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COMMENTARY
An Invitation: Explore the Roots of our
Faith
Fr. Walter Cuenin
I had the privilege of studying for the priesthood
at the North American College for four years and was
ordained at St. Peter’s Basilica. After three
years working in a parish I then returned to Rome to
pursue a doctorate in sacred theology at the Gregorian
University. Living in Rome totally transformed my life.
My Roman sojourn taught me so much about our faith.
Not only did I have the opportunity to see the ancient
sites, both from classical and Christian Rome, I also
had the time to walk the narrow ways and pray at some
of the oldest shrines of Christianity. I studied with
students from all over the globe and had many opportunities
to explore the Vatican. This experience gave me a deep
love of the Church, which I have preserved even in
these challenging times. Over the years I have accompanied
many people on pilgrimages to Rome and have seen first
hand how they have been transformed by their experience
of the Eternal City.
This coming June I am looking forward to joining Steve
Krueger, a Catholic who is committed to Church renewal,
was founding executive director of Voice of the Faithful,
in leading this pilgrimage to Rome called “Exploring
the Roots of our Faith.” This will be a unique
opportunity to be with other Catholics who seriously
seek a renewal of our Church. Spending time in community exploring Rome will be a special way to appreciate
our faith heritage and at the same time be strengthened
in our commitment to the Church.
If we are serious about trying to build a Church that
truly values the gifts and talents of the laity, it
is essential that we know its history and traditions.
Sharing a pilgrimage to the city where the great Apostles
Peter and Paul gave their life for the faith enables
Christians to deepen their commitment to the foundations
of our Church community. From that base we can begin
to appreciate the modern Church with all of its strengths
and weaknesses.
Steve Krueger and I would love to share this pilgrimage
with you. If you are interested, please visit www.travelillume.com/trc/crf where you will find a description of the pilgrimage
and registration information.
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