Bishop Solis to lead pilgrimage to Italy

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SALT LAKE CITY — “A pilgrimage to Rome & Beyond,” a trip that will be under the spiritual direction of the Most Rev. Oscar A. Solis, Bishop of Salt Lake City; Fr. Christopher Gray, pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish; and Fr. Gustavo Vidal, pastor of St. Mary Parish; will take place next February.

Everyone in the Diocese of Salt Lake City is invited to participate in this nine-day-pilgrimage, which is “a spiritual opportunity to visit sacred places of great importance in the life of the Church in order to connect ourselves to the inspiring experiences of the holy men and women of our faith,” Bishop Solis wrote in an invitation letter for the pilgrimage.

Bishop Solis will be in Italy during that time with other bishops and archbishops of Region XIII of the United States to meet with Pope Francis as part of the ad limina apostolorum (Latin for “at the threshold of the apostles”) visit, which is the obligation of residential diocesan bishops and other prelates with territorial jurisdiction to visit Rome. The visit is required about every five years and includes reporting the state of their diocese to the pope.

Prior to the visit, diocesan  staff will prepare a Quinquennial Report, which will contain highlights of the Diocese of Salt Lake City that have occurred since the previous ad limina visit. Bishop Solis will take the report with him to the Vatican.

“The pope and Bishop Solis will talk about the diocese’s Quinquennial Report and go over it; and they see what the diocese is doing and suggest how to do some things in the future,” said Toni Glenn, diocesan assistant to the chancellor, who is in charge of the pilgrimage’s registration and logistics.

As implied by its name, the Quinquennial Report is prepared every five years for the bishop to give to the pope. On this occasion “Bishop Solis decided he wanted to do a pilgrimage at the same time and take and share with the people from our diocese,” Glenn said.

The highlights of the pilgrimage include Rome, Assisi and Florence.

“A great experience awaits us. … While in Rome we will participate in a papal audience with Pope Francis, pray and celebrate daily Holy Eucharist in the beautiful major basilicas and shrines with Fr. Christopher Gray and Fr. Vidal,” Bishop Solis wrote.

The itinerary in Rome will include historic sites such as the Coliseum, Scala Santa, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and the Pantheon “to help us enrich our appreciation of art, history, religion and culture,” Bishop Solis wrote.

The pilgrims will attend a High Mass at the Basilica of St. Peter, and “Fr. Gray and Fr. Vidal will be with us all the time,” Glenn said.

The pilgrimage with Bishop Solis has space for up to 80 people. Another pilgrimage at the same time will be led by Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, said Glenn inviting all the people of the Diocese of Salt Lake City to participate in one or the other of the trips.

To receive the brochure and a registration form for the Diocese of Salt Lake City pilgrimage, contact Toni Glenn, 801-328-8641 ext. 345 or toni.glenn@dioslc.org. The pilgrimage is limited to 80 people.