Pilgrimage to Rome

ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON
DEAF CATHOLIC MINISTRIES
Pilgrimage to Italy

MILAN PADUA VENICE PISA FLORENCE ASSISI ROME
June 16 – 27, 2008

American Catholic Delegation to the
International Deaf Community
Papal Audience
June 25, 2008

DAY 1 ~ U.S.A. – Monday, Jun. 16, 2008
Depart on Trans Atlantic flight to Milan, Italy. Complimentary meals and beverages served on board.

DAY 2 ~ MILAN / PADUA – June 17
Benvenuto a Italia! Arrive in Milan where our professional tour escort will be waiting outside the restricted customs area to meet you and assist you to your private deluxe motor coach. We begin our sightseeing tour visiting the Duomo (Cathedral), La Scala Opera House and Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting of the Last Supper. Depart for the scenic drive to Padua ~ home of St. Anthony. Upon arrival, check into hotel. Remainder of the afternoon at your leisure. Tonight we will enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at a local restaurant. Overnight Padua. (D)

DAY 3 ~ PADUA – June 18
Today we visit the School for the Deaf; we celebrate Mass at the “Basilica di Sant'Antonio” (Santo), one of Italy’s most renowned sanctuaries, which houses the tomb of Saint Anthony. Activities for the remainder of the day are T.B.A. Dinner and overnight Padua. (B/D)

DAY 4 ~ VENICE – June 19
After breakfast we depart for a full day excursion to Venice for a guided tour of the “floating city”. Venice is a collection of 117 islets and islands, crisscrossed by 177 canals. This afternoon we will visit the “Basilica di San Marco” & “Piazza San Marco” (St. Mark’s Cathedral and Square), the “Ponte dei Suspiri” (Bridge of Sighs) and “Palazzo Ducale” (Doges’ Palace), which is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Europe. Free time this afternoon. Return to Padua for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

DAY 5 ~ PISA / MONTECATINI – June 20
After enjoying breakfast, we depart for Pisa to experience the Leaning Tower. This evening we transfer to Montecatini Terme for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

DAY 6 ~ FLORENCE – June 21
After breakfast, we depart for Florence to visit the highlights of this beautiful city! We will visit the Academy of Fine Arts, which houses Michelangelo’s ‘David’ ~ the Cathedral with Brunelleschi’s magnificent Dome ~ Giotto’s soaring Bell Tower of pink, white and green marble ~ the Baptistery with Ghilberti’s masterpiece (bronze doors) known as “The Gates of Paradise” and the “Basilica di Santa Croce”, where Michelangelo and Galileo are buried. There will be free time to browse the wonderful shops or to visit more of the wonders of Florence. Evening return to Montecatini for dinner at the “Corsaro Verde” restaurant; and overnight. (B/D)



DAY 7 ~ ASSISI / ROME – June 22
This morning we depart for the mystical hill town of Assisi ~ home of St. Francis and St. Clare. Celebrate Sunday mass in Assisi and visit the Church of St. Clare, which houses her incorrupt body. We will tour the Basilica of St. Francis with the Tomb of St. Francis and the famous paintings of his life by Giotto. There will be time for lunch, followed by a visit to the Church of Saint Mary of the Angels, containing the famous Porziuncola, the chapel where St. Francis consecrated St. Clare and where in 1226 St. Francis passed from this life into eternal life. Continue onto Rome for dinner and overnight. (B/L/D)

DAY 8 ~ ROME – June 23
Today we visit the magnificent Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel where you will raise your eyes to Michelangelo’s “Creation” and “Last Judgment.” Take a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and visit the tomb of John Paul II. After lunch (on your own), we take a tour of the catacombs and visit the Piazza Navona which is home to Bernini’s wonderful Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the famous Spanish Steps located in the Piazza di Spagna. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight Rome. (B/D)

DAY 9 ~ ROME – June 24
This morning we will tour Ancient Rome, which includes the magnificent Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. There will be time for lunch (on your own) before our afternoon tour of Christian Rome. Our tour includes: the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Holy Staircase, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and the Circus Maximus. Dinner on your own tonight. Overnight Rome. (B)

DAY 10 ~ ROME – Wednesday, June 25
Today we will attend the Papal Audience, with the International Catholic Deaf Community, at St. Peter’s Basilica! Schedule for the day T.B.A. Tonight enjoy dinner at the “Rinaldo All’Acquedotto” restaurant. Overnight Rome. (B/D)

DAY 11 ~ ROME – June 26
After breakfast, we celebrate Mass with the International Catholic Deaf Community. Day’s schedule T.B.A. Overnight Rome. (B)

