Join us this week as we follow Svea’s pilgrimage to Rome with CEAMA and Discerning Deacons. Stay tuned daily for Postcards from Rome
Day 5 – Rosary for Synod delegates at Santa Maria Maggiore
Today is Sunday, which is supposedly a day of rest. But we were excited to get up and go to Mass at the Jesuit English-speaking Oratory of St. Francis Xavier of Caravita.
Four of us were asked to take part in the liturgy. We foolishly thought that taking a taxi rather than walking a mile with the rest would get us there in plenty of time. We waited and ordered Ubers and taxis that never came. With twenty-five minutes to go, we ran to the church, pushing aside tourists packed around the Trevi Fountain and rushing into the church with one minute to spare. The priests were lined up and, without catching our breath, we were leading the procession!
Apart from being confronted with a translation in the Lectionary that I had not seen before, the honor of proclaiming the Scriptures in Rome in that Jesuit Oratory was awe-some. And after Mass everyone was offered a little cup of Prosecco to lift our spirits even higher!
The afternoon retreat was offered time for quiet reflection and sharing impressions of the week. Our closing ritual ended with singing and blessing by our Canadian indigenous leaders Kinoshameg and Mary O’Donnell, and gifts from the Amazon shared by Sister Laura Vicuña.
At 5:00 Pope Francis led a Rosary for peace with Synod delegates at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Some of us went to the church while the rest of us prayed at Casa Saint Rafaella.
This was the last day of our pilgrimage. I will write more about my thoughts on what it is like being at the periphery of the action at the Synod. But for now, I must pack and like most of us, I’m exhausted!
There will be more pictures and words to follow. Thank you for coming along with me and for giving me the opportunity to share “postcard images” from this side of the Tiber.
Ciao for now, but please stay tuned!
Day 4 – Deacon Day!
On this day we found ourselves in the Saint Lawrence Basilica, built as a diaconiae (not
to be confused by that word). A diaconiae started as a simple structure to serve the
needs of the poor in the area. Over time it was developed and expanded to include an
oratory where deacons could gather in prayer. To this day, this oratory contains the
Easter Candle as well as the ambo for the proclamation of the Gospel. Eventually a
sanctuary was added to the oratory. This three-part design of the oratory and the
sanctuary is a graphic reminder of the deacon’s threefold ministry of the Word (oratory),
Sacrament (sanctuary) and Charity (the nave). These three make up one sacred
reality! Pope Francis resumed the ancient custom of entrusting a church to a Deacon.
Lawrence was one of seven deacons who oversaw giving help to the poor and the
needy. Big trouble began when Christians were being martyred for their faith. After
suffering pain for a long time, the legend relates, Lawrence cheerfully declared: “I’m well
done on this side. Turn me over!”
We got to sit in the oratory and celebrate Mass together: Fr. Michael Hicken presided
and acknowledged that our liturgy modeled the co-responsibility of clergy and lay, men
and women, joined in inclusive worship. When Jessica Morel (the military deacon
chaplain who cannot claim either of those titles) climbed the marble stairs to the ambo
above us, I could not hold back tears both happy and sad. THIS is what a woman
deacon is ordained to do. As she preached the Word with deep faith and compassion it
was a prophetic sign for me of the future we hope for.
We all wore our green T-shirts today. They have an image of St. Francis and St. Clare
with the words “Every Francis has a Clare” on the front. Our dreams of an inclusive and
just church will not be accomplished without the full support of all the baptized: women
and men, clergy and lay for the good of all the People of God and the Good News of the
Gospel.
For me this day was a tangible culmination of my dreams of a church that sings “All are
Welcome” and really means it. Our collaboration with AUSCP and partnership with
Discerning Deacons expands the orbits of our mission and has the potential to enlarge
our synodal circle of influence and expands the space of our tent.
Getting out of the rain we stopped to take a photo of everyone, wearing our T-shirts, the
one we offered to the Pope!
When we climbed back onto the bus, we heard a whoopee as Angela shared the
Vatican photo of Pope Francis. Now Pope Francis has a Clare!
Can I hear an “AMEN”?
Day 3 – Little Steps, Little Joys
Early in the morning we went to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
The Basilica ties its origins to a miracle that occurred in the fourth century: a
snowfall on August 5 in Rome—a sign revealed to Pope Liberius in a dream. To
commemorate that event every year on that date a snowfall of white rose
petals cascades down over the altar.
It felt dreamlike to be here! We had a special opportunity to celebrate Mass in
one of the side chapels. Our two priests presided with their backs to us,
tucked into that side altar in a church with snowfalls, Bernini statues,
marbled mosaics and a relic from the nativity crib!
In the afternoon, Discerning Deacons and CEAMA (Amazonian Ecclesial
Conference) hosted a panel in Pope Pius XI Hall.
