| Pilgrims | |
 |
Pilgrims - Santa Cruz - Toronto 
The Parish of Santa Cruz Pilgrim
Group, Toronto
The Parish of Santa Cruz Pilgrim
Group, Toronto
Celebrating Holy Mass.
"The people of God walked the desert Group Leader: Isaac Ferreira Master in Charge of Discipline: Father António Teixeira Pereira, (Parish Priest of the Santa Cruz Church, Toronto)
The Santa Cruz Pilgrim Group. The Pilgrim Tradition The pilgrim tradition dates back to medieval times when it was
common practice for the Faithful to visit the sacred places of
Christendom as contrition for their sins and thanksgiving for
blessings received from Above. Two of the most well-known and
popular sanctuaries were that of Canterbury, England, consecrated
in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and Santiago de Compostela
in Galicia, Spain. In those days all roads were said to lead to
Santiago, the repository of the famed, miraculous relics of the
apostle James.
The Pilgrim Tradition finds echo in the spirits of other peoples of the world.Vince, (centre), an Anglo American, takes part in the Pilgrimage of the Island of São Miguel.
The Pilgrimage of the Island of São Miguel in the Azorean Archipelago began in the wake of the violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that shook the locality of Vila Franca do Campo in the years 1522 and 1563. In an era in which natural catastrophes were seen as divine punishment for the sins of Man, local priests like Brother Afonso de Toledo instigated the inhabitants of the island to take up Marian devotion and processions. Thus began the pilgrimages to the island chapels, churches and hermitages where prayers were offered up to the Virgin's for protection and divine intervention in their ills and afflictions. The pilgrim tradition is very much alive in the hearts and lives of the present day inhabitants of São Miguel but as far as we know there is no trace of similar practice on any other island of the Archipelago. With the diffusion of Azorean culture resulting from emigration the people of São Miguel took the Lent Pilgrimage with them along with many other traditions and customs which have remained a reference point to this very day as is the case with the Holy Spirit Festivals. This is evident in the various pilgrim groups in the immigrant communities on the North American continent who return to the island each year to manifest their faith at the island's holy places, invoking the name of the Blessed Virgin throughout.
Pilgrim Dress. Pilgrim Dress and Symbology The pilgrim sports a staff, shawl, headscarf and shoulder bag. He wears a rosary round his neck and holds yet another in his hand for prayer. The staff aids walking along the some times difficult island paths and trails whereas the shawl and headscarf protect the wandering pilgrim from the cold and harsh weather conditions. Despite pilgrim dress having originated from mere physical requirements, in time it came to acquire mystical and religious symbology: the staff symbolizes the sceptre given to Christ by the Romans during His trial before Pilate, the shawl His Tunic, the headscarf the crown of thorns of the Agony and the shoulder bag the Carrying of the Cross on the way to Calvary.
Praying to the Blessed Mary. Praying to the Blessed Mary.
Praying to the Virgin for a Brother's
Soul.
Rituals and Itinerary The Pilgrimage lasts eight days and ends at the starting point. The local clergy support the pilgrims, who are usually laymen, for the duration of the pilgrimage, the main purpose of which is to visit "the houses of Our Lady". They follow a pre-established route under the supervision of the Group Leader. Presently, overnight accommodation and almsgiving of past days have been reorganized to be more in tune with modern day requirements. The collaboration of the parishes along the route are secured in advance and parishioners put up the pilgrims in their homes and provide them with an evening meal and hot water and salt for their tired and aching feet after the long day's walk. The pilgrim carries victuals for the remaining meals of the day in his shoulder bag. Some hosts still choose to live out the Washing of the Feet Ceremony in memory of Jesus' humble and charitable gesture to His Apostles by bathing their guests' feet.
Stopping to talk On the road to
Achada, The Hail Mary is the main canticle throughout the whole pilgrimage. The Our Father is normally offered up in silence whereas the Glory Be To the Father is prayed only during rest periods. The Procurator of the Souls, whose mission it is to gather and take stock of requests for prayer from whomsoever the group happens to encounter on route, follows in the rear. The requesting party then secludes him or herself and prays equal number of Hail Mary 's as there are pilgrims in the group. As in almost all popular religious traditions the Sacred is present
alongside the Profane in the amusing stories and jokes shared
around meals, which mirror in themselves all the joy and bonhomie
of the brotherhood that bond the Pilgrims.
Stopover at a Marian Shrine.
Despite its secular history, the concept of the Island of São Miguel Pilgrimage remains applicable to our modern life. It provides a spiritual retreat where one may rediscover Christian values and get closer to the Creator in a live, hands-on lesson of faith and gain a true perspective of Man's real place in the Universe. "We are insignificant in the midst of all this … God
wishes to reveal His greatness through our insignificance …
May God be mirrored in that same insignificance." In a world greatly assailed by discord and tribulation the peace that comes from a closer relationship with Christ and His mother, the Virgin Mary, through the teachings of charity and humility very evident in a Pilgrimage, will reinforce these virtues in the daily life of the pilgrim and be reflected in a much more cohesive family unit and a more tolerant, fraternal, active and meaningful role in society. For further information please contact: Mr. Isaac Ferreira
Young Pilgrims. Photographs by José Maria Sousa We at Adiaspora.com appeal to the youth
to take an active and regenerative role in initiatives of this
nature so that the Flame of Faith may be passed down to ensuing
generations. |
