Pilgrim Blog 27 - Friday's Mini Adventure

Igreja Paroquial da Graça (Church of Our Lady of Grace), Lisbon, Portugal ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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After Friday Catechesis and before the Stations of the Cross, a few of us had a mini adventure. Together with Oliver and Bettina, we hiked up 7 or 8 sets of steps to see the Church of Our Lady of Grace, also known as Igreja Paroquial da Graça, or as the parish church of the Graça area.

Interior of Igreja Paroquial da Graça ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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There has been a church here since the 13th century, and because we had to climb so high, there are views over the city. For over 560 years, this place was the home of the hermit friars of the Order of St Augustine. It suffered damage during the 1755 earthquake, and that’s why there’s some Baroque and Rococo elements mixed up with the medieval elements. We didn’t get to stay there very long, because some kind of Ukrainian gathering or catechesis had been going on, and the tone of whatever the speaker was saying felt uncomfortable.

Waiting to brief stop in at the Church of St Louis ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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After that we walked down to where relics of St Therese of Lisieux were on display at the Church of St. Louis of the French. Because Mass was about to begin, there was only time to kneel, make the sign of the cross, and pray a Hail Mary and leave. That’s also why there’s only an exterior photo and no interior photo.
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But outside there was a team of parishioners or volunteers, who were re-filling the water bottles of pilgrims. We gratefully accepted their kindness. They were under the white canopy on the far left-hand side of the photo. May God bless them.

Interior of Igreja de São José (Church of St Joseph) ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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On our way back to the hotel we were caught by ‘the welcomers’ of the Church of St Joseph (Igreja de São José) that housed relics of St Thomas Aquinas and of St Mary Magdalene for the duration of World Youth Day. To get in we needed to go through an entrance door off a courtyard that couldn’t be seen from the street.

The altar piece between the two sets of double columns depicts the betrothal of Mary to Joseph.
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The relic of the skull, only the skull and no jawbone, of St Thomas Aquinas could be seen on the maroon velvet close to the altar. The reliquary holding his skull is new, in honour of the 700th anniversary of his canonization earlier this year. While an icon of St Mary Magdalene was visible; however, where the relic was placed we couldn’t see. Apparently it was a piece of tibia which normally resides at her shrine at Sainte-Baume in France. As you can see, the place was both cramped and crowded, so it was another short kneel, sign of the Cross, simple prayer and back out again. It really wasn’t how I would have wanted to see the relics of these important Saints, but such is life, or should I say, such is World Youth Day.

Waiting for our orders outside Os Tibetanos, Lisbon, Portugal ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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It was Friday, so our meal options had to be meat-less. Because each Friday is a mini-memorial of Good Friday, some small act of penance in union with the great sacrifice of Jesus is right and just, and the traditional way of doing that is eating meat-less. So we tried takeaway from a vegetarian Tibetan restaurant (Os Tibetanos). Who would have thought such a place would be in down-town Lisbon?
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On the door-posts you can see the World Youth Day logo which indicates that this eatery serves Pilgrim meals.

The Tibetan lunch itself ~ Vincent Cavanagh ©2023

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It was some kind of bean stew, with rice, and with something pickled – maybe a sprout or similar. But it was nice and warm. Thus fortified we went back to the hotel to prepare for the Stations of the Cross.
 
 
Vincent Cavanagh   #bbwyd
#wydlisbon   #wyd2023   #lisboa2023
5 Aug 2023, 11.43am Portugal | 5 Aug 2023, 6.43pm Sydney

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