Old Relics Inspire New Hope

BY JENNIFER MIELE
Chief Development Officer

ROME – On their pilgrimage through Italy during the Jubilee Year of Hope, the faithful from the Diocese of Greensburg immersed themselves in the rich spiritual heritage expressed through centuries of sacred art, architecture and Christian witness. At every stop, they encountered signs of God’s enduring presence and the beauty of the Catholic faith handed down through generations.

A pinnacle moment of their journey was their visit to Saint Peter’s Basilica, the heart of Catholicism and one of the holiest sites in the world. The basilica, built upon the tomb of the apostle Peter — the rock upon whom Christ built His Church — stands as a profound symbol of the unity and continuity of the Church through the ages. There, pilgrims stood in awe before Michelangelo’s Pietà, a deeply moving representation of the Blessed

Virgin Mary holding the lifeless body of her Son, Jesus Christ. It is an image that speaks to the sorrow of human suffering and the promise of redemptive love.

They also encountered Bernini’s majestic Baldacchino, the massive bronze canopy that rises above the papal altar and the tomb of Saint Peter, reminding the faithful of the sacred mystery of the Eucharist. The Cathedra Petri, or Chair of Saint Peter, housed at the rear of the basilica, symbolizes the teaching authority of the Pope, the successor of Peter, whose mission is to serve, guide and unify the Church in love and truth.

Taras Dzyubanskyy, a journalist and scholar of interreligious dialogue, reflected on the spiritual gravity of these sacred elements: “If I could say the three foundational, or most important things, here in the Vatican, I would say it’s of course the tomb of Peter, symbolically the rock, but also literally because the basilica of Saint Peter is built on the tomb.

“Then we have the Baldacchino of Bernini, the huge bronze structure, which stands above the tomb of Peter to protect it symbolically, but also to protect the Eucharist, which is celebrated on the altar, and then you have the Cathedra of Saint Peter, which is the chair, the chair from which Peter governs the Church. But his power is not to be a tyrant — his power is to serve. The chair is a symbol of unity from the theological point, but also from a temporal point of view, because you sit on the chair when you govern something.”

The pilgrims also walked through the Vatican Museums, home to more than 70,000 works of sacred art that tell the story of salvation history. Among the treasures were Raphael’s exquisite tapestries, such as The Resurrection of Christ, which captures the awe-inspiring moment of Jesus’ triumph over death.

The journey culminated in the Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling painted by Michelangelo lifts one’s gaze toward Heaven. The iconic image of The Creation of Adam, God’s outstretched hand imparting life to man, is a powerful reminder that each human soul is a unique and beloved creation of the Lord.

As part of their pilgrimage, the group visited the Colosseum, once the site of brutal persecution of early Christians. This ancient amphitheater, the largest ever built, stands not only as a monument to Rome’s imperial might but also as a silent witness to the courage of the martyrs who gave their lives for Christ.

Jill Alexy, founder of SeeTheSacred, who curated the journey for the pilgrims, reflected deeply on the significance of this site: “There was a time in the culture of ancient worlds that did not promote justice and mercy. People lived lives of great suffering, or they could be subjected to terrible persecution. So when we encounter the Colosseum as a place of suffering for Jews, for Christians, for those on the outskirts of society, we remember that Christ entered this broken world. And when He did, the least became the greatest. The ultimate suffering became the path to eternal victory. Suddenly, through His Passion and Resurrection, a new world of love and mercy was opened to us.”

The ruins of the Roman Forum and other ancient landmarks served as a sobering contrast between the fleeting glory of empires and the everlasting Kingdom of God. They reminded the pilgrims not to place their trust in the powers of this world but in the saving love of Christ, whose mercy endures forever.