This section is intended to give an opportunity to pilgrims to share their reflection or experience of the pilgrimage to Turkey and Greece from September 21 to October 3, 1998.

Fr. Lim

This trip is really a spiritual experience for CC and me. I felt that Saint Paul is my personal friend. When I read his letters,I get the inspiration to read more and to listen attentively to what he wants to tell me. I can feel his passions toward God and toward people. It is so wonderful.

Carol C,

Deeper Understanding

Thank you for leading the recent pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey for us. It certainly was an unforgettable trip. It has a lasting effect on me. I harvested some deeper understandings about many bible passages than before. Many biblical words that I usually read in the Past without any deep feelings and without any deep understandings now jump out to me. Simple words such as: temple, marketplace, court, judgment seat, gathering, theater, etc. mean a lot to me now.

CC. C

What I liked most about the trip was the spiritual experience following the footsteps of St. Paul. It provided me a glimpse of how he went about his mission in spreading the word of God. I will treasure this experience as long as I live.

There were a couple of high points of the pilgrimage for me. It was a rare opportunity to see the "House of Virgin Mary" where tradition says she spent her last days. There was the unforgettable excursion by boat along the Istanbul Bogazi (Marmara Sea - Golden Horn), the winding strait separating Europe & Asia. The cruise gave a panoramic view of this magnificent city in the world located on two continents. It was a very splendid site to me.

Mary T

The trip to Turkey and Greece was an eventful and meaningful one for me. The Pilgrimage "In the Footsteps of St. Paul" not only deepen my faith and trust to God, it also made me feel and experience its history and its culture, that people of the land embraced. Greece is full of mythology. I never dreamt that I would see the city of Corinth and left some of my footsteps to follow the route that St. Paul took, the city where he spent time preaching to Jews and Gentiles. I saw the ancient market place and center of Athenian public life where St. Paul addressed the Athenians. A travel by ferry to the Isle of Patmos where St. John wrote the book of Revelation and a visit to the monastery of St. John was quite unforgettable. At the ferry I had an interesting "oracle".

In Kusadasi, Turkey, I saw Ephesus, the community that St. Paul may have written his Epistle to the Ephesians. On a hill is the House of Mary, mother of our Lord where according to early Christian tradition and was said she may have died. Izmir, the largest city in modern Turkey is the site of one of the churches of Revelation: Pergamun, the most favored of the Seven Churches.

I was fascinated by the tour guides that brought back memories of history and mythology that I learned way back in my high school years. Here are some of the historical events or myths that I learned in the past: the ruins of Parthenon, the Oracle of the Earth, the temple of Apollo, the virgin goddess, Hera, Temple of Diana, Hagia Sophia (considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World), Troy, the place of the legendary story of the Trojan War found in Homer's Eliad, and the Palace of the Ottoman Sultans. In the treasury I saw fabled jewels, and stood in awe at one of the largest diamond in the world.

And of course the trip was even more pleasurable with the extra time given for shopping, the place called "famous grand bazaar" (one of the shopping places) with its delicious Turkish delight--this you have to find out yourself! This trip was made possible by the hard work and excellent organizational skills of father Lim of St. Victor Church and Father Galang of St. Justin Church in San Jose and Santa Clara, California. Their work made the journey safe and memorable for our group. This was a wonderful trip and worth going. I hope everyone gets the chance to experience this Pilgrimage. Anyone interested in going for future trips can contact Father Lim by sending e-mail Click Here. 

Nedy

Fr. Lim