History and art help parishioners grow in faith during parish pilgrimage
Bella Bailey
Multimedia Correspondent
The season of Lent is a time of reflection, preparing oneself for the coming of Christ at Easter. It is a time of sacrifice, denying the flesh in order to grow in relationship with Christ. For the parishioners at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Ft. Thomas, Lent is also a time of community and togetherness, as they participate in Father Stephen Bankemper’s, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, Lenten pilgrimage.
This year, 50 parishioners joined Father Bankemper on a pilgrimage to St. Francis Seraph Parish, Cincinnati, where they learned the storied history of the parish, including the underground cemetery, beautiful artwork and the news of their imminent closing.
Every year, Father Bankemper will prepare reflections on the history and artwork of a pilgrimage church, helping his parishioners see the beauty of the faith. “Beauty is such a good way to lift your thoughts and mind higher … art can really express the faith in a lot of ways,” said Father Bankemper. “I enjoy that part because I love art myself, and I love the saints, and I love the stories of Scripture.”
“When you see that beauty,” said Therese Schaefer, pilgrim, “it just automatically lifts my mind and my heart to God, that you know, this is what he deserves, this is the beauty that we should be giving him.”
For Mrs. Schaefer’s son, Noah, these pilgrimages have brought him closer in relationship to Christ and the saints.
“As we’re going through and discussing all the artwork, we’re also discussing all the different saints. Especially with some of the artwork, where it shows depictions of early life but also a lot of them that are martyred,” he said. “During Lent we’re called to make little sacrifices. I think it definitely shows us how much more we could be doing, depending on what the saints have done.”
Father Bankemper’s Lenten pilgrimages bring together his parish community, bonding them in communion during Lent. “A lot of times in Lent we can be individualistic. At times, we forget that Lent is something that we’re all doing together … so for me, it is also a way of highlighting the communal character of Lent.”
“It helps our community be closer, it helps our parish be more of a family and experience these things together,” said Mrs. Schaefer. A sentiment echoed by Mr. Schaefer, “It’s a nice way for all of us to spend more time together. We see each other at Mass every week, but I think opportunities like this, to go outside of Mass, to be doing something that’s building our faith together, it helps us to become more friends and family.”
“My favorite part is always the same, being with them [parishioners] on this little faith trip. That’s my favorite part, just journeying with them,” said Father Bankemper.
