Mike Campbell | The Michigan Catholic
Detroit — In early February, Archbishop Allen Vigneron and his four auxiliary bishops will have an audience with the pope, and they’re bringing the entire archdiocese with them.
Archbishop Vigneron will make his first ad limina visit to Rome as shepherd of the Archdiocese of Detroit from Feb. 1-6. The pilgrimage, taken approximately every five years, is a chance for the bishops to give a report of the archdiocese to the Holy See, said Sr. Georgette Zalewska, an associate director in the archdiocese’s Office for Christian Worship.
“Because we are a worldwide universal Church that recognizes the pope as our head, bishops around the world, from early times — when there was a problem, a concern or when they needed some advice or counsel — would go to Rome and seek that advice or counsel from the Holy Father,” Zalewska said.
During the trip, Archbishop Vigneron and the archdiocese’s four other bishops will blog about their experiences in the heart of the Catholic Church’s motherland. When they meet with Pope Benedict XVI, they’ll also present a “spiritual bouquet” to the Holy Father filled with prayers for his intentions from Metro Detroit’s Catholics.
“Because the archbishop wants the participation of the people in a spiritual way with him on this pilgrimage, on this ad limina visit, he’ll be presenting to the pope all the prayers that people will be doing — all the good deeds, devotions, etc.,” Zalewska said.
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Catholics can add their intentions, letters and photos for the Holy Father through a page to be set up through the archdiocese’s website at www.aodonline.org, which also will include blog postings and photos fromDetroit’s bishops in Rome. The site should be up the first week of January and remain until a few weeks after the bishops’ return, said Krista Bajoka, coordinator of special projects for the moderator of the curia.
Bajoka said people can also add to the spiritual bouquet by phone at 313-596-7150 or through Facebook and Twitter.
“Certainly we know the pope does use social media as well,” she said.
There are a number of ways for families and parishes to get involved, Bajoka said.
“A family could decide that they’re going to say a special prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father once a week at their family meal. Some parishes have adoration, and that could be for the intention of the Holy Father,” she said. “A Mass can be offered; a variety of ways. Some of our schools oftentimes take up collections the children do, and those collections could be something that could be offered for the intention of the Holy Father.”
During the pilgrimage, the bishops also will pray at the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul. The term “ad limina” comes from the Latin phrase “ad limina apostolorum,” which means “to the threshold of the apostles,” according to Msgr. Robert McClory in a letter to parishes.
Though ad limina visits date to the Church’s earliest times, it was in 1909 that Pope Pius X decreed that bishops should make the pilgrimage every five years, during which they should visit the tombs of the two great apostles and give a report to the Roman pontiff, Zalewska said.
“By that pilgrimage to the tombs, (they’d) kind of be connected to our Church history and our tradition,” she said. “And they would make a visit to the pope that would say to him in effect, and to the world, that we are in union with that pope.”
Zalewska said in addition to the website, the archbishop plans to present Pope Benedict XVI with a scroll that details the prayers and service Metro Detroit’s Catholics have offered for his intentions.
Bajoka said it’s important for the archdiocese to show unity with the global Catholic Church, and the ad limina visit is a way to do that.
“It is a visit that represents the whole of the Church of Detroit,” she said.
