Belmont Abbey Pilgrimage to Syria, 2010

At the end of October Fr Brendan led a pilgrimage to trace the beginnings of Christianiy in Syria and Lebanon. Here one of the pilgrims, Margaret Rose gives an account of the journey from Damascus to the 'great river' of the Ephrates, and to Tyre, Sidon and the coast of Lebanon.
Above: the pilgrims at the monatery of St Simeon Stylites, near Aleppo

On Sunday October 24th on a lovely autumn, morning, after attending Mass, we boarded our coach and set off on the long awaited pilgrimage to Syria and Lebanon. We made good time to Heathrow, but shortly before we were due to board we found that we were into a 7-hour delay. Pilgrimages are not meant to be easy so we settled down to wait and tried to keep cheerful.

When we arrived in Damascus dawn was breaking, we arrived at our Hotel had a short sleep, during which our itinerary was changed, had breakfast and then off to get on with our pilgrimage.

I can only pick out some of the places that made an especially strong impression on me and I am sure that it will be different for others.

After Mass at the church of St Ananias, we walked through the "street called Straight" a very busy street , with very old houses many of them propped up, whilst they awaited someone to do some preservation work. For me the sheer "ancientness" of the whole pilgrimage was something that struck me again and again. Not only the age, but the fact that so many places were being used much as they would have been two thousand or more years ago, full of people going about their business, and all the life and vitality around me.

One of the most impressive places was the Monastery of Mar Moussa. It was meant to be very isolated and could only be reached by a steep climb on a very winding footpath, up many steps that had been cut into the side of the Mountain. The intense silence made a very strong impression on me and made me realise that total silence is something that is very difficult to find in our lives. It was hard work getting to the monastery, but well worth it. The views were tremendous and the silence overwhelming, at least until all the pilgrims had arrived. It is an active monastery of monks and nuns who work growing their own vegetables, and selling various products to pay for the upkeep of the monastery. They also have guests staying in vary basic accommodation, who join in with preparing vegetables, cooking and any other work that needs doing. Not at all like Belmont.

I remember Mass on the terrace of the hotel, by the side of the Euphrates River, one of the four rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden, and the cradle of civilisation, flowing slowly and strongly past, with people attending to their animals as they had for thousands of years past. It gave a feeling of a strong link with the past, quite mind- blowing for me.

Another strong memory I think for all of us was Mass at Dura Europa, a site founded around 303 B.C. Two of the most interesting finds were the synagogue and the earliest known Church House. It was late afternoon when we arrived and very overcast, it looked as though rain would be very possible! We arranged ourselves on the old stones, Father Brendan started Mass and it got gloomier and gloomier. Just as Father got to the Consecration the sky lightened and a rosy glow filled the western sky and coloured those venerable stones pink. It was a truly wondrous moment, we all looked at each other as though to confirm what we could see, then looked around and up at the sky. We were all caught up and united in that moment. I know I floated up to receive Communion. It was a very special few minutes.

There was the visit to the Cathedral of Simon Stylites who spent 37 years on top of a pillar the base of which can still be seen. That was a very lovely green space.
A moving moment was at Malula one of only two villages where Aramaic the language of Jesus is still spoken. There at the Church of St. Sergius , the priest welcomed us and prayed the Lords Prayer as Jesus would have spoken it.

There were the ruins at Palmyra, said to have been built by King Solomon, the ancient remains blending into the desert with a Colonnaded Street leading into the city and the Temple of Bel. The Grande Mosque of Damascus one of the oldest mosques in the world, a very impressive building with many fine mosaics and lots of marble.There is also a shrine said to contain the head of John the Baptist. Totally different in atmosphere was the Church of St Paul at Kokab on the Golan heights, A seemingly peaceful place , but overlooked by the military, it is close to the Israeli border and very different to the Golan on the Israeli side which is very commercialised.

We had a trip on a boat at Sidon, very exciting, Health and Safety has not reached Lebanon. Then there was Baalbeck, where we made two visits, the first was very late owing to a long stop, crossing the border, and where due to more "happenings" than is believable, some of us were stranded at the top of the temple in the dark and rapidly getting colder whilst the guide went to find keys to let us out. A power cut contributed to the dark, but when after many coincidences we left, the lights all came back on. We did however go back to Baalbeck, and it was well worth the extra effort, a monumental Roman city.

I know that there are many things I have missed out, but I have been left with so many memories, the laughter, the tiredness, the Imodium that was consumed in huge quantities, there were not many who were not ill at some stage, and also the help and care that was given to those having difficulties. We were in the expert care of Michael Hodgson, who would produce crisps, biscuits, pastries and drinks when we missed our lunch and who so ably organised our meals at some memorable restaurants. There was our wonderful, knowledgeable guide Tarek who was always able to produce whatever we needed at any time, and the second guide Hiatham who had flown in from London to guide us in Lebanon, and of course Father Brendan without whom this would not have happened. For his wonderful Homilies, that always fitted the occasion and the place that we were at and that made this pilgrimage so very memorable. I have only one more thing to say "where to next".

Many thanks to all the leaders and my fellow pilgrims
Margaret Rose

p.s. we also bought two Cedar trees. Do ask if you want to know more.

Below, photographs of the Church at Kokab, marking the conversion of St Paul, the monastery of Mar Mousa, north of Damascus, Mass on the Euprhates with Fr Brendan and Fr Stephen, the temple of Baalbeck, Lebanon and Mass in the Maronite Church nearby and finally the group taken at Maaloula, and a view of the village, where the Christians still speak Aramaic. Final photograph - Mass at Dura Europa.