DAY 12 ~ ROME /U.S.A – Friday, Jun. 27, 2008
After breakfast, we transfer to the Rome airport for our return flight home. Complimentary meals and beverages served on board. (B)



INCLUDES:
Round-Trip Air from Boston
4 Star Hotel Accommodations
Buffet Breakfast Daily (B)
1 Lunch (L) and 8 Dinners (D)
Sightseeing and Entrance Fees per Itinerary
Private Deluxe Motor Coach
Professional Tour Escort / Licensed Guides
Luggage Handling / Transfers
Passport Case and Luggage Tags
Hotel Taxes and Service Charges
Sign-Language Interpreters

~ $250 DUE NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE~

θ CHECK ENCLOSED:
Payable to: Best Catholic Pilgrimages & Tours

θ CREDIT CARD PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION:
I hereby authorize Best Catholic Pilgrimages & Tours to charge the initial deposit
and base price with my credit card as my form of payment: $250 deposit due now
(Balance of payment will be charged to your card per invoice due date or
no later than 60 days prior to departure)

Credit Card Type: θ Master Card θ Visa θ Discover Expiration Date:
Card Number: 5555-5555-5555-5555 _______/________
Name as it appears on Credit Card______________________________
Signature_________________________
Date____________

Catholic Deaf Community Pilgrimage to Italy

Enclosed is my (our) reservation and deposit to secure my (our) place in the amount of $250 (per person). A non-refundable travel insurance premium of $165 (per person) will be invoiced. I understand the price is based on a group of 25 paying people per motor coach. I have read, understood, and agree to the tour conditions.

Pilgrimage Date: June 16 ~ 27, 2008

Pilgrimage Cost: $3510.00 + Air Tax

Departure: θ Boston [BOS]

Prices are based on Euro-Dollar Exchange rate of $1.30 per €1.
Round trip air cost quoted at $1115 and airline tax is subject to change until ticketed.


Signature: ________________________________________


Passport Name(s): ____________________________

__________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________


City: _____________State: Zip: __________


Phone: ( ) ________________________________


Work / Cell: ( ) ___________________________


E-mail: _____________________________________

Roommate: __________________________________
θ I prefer single accommodation for an additional cost of $395.


June 16 ~ 27, 2008
$3510.00 + Air Tax
(per person/double occupancy)
Does not include air taxes and travel insurance





For information or brochures, contact:

Fr. Jeremy St. Martin at (617) 746-5645
Email: ReverendJeremy_St.Martin@rcab.org
Email: Kathryn_Carey@rcab.org

– OR –
Best Catholic Pilgrimages, 1 (800) 908-2378
Email: info@bestcatholic.com







FAX THIS FORM TO:
1-888-647-2378

OR DETACH AND MAIL TO:
Best Catholic Pilgrimages
640 N. LaSalle Street, Ste. 636
Chicago, IL 60610

St. Francis Celebration in Bean Town

Br. Hugh would like to invite you to two celebration of St. Francis, his life. They are:

Blessing of the Animals: Sep 23rd at 1:00 p.m.

Friars' Street Fair on Arch Street: Tuesday, October 2, 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Sincerely,

Fr. St. Martin

Deaf Priest, Fr. Paul Zirimenya at SJCD

Glory be to God

Rich Man Be Warned

Fr. Paul Sends Photos of Mass

Attention Adults who want to be Catholics

Good People,

When? Mon, October 1, 5 - 8pm

Where? Click here

What? RCIA = Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is for Adults who have never been Baptized and can be adapted to help Adults who have to enter into full Communion with the Church through the two other Sacraments of Initiation, namely, the Eucharist, and Confirmation. Class will be for Adults who seek full initiation into the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Participants should purchase the:

Compendium
OF THE
CATECHISM
OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH.

I am looking forward to teaching this class. Please contact me with any questions at: jeremystmartin@mac.com

If there are other fully initiated Catholic Adults who would like to help with or participate in this work please let me know.

When? Mon, October 1, 5 - 8pm

Where? Click here

God is Good,

Fr. St. Martin

Help from Above through IMedia Solutions

Good People,

We need to thank iMedia Solutions for their free and expert assistance with our webpage. Glory to God for all the generosity he has shown us in this support.

Sincerely,

Fr. St. Martin

Sr. Esthr Sends a Note

Senior Services from Springwell

This week Fr. Jeremy met with two people from Springwell, a corporation that coordinates services for senior citizens. Springwell serves eight towns, including Newton, Watertown and Brookline. Springwell might be able to help us find a volunteer or advocate to help at the Deaf Senior Wellness Program. They will also help us find presenters for the program.

