Pilgrimage Of Mercy Continues In Our Diocese

/data/news/14465/file/realname/images/p01bishopandfatherstephen147154769259013.jpg — Bishop Charles C. Thompson, left, visits with Vincentian Father Stephen Gallegos, who holds one of the packages he created with help from Daughters of Charity sisters living at the order's Seton Residence. The Message photo by Tim Lilley

Vincentian Father Stephen Gallegos, chaplain at the Daughters of Charity Seton Residence on Evansville’s west side, has begun the pilgrimage to parishes across our 12 counties that The Message reported on in the July 15 issue.

Father Gallegos is one of the Missionaries of Mercy Pope Francis commissioned on Ash Wednesday to serve during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.

Father Gallegos travelled to Rome for the Feb. 10 ceremony, where he joined hundreds of priests from around the world who were sent forth by the Holy Father to serve as missionaries during the jubilee.

He met with Bishop Charles C. Thompson following his return to Evansville. As the bishop of Evansville, he commissioned Father Gallegos. After prayer and discernment, Father Gallegos said met again with Bishop Thompson to discuss his plans for a pilgrimage.

Father Gallegos is visiting our parishes from now into the fall to distribute crosses to as many families as possible across our 12 counties. He commissioned roughly 20,000 crosses for distribution to parish families.

“I will be providing Crosses of Mercy to every family in the diocese,” he explained. Since the crosses arrived from their manufacturer, Daughters of Charity Sisters who live at Seton Residence have been working to create the packets for families. Each packet include prayer resources and one of the crosses.

At the Feb. 10 ceremony in Rome for the Missionaries of Mercy, Pope Francis encouraged the hundreds of priests from across the world:

“Dear brothers, you will be able to help open the doors of the heart, to overcome shame, to not flee from the light. May your hands bless and lift up your brothers and sisters with paternity; that through you the gaze and the hands of the Father might rest on His sons and cure their wounds!”

Taking that suggestion a step further, Father Gallegos is providing Crosses of Mercy to serve as constant reminders of Pope Francis’ words from the Bull of Indiction for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy:

“Whoever sees Jesus sees the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). Jesus of Nazareth, by his words, his actions, and his entire person, reveals the mercy of God.”