Four women from our group spoke passionately on the urgency of action in
every part of the globe where the earth and its people are suffering. Each
spoke about their personal experiences where the people and the earth are
bleeding the most, and whose wounds will soon be everyone’s if ignored.
Synod member Cardinal Barretto was on the panel and was visibly moved. At
the end we all stood and held hands as Sr. Laura Vicuna led us in song.
Although I didn’t understand the words the electricity of love and
commitment flowed through our connected hands.
This is not the place to give the details that this panel so worthily deserves,
but the energy of the moment lifted our hopes and commitment to the
journey.
Unlike yesterday, this evening brought some gladness to all of us.
Here is what was reported from one of our pilgrims who had asked the
Cardinal to give one of our T-shirts to the Pope: “For every Francis, a Clare.”
“We just ran into Cardinal Barretto, who confirmed that he gave Pope Francis
the T-shirt, and Pope Francis made this face (emoji “O” and smiley face) and
it was captured by the official Vatican photographers and will be available
tomorrow on their page. The Holy Spirit is at work.”
Little steps. Little joys.
Day 2 – Saint Phoebe keep walking with us!
The rain predicted for the day greeted us in the morning.
We gathered at the Migrant Statue Angels Unawares for a Visio Divina, a meditation inviting us to enter the lives and struggles of the 150 different people from different eras and parts of the world who are molded in bronze. It is truly a “visual prayer:” a prayer that is not just about migrants, but about all of us and the future of the human family. The Pope called it a reminder of the challenge of welcoming. Rising out of the center of the statue are two huge wings, a reference from Hebrews: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares,”
The statue sits on a bronze raft. Oh, that the raft could be the “Barque of Peter”! Then we would truly be a welcoming church of the poor!
Convicted of our mission, we processed through St. Peter’s Square, dressed in baptismal white as we carried icons of St. Phoebe and other women saints to the Centro Internazionale Giovanile San Lorenzo where we prepared a “St. Phoebe Prayer for a Synodal Church.”
The ancient chapel resounded with music and prayer, with priests and a deacon who have been accompanying us, we were blessed with holy water. We heard more testimonies of women and the graces of the journey so far. That sacred space was filled with the wind of the Holy Spirit in the testimonies, litanies and prayers. During the offertory we delivered names and letters from the people we carried with us in our hearts from home. We were Phoebe and they were the letters commissioned to be sent to Rome! A highlight was the blessing of the three Synod delegates who joined us. We prayed over them with gratitude for their work and hopes for their success.
We left the Vatican in high spirits. And hungry!
The day was not over until the evening. We all eagerly anticipated the “Global Prayer Service on Zoom.” It was 8:00pm for us. And then it happened: They say the devil is in the details. Tonight, the devil was in the zoom. Only 100 participants could log on. And hundreds had registered. Fortunately, it is recorded. But unfortunately, it was a big disappointed not only for each of us, but for all of those whom we had encouraged to be with us.
That disappointment was followed by another: the statement of Cardinal Fernandez report of Group 5.
I go to bed this evening, processing the events of the day. Our Whatsapp chat is alive with responses among ourselves: the resistance towards the idea of ordaining women, while at the same time expressing consensus that the structure of the church has to be transformed fundamentally and that women need to be part of the decision-making is discouraging and confusing.
We are here on the ground in Rome and in the thick of things. For now, we are reminded that things are moving and developing quickly. We will need not be too discouraged by a single day’s headlines. We didn’t expect any concrete action to come out of this October Synod on ordaining women deacons and we were reminded that there is still work to do to ensure that women and the diaconate is not the exception to synodality.
The Holy Spirit must be in the mix: Aren’t the fruits of the Spirit love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness? And didn’t we experience all of that today? “And against suche there is no law.” (Galatians 5: 22-23)
We keep walking. St. Phoebe keep walking with us!
Day 1 – Opening Mass for the Synod
The Discerning Deacons/CEAMA Pilgrims arrived over the past two days, 55 pilgrims representing five countries and both hemispheres! Even before we got here, we were filled with great joy when we learned about the private audience that Pope Francis held for nine women from our group, among them Casey Stanton, Sister Elizabeth Young and the women Ieaders from the Amazon. It was a surprising opportunity for them to speak personally and offer support for a synodal church and to pray for him. As one of the Spanish speakers relayed to me, she could feel the weight of his mission and felt his compassion and the weight of the papacy on his heart, and his knees!
Our pilgrimage is synodal and we came to pray for members of the synod assembly and for our global church as we grow in synodality . Our pilgrimage is also diaconal. We share a commitment to the flourishing of the diakonia of the Christian community and the renewal of the diaconate for the synodal church. We came not to lobby or convince, but as a visible sign of presence and the untapped riches of women’s gifts
Last night Pope Francis presided over a “penitential vigil”. Not all of us made it in time, but the topics included sexual abuse, violence against women and clericalism. A survivor was the first person to speak. It filled one of our members with sorrow for the harm inflicted. Admittedly, it is a good thing that Pope Francis seeks forgiveness for the sins of the church on the evening of the Synod, but the lingering question is, what is the hierarchy doing about it?
