Monday
Oct102011

« A group of parishioners of the Dormition Cathedral in London went on pilgrimage to Rome »

From 6 to 10 October with the blessing of Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh a group of parishioners of the London Cathedral visited Rome, led by Archpriest Maxim Mitrofanov. The pilgrimage was organized by the Diocesan Department of Religious Education and Youth Work.

The pilgrimage began with visits to the ancient Roman basilicas. Pilgrims prayed at the manger of the Saviour in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, at the Church of Santa Prassede they venerated the column of the flagellation of Christ, and the relics of many martyrs and saints, especially Sts. Praxedes and Pudentiana, the daughters of Apostle Pudens of the Seventy. In the same church is a vessel containing the blood of the martyrs, reverently collected in the Coliseum by St Praxedes. For this reason the saint is often depicted in her icon holding a sponge and a vessel. 

Next the pilgrims went to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Jerusalem, just south of the Lateran, - this was the church of the palace of the Holy Empress Helena. Here are kept particles of the Holy Cross and of the titulum (the sign that was nailed to the cross of the Lord). In addition these church keeps one of the nails with which Jesus was nailed to the cross. Near these relics is kept most of the cross of the penitent thief, known in the Christian tradition as ‘the wise thief’.

In the treasury of the Basilica of the Empress Helena in special reliquary is a small stone from the Cave of the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem, together with the hand of the Apostle Thomas. Besides these relics in the basilica of the Holy Empress Helena,  the pilgrims venerated the relics of Saint Caesarius the Deacon (1st Century), which are preserved Stored in an ancient black basalt casket, as well as the relics of the Monk-Martyr Anastasius the Persian († 628).

Then the pilgrims went to the basilica of St John Lateran, the cathedral of city of Rome and the location of the bishop of Rome, as evidenced by the inscription over the entrance: ‘The Holy Lateran Church, mother and the head of all churches in the city and the world.’  In ancient times the site on which the basilica stands was the estate of the noble Lateran family. On accepting Christianity, the Emperor Constantine the Great gave the Lateran Palace to the Bishop of Rome. In 324 Pope Sylvester I consecrated the newly built basilica in honour of Christ the Saviour. In the tenth century the church was re-dedicated to St John the Baptist, and after another two hundred years to St John the Evangelist. In spite of these changes in dedication, the church has always kept the feast of the Transfiguration as its patronal festival.

The main relic of the church, venerated through the ages, is the Santa Scala, the staircase, brought by St. Helena from the palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem - namely the stairs which Christ ascended to the judgment-seat, before the crucifixion. According to custom, pilgrims ascend the stairs kneeling in prayer. In a sixteenth-century tabernacle on the altar of the cathedral are two silver reliquaries, made in the form of busts, containing the heads of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Among other relics venerated at the cathedral are a piece of the robe of the Mother of God, part of the sponge with traces of blood, from which, according to tradition, the Saviour drank the vinegar at the crucifixion, and the board of the table of the Last Supper. 

After this the pilgrims visited the Basilica of Saint Clement. Here are kept the relics of the St. Clement, fourth bishop of Rome, St Ignatius of Antioch – one of the Apostolic Fathers -  and the surviving relics of Cyril, the Evangeliser of the Slavs. .After praying before the holy relics, the pilgrims went to the basilica of the Holy Martyr Boniface and St. Alexis Man of God, located on the Aventine Hill in Rome. The main holy objects of this church are the relics of  Saints Boniface and Alexis, kept under the high altar, as well as the icon of the Mother of God of Edessa, also called "Madonna di Sant 'Alessio." In the church the pilgrims sang the troparia and magnifications of the saints.

In the evening, the London pilgrims prayed at the evening service at Church of St Nicholas of the Moscow Patriarchate on the Via Palestro.

On Saturday the group travelled to the Basilica of St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls to venerate the holy relics of the Apostle Paul. Then the pilgrims visited the Monastery of the Three Fountains - the place where the Apostle was put to death. The church of San Paolo-Alle-Tre-Fontane stands on the place of execution of the Apostle Paul. The tradition, which is recorded in the Acts of Peter and Paul (fifth century), states that the severed head of the Apostle hit the ground three times and a spring of water miraculously appeared at each place. These three springs are located along the right wall of the nave. At the first of them is preserved a part of the column, to which St Paul was chained.

After visiting the catacombs of St Callista and praying at this burial place of the first Christians, the pilgrims visited the church of San Sebastiano Fuori-le-Mura, the basilica of the catacombs of St. Sebastian. Here are preserved the relics of the Martyr Sebastian, the arrows with which he was pierced, and the footprints of Christ, who came to St. Peter on the Appian Way. The group then went to a small church, known as the Domine-Quo-Vadis-(Latin: ‘Domine quo vadis’ = ‘Where are you going, Lord?’). The church is so called because it stands at the place where, according to tradition, the apostle Peter, who had fled from Rome, met Christ, to whom he asked the question: "Where are you going, Lord?" St Peter received the answer: "I am going to Rome for the second crucifixion "(Latin: ‘Romam vado iterum crucifigi’). Ashamed, Peter returned to the city and was martyred.

On Sunday, the pilgrims prayed and received Communion at the Liturgy at St Catherine’s Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. After a meal at the Russian church, the group went to the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican to venerate the relics of the Apostle Peter.

Monday was devoted to a visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

In the evening of October 10 the pilgrims returned to London.

The pilgrimage to these great holy places of Christendom has brought many spiritual benefits to those who participated.