On April 8 2022, in preparation for Easter, we gathered as an LGBTQ+ community to make a pilgrimage together. Pilgrimage is an ancient practice common to most religions. It is part of human nature to wish to visit the places where the significant figures of a religion have lived or died, and to hold the deep conviction that those places are sacred.
In our faith, the concept of pilgrimage begins with the experiences of the chosen people, the People of Israel. It is worth noting that the Old Testament always tells us about the harsh moments of a pilgrimage. It highlights the moment of going more than the moment of arrival, the provisionality of hope more than the security of possession. In this way, the concept of pilgrimage is spiritualized to the extent that our whole life becomes a pilgrimage before God. In the New Testament, this concept continues. At the age of twelve, Jesus went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his parents to obey the Law. Throughout his public ministry, he went on pilgrimage for the various feasts.
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The practice of pilgrimage for Christians received strong support with the conversion of Constantine. The number of pilgrimages increased following the visit of the Empress St. Helena to Jerusalem in 326 AD, and the subsequent construction of basilicas at many sites, holy to Christianity. One of the earliest accounts of pilgrimage, is that of Egeria, a Western European woman, who wrote a detailed account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land circa 381-386. Since then the practice of making pilgrimages has grown, for example, pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, and in more recent times to the Shrines to the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes, and at Fatima. In addition there are hundreds of other lesser know destinations throughout the world. However, there is one pilgrimage available to all; it is the ‘Stations of the Cross’ commemorating Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary.
Following God’s Call
Today we understand that pilgrimage is a search for God, and an encounter with Him in a cultural framework. For Catholics, pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey towards heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For many, our pilgrimage as a Catholic LGTBQ+ community is just beginning at the close of the 20th century, and with the dawn of the millenium, but this is not the case. Many of us have been making this pilgrimage in the silence of everyday life for many centuries, seeking and following in uncertainty the call of God.
Yes, God is calling us, his LGBTQ+ children. We, the ecclesiastically neglected. We, the unacknowledged children. We, who are regarded with a certain suspicion. We, who are too often judged. Yet Jesus, with infinite love, calls us LGBTQ+ Catholics present in our AIM community. This Lent, we invite you to participate in the infinite love of Jesus, expressed liturgically in a pilgrimage leading to Easter.
A Journey to Easter
Crossings, the art exhibition featuring 16 art pieces depicting the scriptural stations of the cross, will be our pilgrimage. Crossings draws upon the centuries-old Christian spiritual practice of walking and praying our Lord’s path on his way to the cross. In this pilgrimage, the Stations are captured through sacred art pieces expressing Jesus’ final hours.
Our 3-4 hour pilgrimage to Easter will take us figuratively along the journey that Jesus took through unjust suffering leading to redemption. Every station will offer an opportunity to reflect on Jesus’ journey to Calvary. We respond to contemporary global and LGBTQ+ issues by looking at the art, and reading the reflections (This is done by scanning a QR code and viewing the Crossings program on our phones).
A Journey of Discovery
We understand that a pilgrimage is not about a location or length, but about a communal experience. Crossings talks to us with the language of art. A language that always invites us to transcendence. Art transports us to the depth of our human experience. Crossings is an invitation to explore. We will discover that spiritual experiences are open to everybody, as Jesus calls to everyone. Likewise we discover that spiritual experiences are not limited to special places, to holy places, or to those with special gifts. Our spirituality can be expressed in all kinds of ways and in all kinds of places.
What we are going to do?
We are going to contemplate, reflect, learn to wait patiently, and think about our life, and our Catholic LGBTQ+ community. We will let the exhibits be a mirror, with us reflecting; “I’ve walked a little, I’ve looked at something. What’s going on in my spiritual or emotional life at this moment?” Then, we will walk to the next station discovering that the walking itself is kind of embodiment of our reflection. The walk a moment of spirituality.
Download PDF Guide to Crossing: https://www.crossingstoronto.com/s/Crossings-brochure-v8-pages-2.pdf
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The Lord’s path to his cross is a path we also follow in our lives. Sometimes, we just contemplate it, like some of his disciples, without being able to get involved, simply because our time has not yet come.
