Two pilgrimages this weekend to the Cathedral of the Madeleine

Friday, Sep. 30, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY — Two point one miles might not seem such a long distance, and the parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church don’t see it as such when awaiting them  at the end will be the indulgence of the Year of Mercy.

 On Sept. 30 parishioners, led by Father Jose Fidel Barrera Cruz, administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, will walk a pilgrimage from their church to the Holy Door of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Culminating this pilgrimage will be a  Mass officiated by Fr.  Barrera.

“The main purpose of this is to be granted the indulgence that this holy Year of Mercy Pope Francis has granted us,” said Sofia Palestino, an Our Lady of Guadalupe parishioner.

Because some people might think that getting an indulgence is not important, or they simply don’t know what an indulgence is, “we want everyone to know that they have the opportunity to pass through the Holy Door and be blessed,” said Palestino.

For her the pilgrimage will be a unique opportunity that might not be repeated for many years.

When Pope Francis announced the Jubilee of Mercy, he encouraged each Catholic diocese throughout the world to open a Holy Door “to which pilgrims can journey,” according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“The Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope,” Pope Francis wrote in “Miseriecordiae Vultus,” the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.

The opportunity that the Holy Father has given in this Year of Mercy might never happen again, or if it does, “we might not even in this world,” Palestino said. “Even if we have been good people and lived a holy life, we really need to take advantage of this; it is very important to get an indulgence.”

The pilgrimage to the Holy Door offers an opportunity to obtain an indulgence, which requires that the faithful be in state of grace at least at the time the indulgence work is completed; after passing through the Holy Door the faithful need to recite the Creed and reflect on God’s infinite mercy.

“To get a plenary indulgence we have to be completely detached from sin, affection for sin, even venial sins,” said Fr. Barrera Cruz.

According to the Vatican this is the most difficult condition for obtaining the indulgence. The requirement is not freedom from all sin. Rather, it is freedom from attachment to sin; that is, that there is no sin which the soul is unwilling to renounce.

The Vatican also states that to receive an indulgence the person passing through a Holy Door needs to receive the Sacrament of Confession and the Holy Eucharist within 20 days  (before or after) of passing through the Holy Door, and pray one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

“God is always calling us, giving us new opportunities, and with his infinity mercy he reaches everyone,” Fr. Barrera Cruz said. “Mercy means to touch the heart, so in this Year of Mercy we want to touch the parishioners’ hearts and the families, the young, the children. … We want all their hearts to beat hard, to feel that there is an opportunity. The doors are open to receive indulgences for our salvation.”

On Oct. 1, the Campus Ministry at Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center in Salt Lake City will offer a pilgrimage in the desire to follow Pope Francis’ invitation to rediscover the beauty of faith during this Year of Mercy. 

The procession will start at St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center, 170 University St., Salt Lake City, at 1 p.m. While praying the rosary, those in the procession will head to the Cathedral of the Madeleine via University Street and South Temple. 

They will pass through the Holy Door at the Cathedral of the Madeleine and conclude with confessions and the Vigil Mass at 5 p.m.

Everyone is invited to join these pilgrimage to the Cathedral of the Madeleine. For information about the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish pilgrimage, call 801-364-2019. For information abuot the St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center pilgrimage, call 801-359-6066.