We discussed the various other organizations that help seniors, as well as the challenges of mobility and the MBTA's "The Ride" program. We also discussed the various needs of Deaf seniors. We are planning to have a speaker come to our meeting in November. She will inform us of the different support services that are available. You can check out Springwell's website directly through the link provided (just click on the entry title).

peace and good,

Br. Hugh

"Come Meet the Invisible Guests"

The Senior Deaf Wellness Program Invites You to Attend
The Second Meeting of Fall 2007
When: October 2, 2007
Where: MacKenzie Center, 1337 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02459
9:30AM: Arrival: Coffee, Bagels, Fruit
Blood pressure screening
10:30AM: "Invisible Guests"
12:00PM: Lunch will be provided
2:00PM : Closing
If you can bring a dessert, that would be wonderful!
If you plan on attending, please email Kathy Carey at Kathryn_Carey@rcab.org. We will need a count for the caterer.

What's Next?

Good People,

God has glorified Himself in your generous spirit. Because of your
love we are happy to have many good things going on and look forward
to many more coming up.

Retreat for Deaf Community with Sr. Rita!

The retreat Theme is "Love of God, Neighbor and Self." It will be
presented by Sr. Rita Marie Pickhinke. She is a Sister of Mercy of
the Americas and is the founder of the program Catholic Ministry to
Deaf People, Inc. She has worked with deaf people since 1964 and has
given workshops in the Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Trinidad, and
the West Indis. She holds a Master of Science in Teaching in Special
Education and in Deaf Education. She currently travels giving
retreats and spiritual talks, offering her knowledge and experience.

She will be here on October 20th, 2007 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
at the Sacred Heart Parish Convent right here in Newton. We will
have coffee and bagels, Lunch and Dinner together. This will be
primarily a retreat for adults. If you plan on attending, please
contact Kathy Carey. We will charge $35 for the day to help cover
costs. If you can give more you will help those who cannot afford
the payment. We have some money set aside for this retreat but it
would be good for those who can easily afford it to give more so that
we can be generous to Sister as she is being generous to us. Do not
hesitate to come if you cannot afford it.

Please contact Kathy Carey at Kathryn_Carey@rcab.org of you plan on
attending.

There is also the upcoming

Religious Education Dinner.

This will be for parents of Children in need of religiuos education
in ASL. Parents are invited to bring their children. A kid friendly
dinner will be provided. This is happening on October 18 from 6:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parsih Center right here in
Newton. We will be able to meet each other, discuss our various
needs, and set up times and places for classes that will be most
reasonable and convenient.

For Youth there are the following events:

October 16th
Steve Allgeyer

November 13th
Chris Padgett

December 11th
Fr. Tom DiLorenzo

January 15th
Fr. Stan Fortuna

February 19th
Bob Rice
Each LIFT night runs from 7:00 - 9:00pm

Where?

Fontbonne Academy
930 Brook Road
Milton, MA

What is it? In there own words: "Pope John Paul II has called the
Church to "cultivate a lively awareness of Christ's real presence,
both in the celebration of Mass and in the worship of the Eucharist
outside Mass." LIFT has been born out of a desire to live out that
call and marry it with contemporary trends in modern worship.
LIFT is a monthly worship gathering on a Tuesday night in the
metropolitan Boston area. LIFT uses modern elements such as
professional lighting and sound, video screens displaying worship
imagery and song lyrics, creative environments and the latest in
contemporary praise and worship music performed by a live band to
enhance the worship experience. The basic format of a LIFT night
starts with upbeat praise and worship music followed by an
inspirational talk given by a dynamic speaker speaking on that
night's theme. The night culminates with a time of Eucharistic
Adoration enhanced by more praise and worship music.

Worship is all about heaven. When we come to worship, we join with
the angels and the saints around the heavenly throne in praise to our
God. Worship is what we were created to do. When we worship we are
simply partaking in what we will be doing for eternity in heaven. The
things that make up LIFT – from the music to the environment to the
speakers, etc – are all designed to help the worshipper enter into
the presence of God and experience a taste of heaven."

Bishop Sean expreses his support and endorsement for this program in
a letter that is published on the website listed just below.

For more information go to: http://www.liftedhigher.com

If you would like to go we can set up interpreters for the event.
Just let Kathy Carey know. Her email is above.

Check out this slideshows that relays the smiles on the faces of our
Seniors who recently enjoyed some time visiting a shrine together.

God is Good.

In Christ,

Fr. St. Martin

Seniors Travel to Shrine

Love of God, Neighbor and Self

Greetings everyone!

We want to let you know about this retreat, which is coming up in October. Sr. Rita Marie Pickhinke will offer us this day of reflection to spend together with each other and with God. We hope that you can join us.

