The Meuse to The Seine:

Dear Pilgrims, Parishioners, and Friends:

To find ourselves in close proximity to the holy touches something that is essential to our humanity. Along the way, you may find places that tug at your heart more deeply than others. On the whole, the fruits of the journey will be inestimable!

For you who have been on a pilgrimage with me before, you'll find this one to be very compact in terms of distances covered. If you haven't journeyed with me before, I sure welcome you to the adventure! You'll meet many wonderful people, and we'll traverse four (and more) major river basins: the Meuse, the Mosel, the Somme, and the Seine - all crossroads of European history.

We will begin in the Netherland. I its southeast is Limburg, our base for visits into Eastern Belgium and Germany. While perhaps not as well-known as more famous Marian shrines, nonetheless Banneux and Beauraing in Belgium are worth a prayerful visit. The German cities of Aachen and Trier are saturated with historical significance, from Rome's empire to Charlemagne's. Nearby Luxembourg beckons, too.

Our pilgrimage complements Pope Francis' own pilgrimage to Catholic Belgium and Luxembourg (2024) and looks back to St. John Paul being in the Benelux countries forty years earlier (1985). For a small country, Belgium has a remarkable number of cities of art: among them, Brussles, Gent, and Brugge introduce us to the Flemish Masters. We commemorate the sacrifices of so many "in Flanders fields" as we take in Ieper (Ypres), Passchendaele, and Vimy. After traversing the north of France to behold its great cathedrals, we arrive in Paris for an enjoyable couple of days in the city and vicinity.

A phenomenal Jubilee Year pilgrimage awaits you, Pilgrims of Hope!

Fr. Peter T. Rowe
Parish Priest / Pastor | St. Vincent de Paul, Niagara-on-the-Lake