December, 2009

Dear Friends,
 
I’m writing to extend a special invitation.
 
I know that at this busy time of year you are probably overloaded with obligations and things you feel you must do.  But this is something you can put under the heading of long-term planning since it’s more than a year away. However, since it’s going to require some serious thinking--and a decision by May!—I thought it best to bring it to you at this early date.
 
Plans are currently underway for a parish pilgrimage to Rome a little over a year from now—February 17-26, 2011, to be exact, and I’d like to invite you to consider joining me and the Cathedral Choir of St. James on this trip.  It won’t be any ordinary kind of pilgrimage, I assure you!  In addition to being a prayerful experience, it should also be a lot of fun.  The tour company that manages arrangements has access to important churches, shrines, and places of interest that few others, if any, do.  Highlights include celebrating Sunday Mass at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls—one of the greatest of all Christian basilicas.  We’ll also have the opportunity to celebrate three Masses in St. Peter’s, including the evening Mass on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter (a pretty unique opportunity) and a Mass at the tomb of Blessed John XXIII (my hero).  There will be ample time for visiting important tourist sites of Rome and a general audience with Pope Benedict XVI.  The Cathedral Choir will also present a formal concert at the great Jesuit church of S. Ignazio.  Following our days in Rome, we will have a couple of days to visit Naples and its environs, including Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento and the fabulous Amalfi coast.
 
This will be the third time I will have been privileged to lead a Cathedral parish pilgrimage to Rome and, unless God has some startling surprises in store, I’m pretty sure it will be my last!
 
I hope you will consider joining us.  If you’ve never been to Italy, this is a wonderful way to experience it for the first time.  But even if you’ve been many times, this is a unique experience of community, history, and music you won’t want to miss.  In the coming weeks you’ll see more information in our parish bulletin.  And you can learn more about the trip, including pricing and itinerary details, at our parish website.
 
Please do consider yourself invited!

Father Ryan