Spiritual Pilgrimage with Pope Benedict XVI
The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a “spiritual pilgrimage” with Pope Benedict XVI as he travels to Turkey this week. Knights, their families, and all Catholics are being asked to pray daily for the Pontiff during the trip, which began on Tuesday/ Knights began praying for the pope’s intentions on Nov. 26 (the Solemnity of Christ the King). In addition, the Knights of Columbus printed and distributed cards with a special prayer written by the Order’s Supreme Chaplain, Bishop William E. Lori. Copies of the prayer card were sent to state deputies for distribution, and to bishops and priest-members of the Knights for their use and promotion. The Order also ran advertisements about the pilgrimage in several U.S. diocesan newspapers. U.S. and Canadian Catholic newspapers with national circulations also printed the advertisement. Knights and others joining in the Spiritual Pilgrimage are saying the prayer each day during the pope’s trip, which concludes Dec. 1. The prayer asks that the pope’s visit will bring about “deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam.” And it asks that “Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love.” “Only a few Catholics can physically travel with the Holy Father to Turkey,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said, “but millions of us can be united with him in prayer during his pilgrimage for peace.” “We ask Our Lady of Fatima to intercede for the pope during this journey,” Anderson continued. “Mary is regarded with special esteem by people of the Islamic faith, and this is especially true under her title Our Lady of Fatima, since Fatima was the name of the prophet Mohammed’s daughter.” Pope Benedict's trip to Turkey is his fifth foreign trip since his election in April 2005 and his first to a predominantly Muslim country. The pope is visiting Turkey at the invitation of the Turkish government and the Orthodox Church’s Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. |
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Spiritual Pilgrimage with Pope Benedict XVI
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Action Plan Knights are asked to promote this spiritual pilgrimage in their local council and parish. Utilize council e-mail lists to distribute the prayer to your membership and send an e-mail daily from Nov. 26-Dec. 1, reminding Knights to pause and pray for the pontiff. Consult with your pastor about the possibility of making an announcement on Sunday, Nov. 26, about the spiritual pilgrimage, and/or including information about the program and the text of the prayer in that weekend's bulletin. Sample announcements and bulletin inserts are both available below. Given bulletin printing deadlines, be sure to contact your pastor early. A full-page flyer, suitable for duplication and insertion into church bulletins or posting on council or parish bulletin boards is also provided below. Program Resources
Sample Parish Announcements for Knights of Columbus-Sponsored Spiritual Pilgrimage with Pope Benedict XVI Sample Bulletin Announcement for the weekend of Nov. 25-26, 2006
The Knights of Columbus are promoting a spiritual pilgrimage with Pope Benedict XVI as he travels to Turkey this week. Please join the Knights in praying daily for the success of the Holy Father’s visit from now until the conclusion of the pope’s trip on Friday, Dec. 1. A special spiritual pilgrimage prayer has been composed for this purpose and may be found [below, online at www.kofc.org, at the church entrances, etc.].Sample Pulpit Announcement for the weekend of Nov. 25-26, 2006
As Pope Benedict XVI prepares for his apostolic visit to Turkey this week, the Knights of Columbus are inviting all Catholics to make a spiritual pilgrimage with the pope by uniting in prayer for the success of his first journey to a primarily Muslim nation. The Knights ask you to join them in praying daily from now until the conclusion of the Pope’s trip on Friday, Dec. 1. A special spiritual pilgrimage prayer has been composed for this purpose and may be found [online at www.kofc.org, in the bulletin, at the church entrances, etc.]. Questions? |