By Nicholas Martell
Back in Rome, we began our day, and ended our pilgrimage, with a beautiful Mass at the tomb of Pope St. John Paul II. Throughout this pilgrimage, we had prayed at the place of his birth, the place where he was ordained a priest, the place where he celebrated his first Mass, and the place where he was ordained a bishop. So, it was fitting to end the pilgrimage at Vatican City where he was elected Pope, where he died, and where his earthly remains are entombed. It was incredible to see the priests on our pilgrimage, and of course Archbishop Sample, standing at that particular altar as the Saint had deeply impacted each one of these men’s vocation to the priesthood.
The reading for the day came from the book of Genesis and was the story of Cain and Abel. Archbishop Sample spent the better part of his homily speaking on the theme of offering our best to God, just like Abel did. The most stirring moment for me was when Archbishop Sample pointed at the tomb of St. John Paul II and simply said, “This is a man who knew what it meant to give his best to God, to give all to God.” To his very last breath, the pontiff poured out his life in the service to God and the people of God. Even amidst the suffering and pain that he experienced due to Parkinson’s disease, his love for God never waned. He loved God so much, that his very last words were, “Let me go to the house of the Father.” He longed to be with God. Archbishop Sample concluded his homily by encouraging each one of us priests and seminarians to imitate Pope St. John Paul II’s love for and dedication to the people, always offering our best to God.
After Mass, we went down into the Vatican Grottos to spend a few grace-filled moments in prayer at the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI. He was a close friend of St. John Paul II and also holds a very special place in the hearts of all the priests and seminarians on this pilgrimage. Archbishop Sample was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the Bishop of Marquette in 2005 and the Archbishop of Portland in Oregon in 2013. The latter was one of the last American-bishop appointments that Pope Benedict XVI made before he retired.
Throughout this pilgrimage, we have prayed for many intentions and especially for you all at home. While I may never know on this earth how God used this pilgrimage to dispense His graces, I know in my heart that the graces reach far beyond the personal graces that each of us received on this pilgrimage. Please keep us in your prayers as we begin our second semester classes, and we will, of course, be praying for you!
Archbishop Sample praying at tomb of Benedict XVI.