April 23, 2025

A group of seminarians, monks, and professors from Saint Vincent Seminary and Archabbey recently spent nine days following in the Footsteps of Saint Paul.

The pilgrimage took them to some of the cities visited by St. Paul during his missionary journeys in the first century AD across Greece and Turkey. Cities visited included: Neapolis (Acts 16:11, modern day Kavala, where St. Paul first stepped foot on mainland Europe), Philippi (Acts 16:14-15, where Lydia, the first European Christian was baptized), Thessalonica (Acts 17:2-9), Berea (Acts 17:10), Athens, where Paul preached at the Areopagus, (Acts 17:16-34), Corinth (Acts 18), and Ephesus (Acts 19:1).

Diocese of Ogdensburg seminarians Tyler Fitzgerald, third theology, and Kevin McCullouch, second theology, were among the pilgrims.

The pilgrimage’s aim was not only for spiritual renewal and cultural experience, but to help the Scriptures come alive and foster vibrant preaching on St. Paul.

The following are the seminarians’ reflections:

TYLER FITZGERALD:
Flying nine hours from Chicago to Frankfurt was the first time I had ever been on an airplane. The airports were a little bigger than Watertown and Ogdensburg. After eight or nine (I really lost count) flights over the course of nine days, I have had enough flying for a while.

The ancient city of Ephesus is beautiful. In the United States, we often think of marble as being expensive and reserved for fancy buildings and monuments. It was quite an experience to see so much marble in the ancient city; shops, columns, arches, even the main roads and sidewalks were marble with traction bumps carved out so one doesn’t slip. Our tour guide reminded us of Paul’s run-in with the silversmiths of Ephesus who made their money selling small statues of the god Artemis. Once Paul brought the Gospel to Ephesus, the sale of these pagan idols decreased…and that’s where Paul’s troubles began. You can read the whole account in Acts 19:23-40. Our guide reminded us of this account as we were walking along one of the main streets lined with shops. There are no barriers or ropes preventing pilgrimages from walking around the shops, sitting on broken columns, or climbing broken walls. The most memorable moment in Ephesus was spending a few hours at Mary’s house which overlooks the ancient city. Tradition holds that after Jesus gave Mary to John (John 19:27), they eventually made their way to Ephesus and John provided a house for Mary. The scenery was beautiful and moving. It was a breezy, 70 degree afternoon. We were the only group at the holy site and I was able to spend about fifteen minutes in Mary’s house with another classmate. I truly felt at home with Jesus, Mary, and John.

As the breeze flowed through the house, the birds began to chirp, and my heart was moved in a way I shall never forget.

Three classmates and I climbed into a taxi one night in Athens and made for a tiny icon shop in the heart of the city. We met Stephanos and Panagiota who have run the shop for their entire 52 years of marriage. They were so hospitable and wonderful, textbook definition of two grandparents running a small shop. One of my classmates was still in his Benedictine habit and they became very excited when we told them we are to be ordained deacons in the spring. Turns out, all the icons come from the monks on Mount Athos, an ancient and famous mountain of monasteries on a secluded island. They are all handwritten. Real icons are never referred to as painted but written. In the Orthodox tradition, they are not pieces of art, but windows into heaven. I fell in love with two unique icons which I have never seen before – Christ in Prison and the Theotokos (Mother of God) of the Abandoned and Orphans. I cannot find anything like them online, which all the more verifies the fact that these icons are truly one of a kind and hand-written with prayer.

Fun fact: I didn’t pay for a single piece of baklava while in Turkey, and I ate a lot!

I wish I could say more, but I could fill this whole edition of North Country Catholic with stories. I am truly looking forward to sharing my experiences with the faithful of the Diocese of Ogdensburg in my future preaching and priestly ministry.

KEVIN MCCULLOUCH:
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have traveled with my brother seminarians to Greece over spring break this year, during my second year of theological studies. What made this pilgrimage even more meaningful was its theme, Following the Footsteps of Saint Paul. This journey was particularly significant for me because, this semester, I am studying Pauline Literature. Being physically present in some of the very places Saint Paul traveled and preached allowed me to engage with my studies on a much deeper level. It is one thing to read about Paul’s missionary journeys in the Scriptures, but quite another to walk where he walked, to stand in the places where he proclaimed the Gospel. Often, when reading the Bible, it is easy to think of these events as distant stories, especially since Paul’s travels took place thousands of miles away from my home in Ogdensburg. But this pilgrimage transformed those stories into lived history, making them more tangible and real.

One of the most profound moments of the trip was visiting Lydia’s Baptistry in Philippi. As I reflected on the story of Lydia’s baptism by Paul, I found myself contemplating my own baptism and the significance of that sacrament in my life. Standing in that sacred space, where one of the earliest Christian communities in Europe took root, deepened my appreciation for the Church’s missionary beginnings. This visit was particularly special because it was the first official stop on our pilgrimage after arriving in Greece, following our long journey – an overnight nine-and-a-half hour flight from the U.S. to Frankfurt and then on to Thessaloniki. To mark the occasion, our group gathered to celebrate Mass at Lydia’s Baptistry, forming a small but deeply connected pilgrim community in this remarkable place.

Although much of the trip, we moved in haste to be able to experience as much as we could on our nine-day pilgrimage, one moment of meditative quietness that I experienced was our visit to the Meteora Monasteries in Kalambaka, Greece. Perched atop towering rock pillars, there are seven Eastern Orthodox monasteries, which are among the most breathtaking and historically significant monastic sites in the world. The name Meteora means “suspended in the air,” which perfectly describes their dramatic setting. The monasteries were founded between the 14th and 16th centuries by hermit monks seeking solitude and spiritual refuge.

Beyond its spiritual richness, the pilgrimage also provided an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the cultural life of Greece and Turkey. Witnessing the landscapes, the historical sites, and the living faith of the local Christian communities gave me a fresh perspective on the world in which Saint Paul preached. It was also a time of profound fraternity. Traveling together with my classmates and faculty from Saint Vincent Seminary strengthened our bonds in ways I had not anticipated. The shared experiences, the moments of prayer, and even the humorous travel mishaps became memories we will cherish for a lifetime.

I was particularly struck by how spread-out Paul’s missionary sites truly are. Until experiencing it firsthand, I had not fully appreciated the vast distances he covered to spread the Gospel. We spent considerable time traveling by bus and airplane between locations, but even these long journeys became an opportunity for spiritual and personal growth. Whether engaging in theological discussions, sharing reflections, or simply enjoying each other’s company, we made the most of every moment.

Lastly, a particularly memorable highlight of the pilgrimage was celebrating my birthday with the group in Kalambaka and Athens. It was a unique blessing to mark the day while immersed in such a spiritually rich journey. One of the most meaningful parts of this celebration was a morning visit to an icon workshop, where we received a presentation on the sacred art of iconography. Learning how icons are “written” – not merely painted – and how they serve as a form of prayer was a profound experience. I peered over the counter as one older woman, meticulously crafted a sacred image of the Theotokos (Mother of God) without even noticing our presence in the shop.

This pilgrimage was more than just a trip; it was an encounter with the living history of our faith, a renewal of my own vocational journey, and a reminder of the enduring power of the Gospel. I return home with a heart full of gratitude, a renewed zeal for my studies, and a deeper connection to Saint Paul’s mission, which continues to inspire us today.