Msgr. Joseph Schaedel to lead pilgrimage to Marian shrines
This artwork on ceramic tile depicts Mary appearing to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. It is displayed at Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis.
By Mary Ann Wyand
Catholics have prayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France since the Virgin Mary first appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl, at the grotto near Massabielle Cave on Feb. 11, 1858.
Pilgrims have offered prayers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal since the Blessed Mother appeared to three shepherd children—Francesco Marto, Jacinta Marto and Lucia dos Santos—six times between May 13 and Oct. 13 in 1917.
Archdiocesan Catholics will have the opportunity to pray at both Marian shrines during a Sept. 9-18 pilgrimage to Portugal, Spain and France led by Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general, who is celebrating his 25th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood this year.
“I am fortunate to be leading pilgrims to two of the most important Marian shrines in the world,” Msgr. Schaedel said. “Lourdes is not just my favorite Marian shrine, it’s my favorite shrine.
“My last trip there was with the Knights and Dames of Malta for their annual international pilgrimage in April 2006,” he said. “We were there for an entire week. To see [as many as] 55,000 people in a eucharistic procession or the people that come there to pray at the grotto every day or the nightly candlelight rosary procession with at least 10,000 people every single night is just breathtaking.
“Since I was very young, I had always wanted to visit Lourdes,” he said. “This will be my fourth visit there. So of all the places that we’re going to visit, I think I’m looking forward to that the most. It was one of the thrills of my priesthood to be able to be the main celebrant and preach at Lourdes in the grotto.”
The pilgrimage begins with a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on Sept. 10, Msgr. Schaedel said, and he is looking forward to visiting Fatima for the first time.
In May 1982, a year after Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt by Mehmet Ali Agca on May 13, 1981—the feast of Our Lady of Fatima—at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, the pontiff visited Fatima to thank God and Mary for helping him survive the shooting.
On the 10th anniversary of the assassination attempt, Pope John Paul prayed at the Fatima shrine then placed a fragment of the bullet that wounded him in the crown of the statue of Mary.
During pilgrimages, people give themselves over to God in “a retreat on wheels,” Msgr. Schaedel said. “We visit various shrines, we have some inconveniences and there are sacrifices to be made, but we have plenty of time for prayer and reflection. Just getting away from the normal, everyday routine to visit these sacred places is truly a spiritual retreat.”
Since he was appointed vicar general, Msgr. Schaedel has led six pilgrimages to holy places in Europe as well as 13 pilgrimages to shrines in the U.S., where he celebrated daily Mass with the pilgrims.
Carolyn Noone, associate director of special events for the archdiocese, has coordinated 26 pilgrimages since 1996. She worked with Grueninger Tours to coordinate this pilgrimage to Spain, Portugal and France as well as many others in previous years.
Noone said the pilgrims will depart from Indianapolis on Sept. 9 for an overnight flight to Lisbon, Portugal.
On Sept. 10, the pilgrims will board a deluxe motor coach for a panoramic tour of Lisbon, she said, followed by a short drive to the shrine at Fatima, where they will tour the basilica and participate in a private Mass at the Apariciones Chapel.
On Sept. 11, the pilgrims will travel to Avila, Spain, for a private Mass at Casa del la Santa, the Church of St. Teresa of Avila, and sightseeing, Noone said, then will enjoy a bus tour of scenic Madrid on Sept. 12 following Mass in the morning.
On Sept. 13, the pilgrims will visit the cathedral in Burgos, she said, then will travel to Pamplona to see Xavier Castle, the birthplace of St. Francis Xavier, patron saint of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
From Pamplona, the pilgrims will travel through the Pyrenees Mountains on Sept. 14, Noone said, to visit Lourdes, France, where the Holy Mother appeared to St. Bernadette 18 times in 1858.
Hundreds of unexplained or miraculous healings have been attributed to prayers at the Lourdes grotto, where the pilgrims will celebrate Mass.
On Sept. 15, the pilgrims will enjoy sightseeing, she said, then attend a private Mass at Chapel Lourdes and participate in an evening rosary procession.
After spending two nights at Lourdes, Noone said, the pilgrims will return to Spain to visit the Benedictine Abbey at Montserrat—home of the oldest boys’ choir in Europe—then tour the famous church of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, which was designed by architect Antonin Gaudi but never finished.
“A pilgrimage is life-changing for many of the pilgrims,” Noone said. “Many blessed things have happened on these pilgrimages.”
At Lourdes, pilgrims can see the rock that Mary stood on, she said, and the water which still flows from the spring that Mary said would come through the rocky ground.
“We will experience the same thing when we go to Fatima,” she said, “because Mary appeared repeatedly to three peasant children there.
“It’s almost unbelievable to think that you are experiencing Mass in those holy places,” Noone said. “It is so powerful to experience the love of God and the love of Mary at these shrines.”
(The Sept. 9-18 pilgrimage with Grueninger Tours costs $2,795 for double occupancy rooms and includes round-trip, economy class, non-refundable airfare; deluxe air-conditioned and restroom-equipped motor coach transportation in Portugal, Spain and France; first-class hotel accommodations for eight nights; daily buffet breakfast; five dinners; sightseeing; daily Mass; and local English-speaking tour guides. A $350 deposit is required at the time of reservation and the final payment is due by July 8. For more information, call Carolyn Noone at 317-236-1428 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1428.) †
