Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Loreto

After a week of intense work, the participants at the Council of the Congregation were given a break and they  made the best of the Sunday at the Sanctuary of Loreto.

Departure from Paolo III was at 7.00am. as the journey was to take some three to four hours.

The trip was an occasion for us to admire the beauty of snow and nature around us as the Pullman zigzagged through the tunnel snow capped mountains on either side of the road and passed through a series of tunnels the longest of which was 10kilometres long, under the famous Grand Sasso.

We arrived at the Basilica in time for the 11 o’clock Mass. The congregation packed the beautiful gothic Basilica which shelters the Holy House. To our surprise, the Mass was celebrated by His Grace the Archbishop of Loreto, Monsignor Giovanni Tonucci.

In one of the documents in the archives of the Congregation it was recorded that a Sister had accompanied St Emilie de Vialar on a pilgrimage to Loreto where they had Holy Mass and received Holy Communion in the same Santa Casa.  

After Mass we had time to pay a visit and spend some time in prayer at the Santa Casa, the Chapel, which according to tradition started in the XIII century with the arrival of the house which was inhabited by the family of Our Lady in Nazareth.

We then resumed our journey back home relaxed and ready to face the work that was awaiting us the coming week.