Franciscan Brothers

Franciscan Brothers Jubilee Pilgrimage

Easter was certainly different this year for a group of Franciscan Brothers on pilgrimage to the California Missions as part of our continuing celebration of our 150th Jubilee of service to the Church in Brooklyn and in the United States.

Beginning on Holy Saturday April 11th and ending the following Saturday with our return to New York, our celebration for Easter and Jubilee walked the path of one of our Franciscan ancestors, Blessed Junipero Serra, better known as the, ‘apostle of California’. This friar whose cause for sainthood has begun in earnest planted the cross of Christ on the Californian soil and set about establishing missions that today are a historical and cultural treasure for the state and nation. More importantly the missions stand as a tribute to faith and trust in God that set the stage for the development not only of the state but added much to the American experience.

This time of pilgrimage travel is an opportunity that is meant to be more than a holiday but a holyday experience that is both spiritual and transforming. Pilgrimage known as the spirituality of place provides a catalyst for a fresh, powerful and personal spiritual awakening. Such a pilgrimage follows in the footsteps of pilgrims who through the centuries travel the roads and byways to visit and pray at such centers of faith and spiritual dimension as Rome, Assisi, Lourdes, Fatima and yes even the missions of California. We as Franciscan brothers also follow in the footsteps of Francis who himself made pilgrimage to Rome and even the Holy Land never fully realizing that his own home town of Assisi would become a great center for pilgrimage.

Visiting these missions in a frame that was historical and liturgical allowed each of us as brothers to connect to God through the charism of Saint Francis, the attraction of Junipero Serra and the bond of our own community life. What a wonderful opportunity to experience such for an extended period of time.

Starting with Mission Santa Barbara known also as the Queen of the Missions as our home base we traveled the famed El Camino Real or the King’s Highway that runs from San Diego to Sonoma linking the ‘jewels’ of the mission chain. We marveled at the stamina of Blessed Junipero who walked such a road by foot and a profound limp and prayed for such strength in our own ministries.

Sharing the day with one another in prayer, liturgy, conversation, meals and fraternity we visited Mission Santa Barbara, La Purisima Concepcion, San Buenaventura Mission, Carmel, San Miguel, San Luis Mission and Santa Ines.

Particularly memorable was our presence for Liturgy at the tomb of Junipero Serra, our time spent with the Friar Minors at Santa Barbara and San Miguel where we were graciously received and given wonderful hospitality as only Franciscans can for one another.

However, the highlight of this trip was to visit Santa Ines where several of our brothers in 1862 journeyed to California in the hopes of establishing a college in connection with the Friar Minors already present in that area. Although this never did come to fruition, such a journey is part of our history and was a wonderful opportunity to make such a connection with our past during this year of Jubilee.

Particularly touching was our meeting with three Irish Franciscan Brothers from whose foundation the brothers of Brooklyn began. These brothers presently live and minister in California. After 150 years these two groups of brothers united by Francis, the Rule and history met like long lost cousins as we came together on the Camino Real brought together by Junipero Serra.

One pleasant by product of this meeting was a personal tour of our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles given by none other than one of our Irish Franciscan Brothers who has worked tirelessly during the building and now continues to aid in the day to day operations of such a magnificent Cathedral.

Fraternity, community, spirituality and history served as a backdrop to this wonderful opportunity as we now begin to close this Jubilee year of celebration by reflecting on the motto that guided Blessed Junipero:

“Always go forward and never turn back”

We go forward prayerfully and humbly into our next 150 years in faith and renewed hope!

Pax et Bonum!