the pilgrimage 29 May 2010

I dunno how and why I came up with the idea of visiting all churches in Spore in 4 years of my undergraduate life. That moment, I didn't have any idea about how ppl do pilgrimage in Spore. The idea of Pilgrimage in Indonesia was visiting "grotto" (Gua Maria), e.g. Sendangsono, Cisantana, etc.

Legion of Mary introduced me to the tradition of Church Visitation (and it is an OLD tradition!!) On Maundy Thur last year. In fact, we did it again last month. Carol from Opus Dei even guided me how to do pilgrimage to Holy Cross. We prayed rosary on the way to the Church, in the Church, and from the Church.
Actually, I didn't really know how to do it for my case today (7 Churches). So I just did my best to keep praying and reflecting on the way from one to another Church. Do u know what I felt? today was really a day I consciously kept talking and listening to Him and Our Lady. and it's...FUN? hmm...i cannot choose an appropriate adjective. It was just so comforting, relaxing, and inspiring for me :P can i say it's a family picnic with my Mother and my Lord?

hmmm..since i alr wrote in my "traveling journal"..i would just note down some interesting things that i've found today:
1. a lady whom I asked on the way to Church of St. Michael was not just showing me the way,but also walking with me till I found the Church.
2. I saw 4 butterflies: one at the grotto at Church of St. Michael, one at Church of St. Stephen, and another two on the way to Church of Divine Mercy
3. the stain glasses were so beautiful!! i nvr appreciated the stain glasses in the Church as I saw them today
4. it turned out that the last 3 Churches had different mass timings and novena timings so when I arrived in the last 3 Churches, I always somehow attended the novena. The novena in OLPS was my first novena in a Church in Spore (i attended it till the end), then I attended the beginning part of novena in Holy Family, and the end part at Our Lady Queen of Peace
5. I heard Gregorian Chant from a room - dunno where - while I was praying in Church of Divine Mercy. An old man- my dad's age - helped me to find a way to this new church.
6. Holy Trinity is my favorite parish today :P Maybe because tomorrow is Trinity Sunday, so they'll hv a big celebration tomorrow. The parish was so ALIVE!! Women practicing dance moves, children playing around, a board to say thanks to the priests.. COOL!! *not that the noise was cool, but it's alive..ppl don't just come and go to the church..it's a community*
7. the Stain Glass in Holy Family is my favorite :)
8. Our Lady Queen of Peace's atmosphere is similar with Church of St. Teresa. but unfortunately, the warden couldn't wait to lock me inside :(
9. Church of St. Michael is the most simple church today. It is sweet-simple-homey (is there a word "homey" or "homy" ??
10. Church of Divine Mercy is HUGE but can someone tell me where the grotto is?? It was sooo quiet and peaceful inside, but to be honest, it needs some extra signage or statue to indicate that it is a Catholic Church coz It is hidden by the HDB blocks and if ppl just pass by, they won't realize it's a church if they don't look up and see the cross up there.
11. Church of St. Stephen's holy water place is my FAVORITE :p
12. I love Church of St. Stephen's location. It's at the same complex with the school and looking at the school reminded me of my school in Indo (NUS is my first non-Catholic-school). I didn't enter the school complex, but I could feel the same warmth even from outside (maybe u think i'm weird,but there's sth in that school which gives the same atmosphere as what my school gave to me)

OHH...i wrote a lot hahahaha

well,the fact that this idea of doing this pilgrimage today, popped out just last nite..suddenly just opened the website and tagged Dom and John Sim, it was already a miracle for me :) btw,I do think it's nice to have VISIBLE name of Church and statues like OLPS coz I was confused whether I should go to Church of HOly Family or OLPS. I decided to take bus to Holy Family and it passed OLPS and with only one glance I realized i needed to press the bell!! hehehe..

checklist (not yet):
1. Church of St Francis Xavier (is it near Church of St. Michael??)
2. Church of St Vincent de Paul
3. Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
4. St Anne's Church
5. Church of Christ the King
6. Church of Our Lady Star of The Sea
7. Church of St. Anthony
8. Church of St Francis of ASsisi

hmm..so next pilgrimage should be West-North-Serangoon :) maybe week 0 or october?
ahhh..maybe Legionaries should also go to Indonesia. Lots of pilgrimage places in Java Island, me myself have not done it, I did only in Jogja district. FYI,Indonesians love doing pilgrimage all the way from Java to Sumatra Island and also 'only' around Java, e.g. in Java,they usually go Jogja-Central Java-East Java and people from Jakarta can go all the way to Sumatra Island to do pilgrimage to grotto around there, e.g. around Lampung, a province in Indo. :) :) but in Indo,it's really more from grotto (including the parish nearby) to grotto rather than from church to church. how how??or we can go to Philippines,hihihihi..since we have Krizia and Carina.

Thank God for today!! :)