For AIM, its time has come. We walk humbly, without fanfare, without pretension. We, AIM members. We walk in the footsteps of the Lord. We walk; despite fear, accusations, judgements. Despite many falls, we pick ourselves up again and again. We walk with our eyes fixed on Him.
While walking Crossings, each of us reflected. Now, we share some of our reflections with those who could not be present. We held them present in our thoughts and hearts. All of you have walked with us. We have seen the Lord risen in all of us.
Reflections by some AIM members who pilgrimaged at the Crossings exhibit
“We took time at each of the stations as AIM members – to ponder, to reflect, and to share together. We prayed the traditional ‘We adore you O’ Christ and We Bless you’ at each station. As we progressed from station to station those who chose prayed the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. For me, the art was beautiful but it was also beautiful for AIM community members to come together, to share, to walk, to talk, and to spend quality spiritual time as we were nearing the end of our Lenten Journey. For me and the other AIM members, it was an excellent spiritual preparation for Holy Week.” Patrick Slaney
Station 7 Jesus takes up the cross “To see the image of a golden cross enclosed in crystal is both precious and costly. Jesus had to carry and die on the cross for our salvation.’I’ll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross.’ It’s costly! What a sacrifice!!!” Nick Wahab
Jesus takes up the cross by Colleen McLaughlin Barlow
Station 14 Jesus is laid in the tomb “The art piece ‘Jesus is laid to rest in the tomb’ was powerful. A stainless steel body tray from a morgue, with the image of a body somehow shining forth, surrounded by tally marks. Counting, waiting for what?” Carl O’Byrne
Jeus is laid in the Tomb by Paul Roorda
Station 14 Jesus is laid in the tomb “The Lord’s journey has finished, and Jesus is laid in the tomb. Paul Roorda’s work shows hundreds of tally marks, like those condemned to death would on make their prison wall, indicating the weeks of their sentence or counting their days in prison. So, maybe, Roorda wanted to make a striking impression, counting all the days of Jesus’ life on Earth. In the centre, we see a polished silhouette of a human being. We can interpret it as the polished shape of our Lord. The polished silhouette works as a mirror, allowing us to contemplate our own image. The experience of seeing my image where Jesus was laid allows me to reflect on His life on this Earth and invitation to be an image of Him. By observing His absence, I find myself. On the other hand, the artwork is not displayed lying down. But, elevated, reminding us and saying to us, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” We, the members of AIM, reflecting on this artwork, see ourselves as we are, reflected in the Lord. He does not distort us but makes us see ourselves as members of LGTBQ+ called to live in Him.” David Pereyra
More about Crossings*
Exhibiting Faith in the Public Square: A Conversation
Through imagination, we are able to look at things as they are and see what they might become. Our guests in this conversation, Aaron Rosen and Catriona Laing are both well–gifted with imagination. They tell us a little of the genesis of the international “Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition” and their involvement with this extraordinary annual event which began in 2016.
A Journey to Easter
In the context of the three days of Easter weekend, attention is given to themes that address the realities of human experience: the brokenness and beauty of Good Friday, the in-between — waiting of Holy Saturday and the hopeful expectation of Easter Sunday. The series is intended to be an exploration of how these important themes can be instructive for our life situations, impacting leadership style, personal relationships and the faith journey.
On Being Hopeful
Hope is not cancelled but is a sustaining presence in an uncertain world. In this final session, we will discuss how hope needs to be part of our strategy and how best to keep hope alive despite uncertainty and chaos.
On Being in-Between
Much of life is spent in the in-between, the place where we wait. In this second session, we will examine how one season prepares us for the next and the gift that unexpected pauses can be to us and all of those around us.
On Being Broken
To be broken is easily perceived as a liability when it may be an asset that deepens our understanding of life. In this first session, we explored brokenness and the value of our pain and our wounds that can enable us to be more effective leaders.