Peace and good

Good Things Happening

Good People,

God has blessed us in a wonderful experience of this years kickoff of the Senior Deaf Wellness Program. 17 deaf senior citizens gathered at the MacKensey Center for breakfast. Thank you to Mrs. Tucker, who together with others, did such a great job with breakfast. We had time to talk and have our blood pressure checked. We then launched out on our surprise trip. After a police man opened the a barrier blocking our way the bus delivered us to St. Anthony's Shrine where we were greeted by Brother Hugh. We toured, were educated on the history of the place and participated in the special activities commemorating those who died in the September 11th terrorist attack a few years back. We were graciously given the use of a hall and provided with drinks as we enjoyed a little lunch and then in the
rain ran for the bus and arrived back save, sound, and happy.

Specail thanks to Mrs. Barbara Neem and Mrs. Kathy Carey for their help. The help of Blood Pressure checks was wonderful!

We are having a great build up to our religious education program for deaf students. There have been many people excited about classes to help prepare their children for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. On Thursday, October, 18th will give us a chance to meet each other, network, think about carpooling possibilities, get everyone's contact information, and set up class times and places that will be convenient.


Because people are all traveling from different places and some
travel times are long the Deaf Catholic Ministries Office is
providing a light dinner for everyone. We are going to have kid
friendly food.

Please contact Kathy Carey if you have questions and or are planning
on attending. If you cannot attend but would like to register your
children pleas also let Kathy know and we will work on it. Her email
is: kathryn_carey@rcab.org

We will be meeting from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the MacKensey
Center here at Sacred heart. You can download a flyer and get more
information at:

www.deafcatholic.org

There you will also find many interesting and important announcements, articles, and opportunities.

Pray for the success of this years reilgious education program for the deaf.

Save the date of Oct. 20th. I looks like there is going to be a retreat in ASL given by a special Sr. Rita on that day. Stay tuned.

Also remember November 25th. We will be looking for people to join in a group to be part of the Mass broadcast live on BCTV on that Sunday.

Remember that the Yankee Candle Fundraiser packets will be available
after the 10:30 mass on Oct. 7th.

Lastly, we are working on solving a need many have has recently regarding sacramental records. Things are in motion to attend to this inconvenience. Forgive my lack of results as of yet.

Pray for the success of this years reilgious education program for the deaf.

Sincerely in Christ the Teacher,

Fr. St. Martin

A Little Retreat

Religious Education: Retreat With Sr. Rita!

What Group?

BE THERE AT BCTV MASS

Fall Yankee Candle Fund Raiser

The Top of the World

On Tuesday August 28, Fr. Jeremy and I climbed Mount Washington in New Hampshire. We arrived in NH on Monday and camped out over night. Then on Tuesday morning we drove to the base of Mt Washington. We ate a hearty breakfast and started climbing the mountain around 10:30 a.m.

We followed the trail through the pine trees. There was moss on almost every rock. It looked like a carpet on the forest floor. Ferns were growing around the moss and between the trees. It was really beautiful. Later we arrived above the treeline, where the air is too thin for trees to grow well. From there we could see for miles and miles. It was beautiful from the tiny details of moss to the vast majesty of the mountain ranges. God really has made beautiful creation! St. Francis would say: Praised be you, my Lord, through sister mother earth!

We encountered many people along the way. One man has made a car that gets 100 miles per gallon! Then we met a Deaf man from Rochester. His name is Christopher Lehfeldt, and he is a dentist. Two people said hello as they came down the mountain. It struck me: Hey! They're signing as they speak! How do they know that Fr. Jeremy and I know sign? We started speaking and signing back! "Beautiful day!" "When did you start?" and so forth. Then another man caught up with them, and we realized... they're signing because their friend is Deaf. We chatted for a little while. Chris mentioned that he knows Fr. Tom Coughlin, Deacon Patrick Greybill and other people in Rochester.

We continued trudging up the mountain. The weather was absolutely gorgeous... we were very lucky. When we arrived at the top, we were able to rest inside the visitor center. We snacked on the food that we had brought, and we mailed some postcards. We celebrated Mass and then got ready to go back down.

By this time it was getting late, and we were worried that it would be too much to hike back down. So we bought tickets for the Cog Railway. It was a little more expensive than we had planned, but it was also more exciting than I had expected.

The "brakeman" works the brakes all the way down. He sets the brakes to slow down the train and loosens them to let the train go faster. When he saw Fr. Jeremy, he said, "I want to stay on your good side." Fr. Jeremy responded, "I want to stay on your good side." Well, everyone stayed and each other's good sides and we all made it down safely, thanks be to God!

It was a beautiful day and wonderful time. It is an experience that many people might enjoy sharing in sometime.