Wave of Holiness 2014: Knowing the Peruvian Saints
Lima, 11/10/14 (Sodalit News – Peru). On Saturday November 1st, Solemnity of All Saints, hundreds of members of the Sodalit Family gathered together in the streets of downtown Lima to discover a little more of the lives of each of the Peruvian saints.
This time the Wave of Holiness brought together many members of the various associations of the Christian Life Movement (CLM), including consecrated members and youth, who went on a pilgrimage throughout the streets of the historic center of Lima, visiting the major temples and shrines in the city, as they learned more about the life and holiness of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, St. Rose de Lima, St. John Macias, St. Martin de Porres and St. Francis Solano. The organizers also prepared a song for them with prayers to the Peruvian saints as well as prayer cards in order to share the joy and beauty of holiness with the people they encountered along the way.
Sodalit Family Members in the Church of St. Rose of Lima, where his home was located.
The route this year included the most important temples in the city’s downtown, such as the Convent of St. Dominic, the sanctuary house where St. Rose of Lima lived, the Church of St. Francis and St. Peter’s Basilica where the tour concluded with a Mass. There the participants had the opportunity to thank God for the fruits of these early saints and ask for the grace to also be able to achieve holiness. Fr. Enrique Rodriguez, S.J. expressed pleasant surprise to see so many young people gathered for the Eucharistic celebration on the Solemnity of All Saints.
Catechesis about St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, second Archbishop of Peru, by Ricardo Braz, SCV.
Daniela Padilla, a CLM member who participated for the third time in the Wave of Holiness, tells us it “was an amazing experience because” I learned more about life in the Peruvian saints and those who lived here in Lima. Especially it is important for me to learn from them, how great was their faith, despite the temptation, and how brave were the great gifts God gave them. “Likewise, Padilla notes that this experience allowed him to recall once again “I’m not alone on the path to holiness and that I am not the only one who has embarked on this great adventure.”
Sodalit Family Members in St. Peter’s Church
“For me, the Wave of Holiness was one of the best experiences I have had,” said Gonzalo Paliza, who also said that through this activity, he was able “to learn more about our Peruvian Santos, about their lives, about the Plan God had for each of them. And knowing this keeps us going, helps us to persevere in our Christian life to fulfill the vocation that God wants for all his children to be saints.”
Youth gathered sharing the joy of the Christian life
The Wave of Holiness, along with presenting and bringing closer the lives of the Peruvian saints to the members of the Sodalit Family, was also a great opportunity to visit and learn more about the most representative sites of the city’s culture from a Christian perspective. Participants were also able to share pictures and moments of dialogue with various people along the route. Finally, there were songs and cheers outside the entrance to the Cathedral of Lima in front of visitors to Lima’s Central Square.