The heaviness of the evening was quickly dissipated by the glorious sunshine the next morning. As we lined up for entrance to St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica shone like a golden nugget. We didn’t have to wait too long and were lucky to have seats ten rows from the front.
It is impossible to be there and not be overwhelmed by the history embracing that square, with apostles and saints looking down from their lofty perches along the walls. I was happy to see St. Teresa of Avilla overhead, and further back St. Clare of Assisi with a monstrance in her hands! I wondered what they
are thinking as they gather with us in the communion of saints. The choir was heavenly (how could it not be?) and you could feel the excitement of being in such a sacred ancient space. As the procession began a hushed silence filled the air and we watched as long lines of priests and bishops from all over the world filed in signifying centuries of tradition, tradition that seems averse to change. That image was changed for me when the delegates filed in, including lay and women religious. It gives me hope for a church that can and must change. And of course, the Pope’s appearance in a wheelchair was like the arrival of a rock star!
Since the Pope’s homily was in Italian, I was not able to understand it because I haven’t seen a translation. But after Mass the Pope literally swirled around the Square in his popemobile taking in the cheers and love of everyone there. He did the “winner’s circle” three times!
In our group reflection following Mass, one of the women shared what many of us were thinking. She named what we were experiencing as a clash of cultures: The history of two thousand years and the reality of the present moment. This is a critical time in the church, and as contradictory as it seems, it can be the cradle for something new to be born, a time to be a church at the margins that listens and reaches out to the peripheries. Without throwing away all that is good in our past it calls for a new structure that unleashes the power of holding the tension. It is the power of the Holy Spirit’s in the already but not yet.
It’s getting late in Rome, and these “postcards” are nothing more than thoughts at the end of the day. There are a lot of other groups and journalists reporting on the details. I hope you can read in them what I feel in my heart: this is a decisive moment for our Church. The Holy Spirit will not deny what the church needs. I pray that we are open to whatever that should be. In the meantime, we continue to pray for St. Phoebe’s intervention!
Day One – Arrival at the Vatican
St. Phoebe Pilgrimage to Rome
A Synodal, Diaconal Encounter – Oct. 2024
Sponsored by the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) and Discerning Deacons
WHO WE ARE
From October 1–October 7, 2024, a group of 54 pilgrims from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Bolivia, and Australia will convene in Rome for a synodal, diaconal pilgrimage sponsored by the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) and Discerning Deacons during the first week of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. Our pilgrims come from diverse geographic and cultural backgrounds and include theologians, parish and campus ministers, Catholic indigenous leaders, members of the clergy, women religious, young adults, journalists, community organizers, students, chaplains, spiritual directors, and leaders of lay apostolates.
OUR PURPOSE AS PILGRIMS
In 2021, representatives from the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM) and Discerning Deacons traveled together to Rome for the opening of the present Synod on Synodality, where they gifted Pope Francis an image of St. Phoebe—the emissary for St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans whom he calls sister, benefactor and diakonos—and committed to serving the synod. In the years since, both communities have worked in their respective regions to animate synodal engagement, both broadly and with respect to the question of whether the Holy Spirit is inviting the Church to ordain women as deacons.
Our pilgrimage is synodal. We seek to pray for members of synod assembly and for our global church as we grow in synodality; to attend public synod events; and to serve as a bridge for our communities back home to the synod process.
Our pilgrimage is diaconal. Many of our pilgrims currently serve in ministries that are diaconal in nature—serving those on the peripheries in liturgy, Word, and charity—and many, if given the opportunity, would welcome the chance to discern a vocation as an ordained deacon. Our pilgrims share a commitment to the flourishing of the diakonia of the Christian community and the renewal of the diaconate for a synodal church. We plan to visit public sites of significance for the diaconate as a part of our pilgrimage and to pray through the intercession of diaconal saints, such as St. Phoebe, St. Lawrence, and St. Francis of Assisi.
HOW TO ENGAGE WITH US
We invite the public to join us for two in-person gatherings during the Synod on Synodality.
St. Phoebe Prayer Service for a Synodal Church
Thursday, October 3, 13:30-14:30
Join us at the Centro Internazionale Giovanile San Lorenzo chapel (Via Padre Pancrazio Pfeiffer, 24) for a service of prayer for our synodal Church through the intercession of St. Phoebe, diakonos, who also traveled to Rome in the service of the Gospel mission during a time of great change in the early church. All are welcome to join a prayerful procession prior to the prayer service, which will begin at the Angels Unaware migrants statue in St. Peter’s Square at 13:00. RSVPs are encouraged but not required: https://bit.ly/ceama-dd-rsvp.
To see the group members click here