Pilgrims make stops in Albany Diocese

Four parishes hosted overnight visits from pilgrims who have traveled from as far away as Spain and North Dakota. Even a group from Canada is stopping by before going to Ontario.

Some of the pilgrims plan to visit the Shrine of the North American Martyrs at Auriesville, while others want to view the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is currently making its way around the Diocese (see page 19).

Far-to-go

"Bright and early, at 6 a.m., they were up. After breakfast, they were once again on their way -- to visit Auriesville. Two priests traveling with them planned to celebrate Mass at the coliseum there."

Mrs. Davenport relayed the following comments from members of the group after their short stay at St. Clement's: "We saw groups from Denver and South Carolina at rest stops along the way" and "We are so excited about this pilgrimage!"

Rapid assault

Their priest, Rev. Brian Christensen, presided over a prayer service in the church as the pilgrims and the parish youth prayed together. The group slept in the gymnasium and several classrooms.

In the morning, the parish youth ministry group cooked breakfast and saw the pilgrims off to the shrine at Auriesville -- with promises to "hook up" with each other in Toronto.

Eager pilgrims

* Beverly Running Bear, 48: "I am going to WYD for prayers and peace, to enjoy the atmosphere of youth from all over the country. [Also to] see the Pope and visit Canada."

* Provatia Potion, 26: "I'm going because I love being a young Catholic and experiencing our faith on such a large scale, and I love the Pope."

* Adam Brechful, 21: "The attitudes of the people at WYD are awe-inspiring, especially in crowds."

Coming soon

"We hope to provide them with a tour of Albany and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception," said Nancy Paino, pastoral associate for faith formation. "They are hoping to visit Auriesville."

Volunteers from the parish faith formation board and youth ministry team will cook supper for the pilgrims.

"On Friday, they will board their bus and head out to Niagara Falls and Toronto," she said.

From Spain

Accompanying them were two priests and two seminarians from their diocese.

The staff at St. Joseph's housed the Spanish pilgrims overnight, feeding them supper on Monday evening and breakfast early Tuesday morning. They then boarded their bus and continued to Toronto.

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