the chapel’s main altar. After Communion, two pilgrims placed leis at the foot of the statue, displayed behind glass on a high pedestal. The experience was a chance of a lifetime.
May 6 of this year marked the 200th anniversary of the miraculous statue’s entry into the motherhouse of the Sacred Hearts Congregation, which introduced the Catholic faith to Hawaii.
The pilgrimage included visits to Lisieux, Chartres, Nevers, Paray-le-Monial, Lyon, Milan, Padua, Venice and Ancona before taking a ferry boat to Split, and then on to Medjugorje. There, the group went up Apparition Hill where each pilgrim experienced the love of the Blessed Virgin and peace in prayer. In Medjugorje, where our Blessed Mother is also called “Our Lady Queen of Peace,” Father Yim concelebrated one of the English Masses with 23 other priests.
The group also viewed the Eucharistic miracle of the bread and wine in Lanciano and the corporal containing the blood from the eucharistic miracle in 1263 in Orvieto.
At a general papal audience in Rome, the pilgrims wore long muumuus and aloha shirts with leis and, when introduced, greeted Pope Benedict XVI with “Aloha!” Last, but not the least, the pilgrims visited the Basilica of Santa Croce and the cathedral in Florence.
Overall, the pilgrimage was a grace-filled, spiritually fulfilling experience and everyone was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to visit the many shrines. Let us continue to pray for peace to Our Lady of Peace!